Life Project Management

I got sucked into TV last night. Yes it is rare, but it happened. And I actually felt bad afterwards that I just wasted 2 hours of my life watching non-sense TV. All a sudden, I started to ask myself, why do people keep doing certain activities such as watching TV if it doesn’t really add value to your life? Of course there are educational programs that you can learn something from, but I am talking about those TV programs that don’t necessary create wealth nor help you get healthy nor increase your energy level. Why do people keep doing activities that don’t add any value to their lives?

I like this quote from last weekend by Marshall Sylver:

If you want a certain result in your life, act as if it is true already.

This really made me think after my 2 hour TV session. I wondered if Donald Trump watched 2 hours of TV last night. Habits for rich people and poor people must be different. What are those differences? Watching TV could be one. Is there any secret habit that millionaires or billionaires do that make them who they are?

I was working on a company roadmap for my job this past week and all a sudden it daunted on me that I don’t really have a visual roadmap for myself! I have to do list, but not a roadmap. While I was working on this roadmap, I started to realize there are many dependencies and all projects are interconnected. You can’t do this project because other projects haven’t finished yet. You can start certain projects, but you need to wait for other project milestones to complete or resources to be available before you can move on. Whereas some project are totally independent and you can start anytime.

Your projects for life really work the same way. There are dependencies. There are risks. There are issues that could come up. Each project needs a Sponsor (which would be you), project manager (you), and doer (you). It is hard to play all three roles but that is absolutely necessary when it comes to your life and it is a fact that we just have to face. The sponsor sets the goals and jointly sets milestones with the manager and doers. The project manager monitors project status and manages risks/issues. The doer would perform the day to day tasks. This is project management 101 in most companies today. When it comes to our own life project, most of us avoid these basics and fail to take responsibility to run these projects seriously or appropriately. Do you know who you want to be in 5 years? 3 years? Or even in a year? Do you have a plan? Do you know how to get there? What are the steps?

The road less travelled by

Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~ Albert Einstein

What is your destiny? If you are at point A now, where is your point B? Once you decided your point B, do you have a plan to get there? I think I can tell for sure. Repeating what you are doing now will not get you to point B.

Then you may ask. How do I know what exactly it is that I need to do differently to get to point B? Ask. The problem in today’s world is that most people don’t know what their point B is. Even when they do know, point B is really not that important because most people don’t take enough action to get there. The internet is amazing and nowadays you can simply go to yahoo maps; put in your destination and origin and it will tell you the step by step travel plan. Unfortunately there is no map or website that can guide you to your own point B.

Similar to Einstein analogy, similar to a scientist’s experiment, scientists prove their hypothesis by changing different components of their experiments. You cannot add the same component and expect a different result in your test. It takes trial and error. It takes research. It takes team of support. You will be the one that makes up your own yahoo map for point B. You have to change. Your actions have to change. Your mind has to change.

Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.

Einstein didn’t come up with the Theory of Relativity because he was lucky. He did lots of thinking, research, experimentation, tests and then more research. This phenomenon has always been around us. But only Einstein was able to prove that it exists. It was not because he was lucky. He was prepared. The opportunity was always there. Einstein was the right person for the opportunity with enough preparedness, and he recognized that he had to do things a little bit differently to discover that.

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost (1874–1963).

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Pay attention to your people

I liked Mark Burnett and his story. He came to the US when he was 22 right after the British army. The 1st day he came to the US, he landed in Los Angeles in his soldier outfit. His only friend in town told him that he wouldn’t have a place to stay and he needed to find a job. He landed 1st job within one day after coming to America and it was a Beverley Hill home care-taker (aka the nanny). He sold himself the 1st day because he knew he really had nothing to offer, but himself. (Especially in a funny army outfit during his interview…)

Rich people know how to sell themselves. Rich people usually have a position. We think. We also know how to adjust our style depending who we talk to. It is very important to understand what your audience is looking for. Can you imagine talking to Mozart about stock? Or talking to the Pope about mountain biking? Know your audience. Mark listed 4 kinds of people in his talk. The kind of people that you would meet day in and day out:

1) Engineer – They are the analytical types. They love data and detailed information. You cannot persuade them to buy anything without the data. We need to be prepared when we meet the Engineer. They will ask for more info: references, specifications, technical details, etc. They like facts. They don’t usually buy on emotion.

2) Artist – They are the artistic feeling type. They love to buy based on emotion and feeling. They love it! Data is usually not as important. They buy because they see themselves driving that car, living that beautiful home. If you understand their emotion and feeling; you are golden.

3) Passive - They are the passive types who like to be led into sales. They like to slowly figure things out on their own. They don’t like to be pushed. Leave them alone! They would hate it if you ask them about ‘When you think you would buy?’ Don’t rush them. They will buy eventually, but it just takes a little bit of time.

4) Aggressive – They are the aggressive types who love to hear the sound of their own voice. They like to talk. They like to convince themselves loudly. Ask question. Ask them about their thoughts. Their house, their past, their passion. The more they talk, the more they will reveal why they would buy or not buy.

I am not saying you would sell 24/7 to everyone you meet. You simply just need to pay attention to the people around you. It’s not only for selling yourself or selling your product or services. It’s about you and your relationship with other people.

Adjust your style depends on who you meet. I love Mark’s analogy about the pilot changing the flight course depends on the wind, the weather and many other things. We can’t get to where we want to go without slight adjustment to your environment and the people around you.

I am not saying you need to bend over backward to be someone you are not. You are simply paying more attention to the people around you and you care for them and their feeling. Ask yourself, how much time has you spent and truly understood the person who is sitting or facing you right now. Have you put some thoughts into this?

The million dollar dialogs

It was a great weekend. My friends and I really enjoyed the experience of learning and finding out new opportunities at the real estate expo. Among all the speakers and people we met, there is one guy came to the top of my list. The 1st time I met this multi-millionaire was in the east coast. He stood out from the crowd because of many reasons. I really want to write this down while his stories are still fresh in my mind. Here are our billionaire dollar dialogs:

Know your priority
Question: Why did you decide to live in San Diego out of all places?
Answer: Well, I have a story to tell. While I was working in Europe, one day I got a phone call from my son. He missed hitting the T-ball and was crying on the phone. I asked myself. What kind of father am I if I couldn’t be there for him? I went immediate to my boss and told him that I will either quit if you don’t transfer me back to the U.S. My boss thought I was crazy. I was on top of my career as one of the top executives in a major U.S companies. He and many people certainly thought I have gone insane. But I knew what was important and my priority. The only position available at the time was a low level sales position in San Diego. My boss mentioned it and I jumped on it. I got to be with my family! My son’s only complaints when he was growing up was that my father spend too much time with me and I am very proud of that.

Help Others
Question: Why are you doing this? You certain don’t need the money after all the ventures you did.
Answer: Now it’s the time to give back. Help other and so they can add another 0 to their bank account. Adding another zero to my account doesn’t really matter as much anymore. But making another one to yours or his will make your life better.

Treat others
Question: What is your tip of success?
Answer: Make people feel important. You never know who you would meet. Doesn’t matter who it is. This person could be anyone; your waiter, someone you meet on the street, cashier that gives you back your change. Make them feel important. Share with them. You never know who knows what.

Choose your partner
He also said, ‘I would never work with people that I can’t initially trust, have too big of an ego, or just plain greedy. My time worth more for the right, sincere people.’

I don’t think I captured the essence of his wisdom and sharing. But here is my story and I am sticking to it.

Courage

Courage – do you have the courage to reach and get what you want? Do you have the courage to stand up for yourself and defend your position? Do you have the courage to tell the world who you are?

Comfortable life is easy. Success life takes courage.

Take a stand

I had a meeting with a very successful woman the other day. I asked her about who she thinks is the most successful person in the company. She named two kinds of people. One is the ‘Collaborative’ type. The nice guys that make everyone feel good. They like consensus. They like making people feel good. They get things done, but sometimes it may take a little longer because not everyone would agree with you at all times.

The second type is the ‘Taking a Position’ type. This 2nd kind tells the world this is what he/she wants. The goal is clear and it is obvious that certain people may or may not like it. I am not saying they don’t collaborate or they like to start fires everywhere, but because their goal is clear, it could easily create conflicts with people with different positions or opinions. The successful woman likes the ‘Taking a Position’ type. And so do I.

You need to send the right message to the world. Take a position and declare who you are. Tell the world where you stand so it won’t return you with mixed messages. Just like baking a cake -- a recipe calls for 30 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees. There is no confusion, no argument because you trust the chef who wrote the receipe and they know what they are doing. The message is clear. You can either do this or you may fail. There is no ‘If you do this, then you may turn out good.' You would not follow or buy a ‘may work’ receipe. It just wouldn’t work.

Have you noticed people who are famous or influential or rich usually have a very clear position and stand? People naturally follow you if you take a stand. People like to help and they are here to help! Take a position. The situation for your life! Ask you yourself who you want to be. Write down what it will be like. Then just like putting a stake in the ground, you will establish your starting point. Be clear to everyone around you, your supporters will come naturally. If you don’t know where your starting point is, how can everyone else find you and follow?

'If I can' vs 'What if'

R. Buckmnster Fuller once said: ‘I'm not a genius. I'm just a tremendous bundle of experience.’ I can appreciate this quote more than ever. When I first came out of college, man I thought I knew everything! I was able to endure years of schooling and finally step into the real world. If I can survive school, I can survive anything!

Younger people (even though I am still young) like to use this phase, ‘If I can do [ ], I can do that too!’ It is a ‘gun-ho’ spirit that gives the youngsters energy. We were fearless because we knew we could conquer the world. Little that we knew, this world is not about survival. We are not talking about living in the 3rd world country here. We are living in the modern world of America. Being able to survive or do things is not the point! The point is to get to Point A to Point B faster. Remember the 1st time you tried typing. I can’t imagine typing 60 words per minute using your index finger only. You got to learn the intricacies behind the layout of the keyboard. Why are certain keys positioned a specific way? Your fingers can all move strategically to type out everything you want once you learned the method created by someone else. Yes you can absolutely type out everything using one finger, but it just inefficient. You will get there slower. Why waste your time? Your life is precious. Pick and choose when you to use the “If I can’ phrase.

About a month ago, we went to North Carolina. We got the chance to meet this amazing individual named David. David was absolutely full of wisdom and had accomplished many things in life. Among all these words of wisdom, there was one thing absolutely amazing about him and that was these ‘What if’ phrases. He said to us, ‘When I first started to invest real estate, I asked myself what if there is a website that provides the most comprehensive information about pre-construction opportunities? What if..? What if…?’ David created one of the best pre-construction website and was able to be prosperous from his new venture. Asking the ‘What if’ questions helped him to imagine and dream big. He can see the destination. Once you are done with the ‘What if’ question, your mind will automatically and naturally shift gear to identify the following steps. The ‘what if’ question makes you think, the ‘if I can’ makes you do. They are both good phrases and get you going, but the difference is which part of you that you want to get it going first?

The secret

I love sharing ideas. I discovered that recently and it has been a blast getting up early in the morning and just start writing. Writing out my thoughts and beliefs or the excitement of the day makes me feel lucky and grateful that I can write. Not aiming for getting any writer aware, but I am simply doing what I love doing - sharing ideas who are curious to know.

Do you love what you do? Last night, we watched a movie called "The Secret". Without spoiling the movie for you, I probably should keep the secret. Having said that; I absolutely hands down agrees with "The Secret". It’s one of those ‘ah-ah’ moments. The Secret echos with Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich. It is a very simple law. It is so simple, but yet because it is so simple; most people don’t believe it. Or don’t want to believe it. Why is that? Is The Secret so evolutional that we (human mind) cannot understand? No – it is so simple that most of us refuse to accept it. It’s almost like – if you tell everyone at work today and say, ‘Guess what? I have discovered the biggest secret in life!’ and you started to tell everyone about it. They probably would think you are crazy or start laughing. This law; the truth is so simple. We actually knew it all along but we never think about it. Just like the law of gravity. You don’t think about an apple falling off from the tree anymore because it is just one of those accepted laws in life.

Have you ever thought about that what happens to you today is absolutely a result of your thoughts? I know I know – I might sound crazy. But wait.. I am very serious. Things do not just happen to you. It happens because you "asked" for it. It’s about time that you take responsibility of your own life. Things happen not just because *shxx* happens. Or because of someone just being lucky. It happens because your intent to become rich or unlucky; lucky or having a bad day is fulfilled per your command. You don’t need to have a bad day. You asked for it. You will become a millionaire because you ask for it. You will have a great family because you ask for it. Ask for it. Tell you mind to just do it! It’s about time.

Half empty or half full?

Happy Friday!

Do you think this glass of water is half empty or half full?


I am no psychologist. I am not trying to prove that you are neither pessimistic nor optimistic. Whatever answer you come up with – you are right! Who am I to judge? I have no idea of your background, culture or beliefs. But I do want to share with you what my answer would be.

The glass is half full. I am happy to see that I have some water and I know once this glass is finished, I will be able to get more. To start your journey to success, you need something to start with – your knowledge, your friends, your experience, your team and your mentor(s).

I remember my very first camping/hiking trip ever. It was a 4 days hike. I thought you had to pack enough to survive, especially water! It was a 10 miles hike one way and we brought all the water we needed for the journey. We later on realized that there were many water sources along the way and that instead we could have just brought along a water filter. We had never used a water filter before, but it definitely makes sense! We felt silly and what a waste of our energy! 3000 foot climb up and down with 8 pounds of water was definitely not fun!

How are you preparing your pack for your journey? It is absolutely okay that your glass of water is half full or half empty. It does not matter either way!! You have a water filter!! You can leverage! Leverage – the most beautiful thing in the world. You don’t need everything (the water) to start your journey because you've got the lever (water-filter)! Bring levers with you --your friends, your team, your knowledge, your mentors, your experiences. Just let go and you will get there. Don’t waste your time to beat yourself down or worry if you have enough tools/knowledge/people to get to your goal.

If your mind says so, you will.

Create your life

After reading books written by Robert Kiyosaki, T. Harv Eker and Napoleon Hill, one of my biggest takeaways is that you create your life. Yes you! Nothing just happens to you. Nothing. Even for those who go to work day in and day out – living the ordinary life. At a minimum, you got to get out of bed. You need to first be willing to get out of bed before anything else can happen (such as brushing teeth, going to work or school, eating breakfast, etc).

You don’t necessary contemplate if you should eat breakfast or brush your teeth everyday. These activities just seem so natural to you. Those are your routines, your habits. You grew up with these activities. You were trained when you were young to do it everyday.

Do you remember how you were potty trained? Well... I don’t. But I bet my mom probably was very frustrated during the training process. I could see her face getting angry probably thinking how come my daughter could not learn this most basic routine – a habit that she was at some point also trained by someone else.

All creatures (human or bees or tigers) were all trained to follow certain routines depending on your physical ability, family background and culture. As much as we are all different by race or religion or physical features, we all get up in the morning, eat and sleep. In that aspect, we are not that much different from a pig. It may be brutal, but true.

Becoming successful does not just come naturally. It takes thoughts. This is not one of those routine tasks – not like eating, sleeping or getting dressed. Thinking to become rich is very un-natural to most people. I am not trying to argue with anyone on DNA/heredity. Sometimes this thought is so unnatural that you may even just deny it and start making excuses to yourself that will not happen. I heard this quote the other day:

"Excuses are the words coming from the loser inside of you." -Kiyosaki

Focus on the facts, don’t let your routine or old thoughts blind you. Question yourself! Don’t argue with thoughts that don’t sound right. You realize you are just making an excuse not because those thoughts are wrong. It is because they are absolutely foreign territory to you and you are just scared?

Life doesn’t just happen, you make it happen. How can you make it happen? Only you can answer this question.

Today

Today

Most people I know (including myself) usually get up around 6 – 8 a.m. Brush your teeth, shower, and go to work. Some would pick up coffee along the way. Get to the office, go to meetings, work on documents or projects that were assigned. Then come lunch time, may socialize with some coworkers. If there is an urgent project, sometimes you may skip lunch. After lunch time, you may go to more meetings, or keep on working on your project. If you have free time, you may or may not socialize with your cube or office neighbor. Then comes 5:00 p.m. You know you should leave, but there is still more things you need to work on.

Is this your life?

Have you spent time to work on your most important asset lately? Okay – not your house. I mean your mind and your body! People usually like to say unwind after work or after the week. You should unwind your mind 1st thing in the morning! Clear your head. Think about what you want to accomplish today! What is your goal? Is your goal to complete this project? Finish this assignment? May be having dinner with your family? How about calling your mom or dad? Being a millionaire is not only about money. It’s also about successful living – the capability of living a fulfilling day, every day of your life. You can’t just have one great day and all a sudden become successful and rich. A millionaire has multiple consecutive and successful days.

Are you ready for today - your first day full of opportunity, love, energy and abundance?

The million dollar moment

Last night we went to a young jazz musicians concert. It was wonderful. The performers were all kids. They look so young, and they were very good. I could feel thir energy and excitement being on stage. Their eyes were full of enthusiasm. They wanted to be there. They were stars! They were living the million dollar moment.

These kids reminded me of when I was 11 years old. I have played piano since I was 6. I was no Mozart, but I was pretty good. My mom used to force me to practice 2 -3 hours a day. She told everyone about my music (including my teachers in school). One day during the school assembly, I was called upon by my head master to come up on stage. Out of the blue, I had to play in front of 500 kids! I remember my legs were shaking. I was soooo nervous and excited at the same time. I could not believe it! I slowly walked up on the stage. My mind was blank. My heavy limbs were numb and breaking with cold sweat. At that one moment, only one piece came to mind. That piece was called ‘ …’. I put my first finger on the keyboard. All the other keystrokes started to fall into place. I knew my legs were shaking. I was saying to myself, ‘I cannot believe this! What if I fail?’ I had no way out. I am stuck! I better do well. I felt like a million years passed me by during the 3 minutes recital. All I remember was the applause afterwards. I was ecstatic. I love life. I was on top of the world! I was living the million dollar moment.

I haven’t had that kind of moment for a long time. I don’t remember when the last time that I was so nervous or so excited. My fond memories of that performance has since then slowly slipped away. Once in a while, those memories and feeling come back and you would ask yourself. Where have I been? What happen to me? Am I living life? Am I striving for my best? When was the last time that I felt like a million dollars?

Day In & Day out. Earl Nightingale once said, ‘We, as human beings, don’t really have to think about how we live life. We get up in the morning, brush our teeth and wash our face. Drive to work. Sit at our desk. All these activities don’t really take thoughts.’ When is the last time you sat down just to think? Are you getting the most out of your time on earth? Or are you simply just going along with the flow?

What are you doing? What is your goal? Only you can answer these questions my friend. I want to witness all the million dollar moments I can. The moment that you are really giving your best, you feel ecstatic and you can say to yourself afterwards -- I am glad that I had live through that moment in life. The million dollar moment.

Billionaire in Action - Real Estate (Part 1)

We have been investing in real estate for just over 3 years now. It all started because we wanted a place of our own. Have you been to Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project? I would call our real estate journey an Experience Real Estate Project. Here are the first three of our projects:

Project 1 – San Francisco: There were 5 of us and we bought a 6 unit apartment building together. Long story short, it did not work out. Only 2 out of 5 were able to move in. Since any building over 4 units is considered commercial property the value of the building was all about the net operating income (NOI). It took a lot of effort to make it happen. It was overall a great experience, and I applaud 2 of our partners whom eventually made it happen, but I definitely would not recommend this as a 1st project for anyone.

Lesson Learnt: 1) Set expectation with your partners. I am very glad we are still great friends. But it is definitely hard to align 5 people’s goals at the same time. 2) Build up your team (legal, tax, etc) and take their advice. Being young and full of energy is not enough to be successful in business. Ask questions from the masters (people who have done it many times before) can save you lots of time.

Project 2 – Seattle: We bought a brand new condo in the Belltown area; about 8 blocks from Pike’s Place Market and 2 blocks from the water. It was a very nice place. The asking price for 2 bedroom 2 bath was $280K at the time. I lived there for a few months and we rented it out afterwards. The cashflow was about $400 – 500 negative for about one year. Despite the negative monthly cashflow, the appreciation gain was great for us. Here is the simple math:

10% down: $28000
12 months negative cashflow ($500): $ 6000
$34000

10% appreciation for a $280K place, the gain was $28,000. With the money we put down (including the negative cashflow), it was over 80% gain in one year. Leverage, the ability to purchase something for a percentage of the cost, is a beautiful thing. It made a lot of sense to us and it was a lot less effort then Project 1.

Lesson learnt: 1) Keep things simple – buy commodities that you know there will be future buyers. 2) Keep good balance between cashflow and appreciation. They are both great things (if the cashflow is positive). In retrospect, the negative cashflow was making us very uncomfortable not knowing if it would really appreciate or not. You cannot count on appreciation. If it happens, it is a bonus. 3) Location, location, location.

Project 3 – Sacramento. Knowing the right people is key in business (Real estate included). We met Kevin through a friend at our local Toastmaster's club. Kevin has been working as an agent in Sacramento for 3 years at the time and has bought a few 80K condos which had basically doubled in value within 2 years. We were very impressed with the numbers and followed his footstep and bought in the same complex. The setup was very similar to Project 2 except it was a condo conversion instead of a brand new condo. We have 2 very nice female tenants and they have always paid the rent on time.

Lesson learnt: 1) Tenant selection. From a very experienced master (who's had > 20 buildings in San Francisco), it’s all about the credit score 2) Location, location, location –this place is no water-front, but it is very close to Walmart and food, etc. This is the basic need for many Americans. 3) Knowing the right people, without Kevin, it would have taken us a lot more time to identify and get the property ready for rent. Thank you Kevin.

Billionaire’s conversations

Sunday morning. Have a nice cup of coffee (or tea). Reflect on your week. What did you learn? Who did you meet? What/Who inspired you this week?

This week has been really fulfilling for me. It is fulfilling because I got to talk to 2 millionaires. Talking to successful people is like learning how to cook by sitting next to a master chef. You can read as many recipes as you want and follow each step closely. Sometimes you can make a fantastic dish, but sometimes the dish may not taste quite right. Meeting the master chef(s) sharpen your skills, your mind and even gives you the occasional ‘ah ha’ moment. You can learn the secrets and the real recipe behind what is not obvious to many.

A master chef sees things differently than you and I. Similar to watching an apple fall from a tree. If you are an artist, you may try to capture the beauty of the fallen apple and create a masterpiece painting. If you are a squirrel, you may get hurt and never want to go near an apple tree again. If you are the master chef, you will realize the theory of universal gravitation and become of the greatest scientist of all time.

It’s not enough to have the right time and the right opportunity. It also takes the right person.

Here is one of the many conversations I had this past week:
Me: Do you think you are successful?
Master: Yes
Me: Knowing what you know today, would you do anything differently?
Master: May be. But here is my advice - Do what you love and work hard.

What he said reminded me of another quote.

If you are willing to do what's hard, life will be easy. If you are willing to do what's easy, life will be hard.

At one point a master also said that I (young people) am not ready to take advice. It dawned on me afterwards that I need to be a better receiver. If you made the decision to be a millionaire or billionaire, get ready and you will receive what you need to get there. Don’t let your old habits blind your billionaire sight. If you are not at where you want to be, chances are there are things (or ideas) that you don’t know yet. Open your heart and your mind and be ready to receive.

A decisive billionaire

I grew up in a normal middle class family. Mom, dad and me. I received a good education. Never had to worry about food or security. I remember for at least 13 years or so, I would get up around 6:30 -7. Everyday, I would change into my school uniform and wait for my school bus about one block from my house. I was never really a big fan of school. I was always tired. Not really motivated to go. I did okay though. I enjoyed seeing my friends everyday. That’s about it.

Looking back, no one ever asked me if I wanted to go to school. I went because well… I guess all the other kids went to school. My parents would say it is important. And I guess I can come up with a dozen reasons why I should. But before going there, the real reasons were never discussed. I went along with the program at a very young age.

I came to the US when I was 16. Did I decide that? Not really... my mom wanted me to come because I could get better education in the U.S. And I did (I guess). At the age of 16, I finally got the freedom to live by myself without my parents being around all the time. I was a good kid. Even without them being around, I did not do anything too crazy. I graduated, found a good job, did good work, got promoted, then got promoted again. My life has been pretty smooth sailing. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing wrong. Now after all these years of education and good work, I can easily spend the rest of my life doing exactly just that. Continue to be a good worker, a good daughter and a good friend.

All these are so nice and comfortable. Do you see where I am going? We all live in a box of a pre-defined life routine. A box that was created by someone else at one point. We don’t question the box because we did not know it is a box. Did you ever ask yourself – Who do you want to be? What do you do for yourself and your family? How do you want to live? Did you do what you are doing now because you decided to do it or because this opportunity just came along and you were too lazy to think about other options?

To live outside of the box, I need to decide what I am going to become. I've decided to become a millionaire and take the responsibility to become one. It doesn’t sound like that hard of a decision. But it was very tough. It is certainly outside of my familiar box.

No one around me has done it before. I need to create my own path. A fun and exciting path. Not living up to someone else’s expectations, but living a life for me and me only. Take full responsibilities because I have committed to it. Love life because I finally am taking control. Not because someone said so, or because it is a cool thing to do.

Spend time, think. Don’t just go with the flow or the program. Don’t ask the ‘What if’ question till the end. Ask the ‘What if’ today and NOW!

Be a healthy billionaire

Sky is the limit. Nature is full of abundance. What you don’t see often creates more impact on you physically and emotional then anything else you see. T.Harv would say, ‘If you don’t believe me, just put your finger into the electric socket. You would immediate realize what I mean.’

Health also falls into the invisible category. I cannot touch health. It is a binary yes or no question. Either you have it or not. I was in the hospital the other day visiting a friend who has a liver problem. He lost his energy and fire that he used to have in his eyes. Kept mumbling that he had a good life. It made me think about life and health. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. You also need a billionaire health. Without health, you will not be able to help others because you don’t have the mental capacity to help.

Growing and maintaining a healthy body is just like growing your wealth and similar to your journey to a billion dollars. There is no magic pill to become healthy. There are only pills to heal certain problems. Exercise everyday, relax, drink water, and eat healthy food. Health (or wealth) would not just appear today. It comes only if you practice these habits everyday. The two words (wealth & health) are really one character apart and the ways to get to both are also intriguingly similar.

What if I am already a billionaire, this is how I am going to live my life today.

Wealth routine

• Write & publish my daily billionaire blog
• My blog will be read by billions of people
• 1000 people will buy my book today and my wealth will increase
• I will donate 10% of my income to charity that will help sickness and people at war
• I will review my stock and real estate portfolio and have fun making more investment decisions
• Plan my next trip with family
• Spend quality time with my loved ones

Health routine

• Take deep breaths and refresh my lung every morning
• Meditate
• Drink water
• Eat lots of vegetable
• Exercise at least one hour a day
• Sweat!
• Have one glass of red wine in the evening (no excessive drinking)

Be a green billionaire?

I remember someone once said, ‘If you aim for the stars, at least you will get to the moon.' Think big. Dream Big! Different people have different dreams. Follow your dreams, and then the money will come.

Being a billionaire is not only about money. You might think – yeah right…. This is definitely cow manure. But I am absolutely 100% completely serious about this!!

You absolutely cannot become a billionaire without thinking or enriching others. The journey of becoming a millionaire or a billionaire is not only about money. It’s a journey becoming a bigger person. What is the definition of a billionaire or a millionaire (other than having tons of money)? Big house? No. Nice clothes? Wrong. Imagine that when you become a billionaire, what will you do when you get up in the morning? It definitely will not be your nice house or nice clothes or what’s for breakfast? You have bigger things that drive you. You have bigger questions to answer. You and I will take the responsibility to help people by creating jobs (Bill Gates), creating opportunities, creating housing for others, spreading ideas and thoughts (Oprah) and simply creating a better world.

Billionaires and millionaires have the mental capacity to think for others. It’s not about survival anymore. It’s about how can I help others to get out of their survival mode?
Have you heard of the theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? The last 2 nights I got the chance to learn about green design and it was absolutely fantastic. This experience not only inspires me about ‘going green’, but I also realize the idea of ‘green’ is an actualization – We (as human being) need to understand the impact of global warming and realize we are all responsible for making our planet better.

But guess what? There are MANY people in this world is not mentally capable to get to this actualization because billions of people are still in starvation, a billion of people are still sick (level 2) and millions are people are still at war (level 2) in many countries.

As billionaires, we absolutely have the responsibility not only enriching others, but helping others to live.

The Billion Dollar Question

Last night I was at a company party. One of my coworkers asked me ‘What did you do for the weekend?’ My mind immediately went on alert and said to myself ‘Should I tell her?’ In a split second, my mind marched forward and almost like a conspiracy being revealed, I said ‘I had this question in mind the other day and I spent Saturday looking for answers.’ I was ready for the next question. Yes I was ready. Te… Te… ! Ladies and gentleman, the question was and still is an open question, what would you do to make $4000 a day?

It’s was funny that I was nervous and I really wasn’t quite sure why. Well, actually I do have an explanation. I felt almost forbidden asking this kind of question being an employee. People would think that I am crazy. It’s funny that I am writing this right now. My nervousness or sense of forbiddances afterall comes from me. Yes, me – my mind.

Things and objects in the world don’t really change. People change. Your mind changes, it changes everyday. Why be embarrassed to ask the billion dollar question? Nothing should stop you! Don’t stop yourself!! The size of your question determines the size of the truth and the answer.

The world is waiting for you! The universe is ready to answer your billion dollar question when and only when you are ready.

P.S. The reason for my question - When I make $4000 a day every working day for the next year, I will then achieve my 1st million. I can’t wait!

Welcome to Richpal - A Billionaire first step

I am very very excited creating this new space. A space that shares thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas and dreams towards becoming a billionaire. I know I know… you are probably thinking now – I will never become a billionaire. The question is – why not? Of course you will not if you get yourself defeated at the beginning of the race. I love T.Harv’s rule of manifestation ->

Thoughts -> Feeling -> Action -> Results

If you have no thoughts of becoming a billionaire, chances are you have no feeling towards it nor you would ever do anything about it. And guess what? You are right, you will never become one. Success is a realization of a worthy ideal. Do you have an ideal? I woke up this morning. Walked out on to the balcony and took a deep breath looking at the San Francisco grey sky. Man this is cold! But yet, I am excited to be alive, healthy and young (still). What am I waiting for? You only live once. Do you want to let life pass you by and you wonder at the end of this race… what if I had done that? Don’t ask the ‘what if’ question at the end. Ask the question now!! Ask the ‘what if’ question everyday!!! The goal of this space is to let you and I connect and learn together through our billionaire journey! This will be a fun ride and I can't hardly wait! This space will be organized in the following categories:

• The Billionaire Mind
• The Billionaire Feeling
• The Billionaire in Action
• The Billionaire Way Result

Fun fact for today – did you know there are currently 793 billionaires in the world (http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/) ? What if – you and I are one of them? What would you do different this morning instead?