A Book on Financial Literacy: Rich Dad and Poor Dad

“Financial Literacy” is the phrase first time I have heard in my entire life, or it can be said as my entire 18 years of Educational life that I have spent in School, college and University. At least I am happy that I read this book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” (what the rich teach their kids about money- That poor and middle class do not!) by Robert T.Kiyosaki, by now. It is wonderful book that I would suggest everyone to study. Especially the teens… It is the right age to learn how money works around them and be prepared to face the odds in future. For people above their thirties, it will still be useful; to educate their children and make them smart to avoid the rat race they would face once they become responsible youth.

Later few months before, I have read few books about stocks and finance. But after few pages of reading those books I would end up disgusted and confused about stocks, shares, tax-saving scheme and happy retirement etc. I would open a book with lot of interest to know about finance, hoping to build my future but all my efforts of understanding the book would result in vain since it involved graphs, terms about stocks shares etc which a normal person like me could not understand and feel abstruse.

This book, enlightened me about the basic things like why money is needed? How to build your own empire? What is the difference between Income statement and Balance sheet? How cash flow happens? How we spend most of our years wasting our hard work to pay government as taxes? How to build your assets? When and where to invest our earned money? Now I am really worried why financial education was not given to me during my school days. I have been watching news since I remember they bought a television in my home. Never in my life I queried or bothered about the stock market news. Even if I had questioned it, I hope I would have not got any appropriate answers.

This book Rich Dad Poor Dad enlightens us on:

• What is Wealth? Which it explains as ‘How long a person (or his generation) can survive if he has stopped working’.

• How Employees and Educated try to play safe; Rich play smart;

• Deep knowledge on Assets, i.e. Wealth which would withstand and bring cash flow to our income statement. Eg : stocks, Bonds, Notes, Real Estate, Intellectual Property etc.

• Also knowledge on Liability: i.e. people considering as wealth but would bring lots of expenses than cash flow. Eg : Mortgage, Consumer loans, Credit cards etc.

• Pictorial Representation of CASHFLOW:

A must read book….

Paulo Coelho’s -The Alchemist

I would like to portray here about the beautiful book that I have read in this semester holiday. It was such an inspiring book written by Paulo Coelho – a Brazilian writer, which was an international bestseller and sold over 30 million copies at that time. I started the novel thinking that it would just be the same blend mixed with romance, thriller or a slapstick kind of play, but it proved to be different with practical philosophy about life which we forget to realize at times. The book is just about dreams we have and the life’s treasure we seek elsewhere and unfortunately it lies in our own doorsteps and how to realize our dreams.

The bottom line of the story is very simple and it just goes like this…..

This is a story of a shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world to pyramid in search of a treasure. He travels to an exotic place where Arabs live, then to the desert, to the oasis, and finally to the pyramids. Fatefully he encounters with an alchemist who explains him the worldly life and the desire each man has to find his treasure and the art of speaking or understanding to ones own heart and how coward our heart would be at times. Its truly a fabulous story that I recommend everyone should read.

In a single line the book explains of “listening to your heart and following your dreams”.

Some lines which I loved in that book…

“Maktub – which in Arab means that “it’s written”.

“Take advantage when luck is on ur side and do as much to help it as its doing to help us. It’s called principle of favourability, i.e. Beginners luck. Life wants you to achieve ur destiny”.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you to achieve it”.

“Don’t live on your past or future. Live only with your presence”.

“Always listen to ur heart. It’s sometimes afraid to pursue your dream because u may lose things that u have won. Don’t pretend not to hear it; it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you’re thinking about life and about the world”.

“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. We speak oh them only to our children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them – the path to their destinies and to happiness. Most people see world as a threatening place, and, they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.”

ANGAADI THERU

Hope this is a post am writing after a long time. Reminded only after one of my friend asked why arent u posting nothing in ur blog....

Anyways, let me share today’s experience here. Along with four other friends I went to angaadi theru-literally "market road" (first i was too reluctant to go) in uthayam theatre.

To describe the movie in one word from my point of view...I was "speechless" at the end. Usually I don’t encourage low budget films since my perspective is that movies should try to entertain audience and directors should put effort to spend money and show audience round the world. But i was proved wrong.

STORY LINE:

Jothilingam(hero) is from remote village of southern tamilnadu. He joins as a sales boy in one of the big shops of ranganathan street,tnagar to solve his family problems. He meets kani(heroine) who also works there. Both fall in love after certain childish fights between them. The money minded owner of the shop and the rude supervisors try to sue them after knowing that they are in love. Later they are fired out after many struggles. It is then both try to start a beautiful life by selling small items like mobile covers in the same street. They start their life by sleeping in roadsides where destiny starts to play its role. A crucial accident takes place by smashing legs of all the people who slept in roadside. Lingams leg get fractured. But unfortunate kani loses both her legs in the accident. It is then the true love has been tested. kani hopes to go away to an orphanage(since her own father left her behind) as she thinks lingam will not accept her. But luckily, lingam asks her to marry him and both start a new life by selling their things in same street.

COMMENTS:

Black paandi's(as maarimuthu) comedy and pranks were really enjoyable. Had a hearty laugh.

Each and every scene had some message or values within it. None of the scenes were considered sluggish and boring. Songs score a good point here...were truly good. Depiction of the entire life of people working there was awesome. But director could have reduced certain tragedies and awful words which might have taken certain audience to be badly shaken. The director has done a great job. Hats-off to him and also the entire team of ANGAADI THERU.

The pursuit of Happiness

Today I watched this movie, a Columbia pictures directed by Gabriele muccino and lead role by will smith. Will smith… who actually does a number of slapstick movies, has a serious role of being a dad for a five year old boy.

This film is inspired by a true story of chris Gardner a successful stock marketer, who then owned a firm and later fetched a multi-million dollar deal for his firm later in 2006.

Story:

He was indeed candid in nature, sharp in mind with good intelligence of reasoning power, yet his life was utter failure with no money to run his family, his wife often nags him for not paying his taxes, house rent etc. He always had a worried face with no happiness blooming out in his life. His only hope was to change for a better job that would earn him money and make him happy.

At one stage his wife leaves him and with no house to stay and no money in bank, he roams around with his son. Meanwhile he joins an internship for learning about stock market. Tries to balance his life with his child at one hand and internship on the other. He fought tooth and nail to get a job in stock market. Finally his hard work gained him the job he waited for.

It was then he realised and felt the happiness, with tears of joy in his eyes…

The pain and suffering he experienced was well portrayed in this film. Will smith acting was incredible. kudos to the hero….