Chinese save 45 percent of their income vs Americans only saving 5 percent, We are slaves of our habits. Change your habits to a better one.We often buy emotionally and justify rationally. Why does the word splurge means spending money vs having fun, going for a walk, getting together with friends and other healthier choices?Every dollar you save and invest doubles Every 10 yrs.  Meaning in 10 years it will double, in 20 years will be 4 times as muchIn 30 years will be 8 times as muchin 40 years will be 16 times as muchIn 50 years will be 32 times as muchYes, every dollar saved and invested at age 20 equates to $32 when you are 70 years oldIf your happiness depends on stuff you need help. Q: What are the expenses you can eliminate that won't affect your lifestyle?

Some say you don't have to worry about saving since you might be dead by tomorrow. My question is, have you died over the past several years :) Most likely you won't be dead for the next several years as well. These are simple stats. There are a lot of good videos online about how to save. In this podcast I would like to get you thinking on making your own ways of saving. Helping you figure out how to fish rather than providing you with the fish.Often regardless of how little or a lot you make, you will end up saving or spending it all because of your own set of thoughts. Yes it is primarily a set of thoughts. To some the meaning of "afford" is the ability to pay the installments, to me is if you can pay it off cash without affecting your lifestyle.I am not sure how we have come up with terms such as "I deserve the luxury", "treat yourself", "splurge', "paying for the convenience". Does it make sense to pay so much for the little extra convenience and splurge?

If you are the target of gossip:1. Ask the news bearer to stop the gossiper from gossiping and ask the gossiper to come to you. Help the news bearer to be a gossip stopper with all the steps above.2. Then ask for details and the exact words that were said behind your back, and facts, versus the news bearer's version of the facts.In order to bond we need a common enemy, but it doesn't have to be a person, it can be an ideology or problem, eg; the behavior of the gossiper and not the gossiper as a whole person.We often like to be a part of a group because we often feel superior as a group, but inferior as an individual. What gets rewarded gets repeated. Don't reward the gossiper.We overestimate our abilities and underestimate other people's abilities.  When we see a flaw in others, we often blame the whole person, but when it comes to our own flaws we often say that was just a mistake. That's why we can contempt others.How not to get hurt when you are the victim?You can't control others, but you can control you and your feelings. The way you think dictates the way you feel.You can ask the gossiper as to why they said what they said and welcome them to come directly to yourself. Help them stop gossiping. Steps are mentioned in the previous episode.

There are 3 types of people: People who talk about people, people who talk about the news and people who talk about ideas.You can't consume gossip without bias and  the presumption of your own experience.First and foremost important is to find out why one gossips:Is it to help/inform you about the absent person, Is it out of jealousy and want to ruin them, Is he/she simply venting and may not mean everything they say. Is it for the sake of entertainment and wanting to connect with you by talking about the absentee. Is it because we are focused on others, not ourselves. Seeing others' drama to forget our own drama. Feeling better about ourselves by seeing others brokenOr simply they like Chios and drama.If we are not open to accepting feedback may contribute to becoming a gossip victim and if we do not feel comfortable to express ourselves directly may force us into becoming a gossiper. Since after all at times we can't keep everything to ourselves and need to vent.Can you imagine if you speak our thoughts? That would be a disaster.  At times we share some of them with a few others, venting. This is why as a listener we may have to simply listen to the gossip and leave it there. They may just need a listening ear. How to stop the gossiper: Tell the gossiper that I'm gonna tell the absentee what you told meTell them to talk to the absentee instead of talking about them Say something good about the absentee and ask the gossiper to do the sameAsk for facts and details. This doesn't stop the gossip but helps to be more realistic and factual versus allowing the gossiper to talk about their understanding/version of the facts Help them to talk about something else.If the gossiper has some valid concerns about the absentee, let's focus on solving the problem versus just venting. Eg how can you help the absentee to change and adopt a better behavior. Addressing the behavior of the absentee and not just talking and complaining about the absentee with no solution is mind.

Education is the foundation, experience is topping. For further improvement we need further education first.For making decisions in a field where there are no studies or stats to help me make the right choice, I follow this principle: I do not kiss ass because I need to, I do not kick ass because I can. I do it because it's right. After all we will never know the consequences of our decisions. That is why I prefer to have my intentions right.

Episode description not available.

Episode description not available.

Episode description not available.

Episode description not available.

Episode description not available.

Episode description not available.

Episode description not available.

At times we have to set goals to meet eg have to catch a flight you need to be on time otherwise you miss the flight. Other times there is no need to force yourself into a tight schedule and rather you need to change behavior and keep going, e.g. losing weight. The most important thing is the behavior change. as long as you see weight loss is happening in a reasonable way.

Episode description not available.

Should you follow what you like or what you are good at?"liking or passion" are feelings and can be changed at any time. But on the other hand some of our abilities are simply due to how our brain is wired e.g. being good at memorizing stuff or understanding math and algebra, or hands on traits. We can't change these inherited traits as easy.How to decide what kind of job/profession to do:1. What does your favorite job look like? How much income, shift work, is there a need for it or there are no jobs for it, working alone or with others, possibility of being self employed, traveling, desk job or physical, do you have to move to different cities or countries, can it be part time, dangerous or safe (eg police or firefighter, climbing)2. separate them to absolute yes and no's and maybes. The things that are absolute deal breakers that you would never ever do or the ones that you really want in a job. and of course there are some maybes, where you may have a preference but not a deal breaker.3. Type of jobs that meet the above criteria, eg carpentry, engineering, medical field

Episode description not available.

First one should decide what's their main purpose in life, a "mission statement", then the smaller goals can be aligned to get there.I hope the main purpose in life is to have a good life, be happy. In that case the following are some of the main contributors to happiness: Income ($85,000.00 yearly/household income), health, social connections, purpose, daylight, vitamin B6 and fatty fish, exercise (aerobic more than strengthening), gratitude, sleep, laughter/smile.A bad structure is better than no structure. Then at least you'll know what to fix and change.There is time and place where we should go with the flow and not stick with our plans.Review your life from time to time otherwise you can get sidetracked easily. To make sure you are addressing your weakest link. Remember your weakest link keeps changing and there is always a weakest link.

What are the things that kill your passion:1. When you say "I don't care".2. When you don't get good at something and don't succeed. Success fuels passion more than passion fuels success.3. Lack of need. When you start feeling comfortable with where you are in life. You may need to create a new goal.To live a life full of meaning and value, often, you don't follow your passion, you become passionate about your lifeAt times, instead of trying to find what you like, try to find how to like what you have. Change you before changing your environment.Q: Do you care about your job, cooking, exercise, problem solving and your social skills or do you say "I don't care?" Are you ready to change your set of thoughts?

You are not born with passion, you create passion.Don't find your passion, learn how to become passionate about the things that make your life better.What do we need to get passionate about? The things we NEED in life, such as work, cooking, cleaning, exercise, dealing with people, problem solving, physical and mental health, social skills, etc.At times we make our small problems appear as serious problems, since we don't have any serious problems, sometimes called "first world problems". I believe this is one main reason in rich countries we have more depression and anxiety while we have less things to stress about. While in poor countries there is less depression and anxiety although they have a lot more stress.Q: What are the things that you need to be passionate about to make your life better? eg your job, cooking, cleaning, problem solving, social skills, exercise,

Passion is what you want to do vs what you have to do.If passion takes control of you, it's an addiction. Passion should make life better. Toxic passion damages your life more than improving it.Passion is the spice of life. Life without passion is like food with no flavor, blah!If you get better at something there are more chances you become passionate about it. but if you are passionate about something but not good at it, more likely you will lose your passionMake sure what you are passionate about adds to your life more than it takes away.You just don't find your passion, you create your passion. So make it something that helps you not ruin you. Passion is not a plan, it's a feeling, don't plan your life on feelings.Q: What is your passion? Does it make your life better or worse?