minimalist FAQs

Source:http://mnmlist.com/minimalist-faqs/

Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about minimalism and living the minimalist life, for those new to the concept.

Q: Why be a minimalist?

A: It’s a way to escape the excesses of the world around us — the excesses of consumerism, material possessions, clutter, having too much to do, too much debt, too many distractions, too much noise. But too little meaning. Minimalism is a way of eschewing the non-essential in order to focus on what’s truly important, what gives our lives meaning, what gives us joy and value.

Q: Isn’t minimalism boring or too sparse, with nothing in your life?

A: This is a misconception about minimalism — that it’s necessarily monk-like, empty, boring, sterile. Not at all. Well, it can be, if you go in that direction, but I don’t advocate that flavor of minimalism. Instead, we are clearing away all but the most essential things — to make room for that which gives us the most joy. Clear away the distractions so we can create something incredible. Clear away all the obligations so we can spend time with loved ones. Clear away the noise so we can concentrate on inner peace, on spirituality (if we wish), on our thinking. As a result, there is more happiness, peace, and joy, because we’ve made room for these things.

Q: What is minimalist living?

A: It’s simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly.

Q: What are the benefits of minimalism?

A: There are many. It’s lower in stress. It’s less expensive and less debt. It’s less cleaning and maintaining. It’s more enjoyable. There’s more room for creating, for loved ones, for peace, for doing the things that give you joy. There’s more time for getting healthy. It’s more sustainable. It’s easier to organize. These are only the start.

Q: What does the schedule of a minimalist look like?

A: There’s no single answer to this question, but a minimalist would probably focus on doing less, on having a less cluttered schedule, but what’s on his or her schedule would be important. A minimalist might not actually keep a schedule or calendar, at one extreme, if he didn’t have much to do each day — he might instead live and work moment-by-moment, or just decide each morning to focus on one or two important things.

A minimalist would also save a lot of time because of having less clutter and fewer possessions. That means less time cleaning and maintaining, and less time searching for things. A minimalist who clears away distractions and single-tasks would also waste less time with those distractions and in switching back and forth between tasks (multi-tasking).

In general, all this results in more time for relaxing, for hobbies, for creating, for doing fun things.

Q: What rules do I need to follow to become minimalist?

A: There are no set rules. There’s no one way. What I suggest for living minimally isn’t what someone else would recommend, nor is it how you would live your minimalist life. In general, however, you want to live simply without too many unnecessary possessions, distractions, clutter, or waste. You want to live frugally, debt-free, sustainably, naturally.

Q: Do you need to be vegan or vegetarian to be minimalist?

A: No. While I believe the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is consistent with minimalism, you can eat simply as an omnivore as well. Again, there’s no one way. A minimalist would try to eat naturally, without too much processing, and not eat too much food (such as the ridiculous portions at most restaurants these days).

Q: I believe in simplifying, but why should I be so frugal — what wrong with a few REALLY nice things?

A: Frugality is simply a way of not spending on unnecessary things — sticking to the essentials. Is there anything wrong with a few really nice things? Not necessarily. If you need to buy something, it’s usually better to go for quality, rather than cheap, because it’s better made and will last longer. Minimalism is about quality over quantity.

However … it’s always good to examine whether it’s good to have an attachment to material things. This isn’t something I’ve completely succeeded with — I love my Mac, for example — but it’s something I’ve been working on. I am much less attached to possessions than I was just a few years ago, and I recommend that everyone examine their relationship with physical things, with products, and see if it’s really what they want.

Q: What about finding minimalism in America — where you need to have a car and a job?

A: This whole site is about finding minimalism within the American culture and society — as well as other industrialized nations — not on some remote desert island. The complexities and social expectations of the United States (and other industrialized countries) is exactly why minimalism is needed. All the advice I give on this site (and Zen Habits) is aimed at people in these modern societies.

Sure, I live on Guam, which is a tropical island, but what most people don’t realize is that Guam is in most respects just like the U.S. (and is a part of it) — we have the same technology, same restaurants (from McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, Lone Star, Chilis, Hooters, etc), same malls and stores (including Home Depot, Kmart, Macys, et al), same kind of jobs, same reliance on cars, same health problems. We are online just as much as everyone else. We have busy schedules and need jobs and cars just as much as anyone in the U.S.

I face the same problems. Most people on Guam lead extremely complicated, cluttered lives and have the same attachment to their cars, jobs and possessions as everyone else in the U.S. I’ve just decided not to be a part of that, to the extent I can. And it is possible, not only here on Guam but anywhere in the world — you just need to make a conscious decision to change your life.

Do you need to be as minimalist as me, or someone living in the wilderness? Not at all. It’s not about that. It’s about finding simplicity and finding what’s important to you, and making choices, rather than adopting the consumerist mindset that most people have.

Q: Aren’t you being contradictory by claiming to be a minimalist and owning a Mac, or a house, or having six kids?

A: Again, there’s no one way. Everyone must find his own path, and mine is different than what someone else would consider minimalist. Also, I have never claimed to be perfect – I’m striving for minimalism, but I always have room for improvement. I have things that are inconsistent with minimalism, or at least by the definition of others. I’m working on it.

I should say a word or two about having six kids and minimalism. Having six children is inconsistent with my message of simplifying, frugality, downsizing, being green.

I don’t have a defense – but I do have an explanation for the inconsistency. I had my kids before (and during) my change in philosophy. In fact, my philosophy is evolving even now, so I can’t claim to have believed in the things I believe in now, for a very long time. Many things I believe in are only recent developments.

As an example – only recently, I made the decision to transition back into veganism (I was vegan once, but have been lacto-ovo veggie for over a year). But I own a pair of leather sandals – do I throw them out? Wouldn’t that be wasteful? Is it better to be wasteful but consistent with my beliefs? It’s hard to say.

However, I have decided it would be most unethical for me to throw out my children, just because I now believe in downsizing. It was a tough decision, but I’m sticking by it.

As a result of my simplifying, I am able to enjoy my time with my children, and I have to admit, they are the best thing to happen to me. I don’t regret having them one bit, even if they are inconsistent with my philosophy of downsizing.

On the good side, I believe that even with six kids, being vegan, buying less stuff, being energy conscious, owning only one car and rarely driving it, walking more for transportation – I actually use fewer resources than the average person in developed countries (and far less than the avg American) – this is according to online carbon footprint calculators. It’s not a justification for having six kids, but just a note that things aren’t as bad as they could be.

Q: Why don’t you have a comment button or comments on this site?

A: I purposely didn’t include comments on this site for a couple of reasons:

1. I already manage several other blogs, and get a ton of comments at Zen Habits, and having to manage another blog’s comments is too much for me. I just don’t have the time, and if I had to do it, I couldn’t do this blog.

2. I love dialog with readers — it’s what makes blogging such a joy — but commenting isn’t the only way. I encourage you to reply to me about any of these posts via Twitter or on your blog. The dialog then will be less local and more widespread.

3. I like the idea of keeping things simple on a blog about minimalism.

Q: How is mnmlist.com different than Zen Habits?

A: Well, Zen Habits is about simplicity, and mnmlist.com is about minimalism — can’t you see the difference?

Seriously, though, there will be a different focus here than at Zen Habits, which covers a wide range of topics besides simplicity, including productivity, changing habits, health & fitness, family, finances, happiness, and yes, simplicity.

This blog will focus pretty much exclusively on minimalism, a passion of mine. Not all Zen Habits readers are incredibly interested in minimalism, so I’m breaking off this blog for those who are.

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Info Bank Persatuan: Had tambahan sher baru RM20k

Source:http://www.carigold.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=146876&page=144

Antara info2 yang boleh buat pedoman:-

1. Dividen asalnya diputuskan Dlm mesyuarat perwakilan 7.5% tp bila masuk kelulusan skm hanya diluluskan 6.5%.

2. dividen walaupun dibayar setiap tahun Dlm bulan julai-September tidak bermaksud dividen dpt tempoh lebih setahun. Hanya permulaan jadi ahli saja rasa lama tp klu tiap2 tahun dpt di bln julai-September x ke jadi sama 12 bln jugak.

3.Bank Persatuan bukan x leh glamor cam bank2 lain tp kena balance dgn capabiliti yg ada.klu ikut sejarah bank Persatuan naik on their own susah senang dengan ahli-ahli yang faham hala tuju Demi kemajuan bank.

4.kaji balik sejarah bank yg sealiran dgn bank Persatuan, mereka pun Ada zaman kekurangan. Tp bank Persatuan boleh dikatakan pertumbuhan sejajar.

5.Jumlah pelaburan yg baru rm20k tu boleh ditambah selepas 25/8/11 x kira jumlah pelaburan sebelum ni. Cntoh sebelum ni Ada syer rm5k tp pas ni leh tmbah lagi rm20k so pelaburan jadi rm25k.

Ok tu je setakat ni.Wassalam

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Bayaran Dividen Tahun 2010 Bank Persatuan =6.5%

Source:http://www.bankpstn.com.my/cms/sub.do?a=2&b=69
23 Ogos 2011 14:40 PM

Perhatian Kepada Anggota-Anggota Bank Persatuan
Bayaran Dividen 2010

Kepada anggota-anggota individu (perseorangan) Bank Persatuan yang menpunyai syer keanggotaan sehinnga tempoh berakhir pada 31 Disember 2010, bayaran dividen tahun 2010 yang telah diluluskan oleh Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia sebanyak 6.50% adalah akan dibayar secara tunai di kaunter cawangan Bank Persatuan mulai pada 25 Ogos hingga 26 September 2011.
Bayaran dividen melebihi RM5,000.00 adalah akan dibayar secara cek.
Terima Kasih

Setiausaha Bank Persatuan

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KPF dijangka agih dividen 2010 sebanyak 14 peratus

Source:http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/KPFdijangkaagihdividen2010sebanyak14peratus/Article
KOPERASI Permodalan Felda Malaysia Bhd (KPF), dijangka mengagih dividen untuk 2010 melebihi jumlah dividen sebanyak 14 peratus pada tahun sebelumnya.

Pengerusinya Datuk Dzukifli Abd Wahab, berkata unjuran itu selaras dengan misi KPF untuk memaksimumkan pulangan pelaburan ahli dan meningkatkan nilai pelaburan dalam syarikat FELDA.
“KPF menyasarkan jumlah agihan dividen antara 12 peratus dan 16 peratus setiap tahun,” katanya selepas pertemuan dengan Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia di Kuala Lumpur, baru-baru ini.
Beliau berkata, dalam tempoh 10 tahun, KPF berupaya mengekalkan sasaran itu dengan jumlah agihan tertinggi dicatatkan pada 2007, iaitu 16.5 peratus.

Bagi 2010, jumlah keuntungan bersih KPF mencatatkan sedikit penurunan kepada RM256 juta berbanding RM328.72 juta pada tahun sebelumnya.

Ditubuhkan pada Julai 1981, KPF berperanan sebagai pusat simpanan dan pelaburan anggota FELDA dan memberi peluang secara adil kepada warga FELDA untuk turut serta memiliki ekuiti dalam syarikat kumpulan itu.

Objektif penubuhan koperasi ini adalah untuk menggiat dan menggalakkan penyimpanan wang oleh anggota FELDA serta menyediakan kemudahan simpanan dan aktiviti pelaburan yang diuruskan secara profesional.
KPF mencatatkan jumlah pelaburan sebanyak RM2.26 bilion sepanjang 2010, peningkatan sebanyak 12.94 peratus berbanding tempoh yang sama pada 2009 iaitu RM2 bilion.

Dzukifli berkata, pertumbuhan itu disebabkan oleh peningkatan aktiviti pembiayaan sebanyak 177.04 peratus dan penambahan simpanan dalam Amanah Raya Bhd sebanyak 138.75 peratus berbanding tahun sebelumnya.

“Pelaburan terbesar adalah di dalam segmen sekuriti pasaran (RM526.42 juta) dan deposit dan simpanan (RM437.94 juta),” kata beliau.

Dzulkifli berkata, KPF kini mengintai peluang pelaburan di rantau Asia dan mengadakan lawatan ke Myanmar baru-baru ini bagi tujuan itu.

“Bagaimanapun, keutamaan KPF masih kepada pelaburan dalam negara,” katanya.

Jumlah pelaburan hartanah KPF pada akhir 2010 sebanyak RM240.08 juta, pertumbuhan sebanyak 1.92 peratus berbanding RM235.55 juta yang dicatakan pada tahun sebelumnya.

“Penjualan ruang pejabat dan perniagaan di Solaris Dutamas, Blok D5, di Jalan Duta sudah mencatatkan keuntungan sebanyak RM4.54 juta dan sehingga akhir tahun lepas, hanya lima unit yang masih belum terjual,” kata Dzukifli.

Antara pelaburan hartanah terbaru yang diteroka KPF ialah pajakan bangunan Hotel Dar Um Hane di Mekah, Arab Saudi.

Dzukifli berkata, melalui pajakan ini, sebahagian daripada hotel yang mula beroperasi pada Februari 2011 itu akan disewakan kepada Felda Travel, manakala sebahagian lagi kepada agensi-agensi Umrah dan haji yang lain. – BERNAMA

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Do This For 10 (Easy) Minutes And Improve Your Entire Day

Source:http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/do-this-for-10-easy-minutes-and-improve-your-entire-day/
Our bodies weren’t designed for our modern lifestyle.

We were never meant to sit behind desks for half our waking hours, nor were we intended to spend more time in a car than on our feet.

Most of us don’t get enough fresh air, sunshine and exercise and it’s having a profound impact on our confidence, energy levels and health.

Worse, it’s a self perpetuating problem. The less you move, the less energy you have to get going. Even if you know from experience that a bit of exercise will make you feel immeasurably better, you probably have a difficult time managing that first step.

If you can find a way to incorporate as little as 10 minutes of active movement into your morning routine, you’ll find your days will run smoother and be less stressful. Plus, you’ll have more energy and a more positive mood.

Keep in mind, this can be as simple as taking a 10 minute walk or doing a short yoga or stretching routine. Just getting up and moving for 10 minutes can:

● Increase blood flow throughout your body, including to your brain.

● Release your body from any aches and pains you might have incurred during the night while sleeping.

● Reduce stress levels.

● Increase energy levels.

● Rev up your metabolism

If possible, it’s best to get this exercise. But even if you can’t, you’ll still reap the benefits. Here are some easy ideas for getting more movement into your morning routine. There is bound to be one that you’ll enjoy and can work into your day:

● Walk or bike to work.

● Take your dog for a short walk

● Walk or bike with your children to school.

● Take a short jog around the neighborhood.

● Turn on some music and dance!

● Yoga

● Other stretching exercises

● Jumping jacks

● Sit ups and push ups

● Some moderately heavy housework such as mopping and sweeping.

● A quick swim

● Pulling weeds

● Shoveling snow

● Going up and down the stairs

The idea isn’t to get a full body workout (although that’s certainly an option if you have the time!), it’s to start your day off right by getting your blood flowing and loosening up your muscles and joints.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when building a bridge between your old broken habits and your new ones; you’ll have to make it a point to do it every day until it becomes a normal part of your routine. You can help things along by:

● Choosing activities you genuinely enjoy. If you hate running, it will be far more difficult to stick with it than if you picked something you enjoy more, such as simple calisthenics.

● Try enlisting your spouse, roommates, children or friends to do it alongside you. It’s harder to cheat (or skip) when you know your walking buddy or yoga partner is waiting for you.

● Keep things as simple as possible. Your gym might have a wonderful pool, but if it’s inconvenient for you to use first thing in the morning, you’ll have difficulty developing a habit.

● Focus on how much better you feel. Keep a journal and note the many improvements in your life. Don’t feel as though only the big victories are worth noting. Even something as simple as having less stress and hostility while driving will make your life better in the long run.

Just 10 minutes of movement every morning is enough to help you gain energy, increase confidence, be more positive, manage stress and feel better physically. Once you get into the habit of incorporating movement into your morning routine, you’ll find the positive effects snowball and it will be easier to make good choices about eating, exercising and taking care of yourself in general.

Don’t put off getting started, this is something you can do tomorrow and start reaping the rewards right away.

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Tip Bisnis-Puan Ainon

Berniaga adalah berkawan. (Business is friends.) Semakin banyak kawan, semakin mudah kita berniaga. Semakin besar bisnes kita, semakin banyak kawan kita. Apabila berbual-bual dengan sesiapa sahaja,bercerita tentang hal yang baik-baik sahaja, khususnya berita2 baik. Berita baik menyebabkan orang mempunyai persepsi positif tentang karekter kita.Dengan itu mereka suka mahu berjumpa kita lagi-Pn Ainon Mohd.

Tip bisnes: Jangan cuba menjual kepada kaum keluarga ataupun sahabat sendiri. Ia adalah kesilapan bisnes yang serius kerana sebenarnya dengan melakukan itu kita telah menyalahgunakan hubungan baik yang ada. Tidak ada orang yang suka berasa dirinya terpaksa membeli barang yang dia tidak mahu beli. Lain kali mereka takut mahu berjumpa kita lagi.-Puan Ainon Mohd.

AinMaisarah Novelis :Yang tidak baik itu kita boleh bawa masuk mesyuarat. Dalam mesyuarat kita tidak mahu dengar yang baik-baik sahaja, kita mahu tahu bahagian mana yang perlu dibaiki, kita mahu selesaikan masalah. Puan, ini saya kongsikan apa yang saya dengar dari Tuan Pengurus AinMaisarah.

Tn Aizuddinur Zakaria bertanya: "Apakah perkara utama yang ada pada peniaga Cina dan tidak ada pada peniaga Melayu?" -- Yang tidak ada, adalah discourse bisnes dalam perbualan keluarga middle-class Melayu. Disebabkan middle-class Cina adalah golongan kelas peniaga dan usahawan, perbualan keluarga Cina adalah skrip bisnes. Disebabkan cerdik pandai Melayu hidup makan gaji, perbualan keluarga middle-class Melayu berputar-putar pada skrip kehidupan makan gaji.-Pn Ainon Mohd.


Tip bisnes: Orang Cina mempunyai daya beli yang tinggi kerana ekonomi mereka lebih tinggi. Peniaga Cina sudah lama menjadi pakar menjual kpd pembeli Melayu. Demi mengembangkan bisnes kita, peniaga2 Melayu perlu belajar dengan lebih serius bagaimana mahu menjual kepada pembeli Cina. Foto menunjukkan penulis PTS, Pn. Fatimah Rodhiah, mempromosi karya beliau kepada kanak2 Cina di pesta ReadMalaysia-Pn Ainon Mohd.

Tip kejayaan bisnes: Ilmu bisnes yang paling penting adalah ilmu bagaimana menjadikan duit kita beranak-pihak, yakni mengganda-lipatkan duit yang sedikit sehingga semakin hari semakin banyak. Dari RM1, menjadi RM2, menjadi RM20. Dari RM1k menjadi RM2k. Kalau kita tidak mempunyai ilmu ini, akibatnya duit modal yang ada akan semakin susut dan akhirnya bisnes kita hidup segan mati tak mahu. Ilmu melipatgandakan duit hanya dapat dipelajari dari orang2 bisnes yang sudah melakukannya.-Pn Ainon Mohd.

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8 Ways To Stop Feeling Indifferent

Source:http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/8-ways-to-stop-feeling-indifferent/
Have you ever fallen to sleep at night wondering if you’ve made any difference to the world around you?
Have you ever risen in the morning wondering if you even matter at all?
The key to living a happy, healthy, productive life full of vigor and confidence is feeling purpose, passion and genuine joy for the way you spend your days. Without purpose, passion is merely a silent suggestion.
Yet when you know your actions truly make a difference, joy and productivity follow as naturally as sunset after sunrise.

Use any of these 8 ideas to evaporate your indifference once and for all.

1) Travel. Few things can fuel your inner fire like discovering fresh people, adventure, and experience. The sights, scents and sounds of a new spot on the map can help you see your old world with fresh eyes. Whether you’re heading to a new spot within your old city limits or swapping hemispheres for six months of backpacking, feeling lost can be one of the best ways to find yourself again.

2) Teach. By passing your knowledge to another, you will not only illuminate the possibilities for another’s life, you will crystalize some of the skills that make you unique. Teaching another will help you to nurture a deeper sense of self and a more powerful sense of purpose overall. Explain, demonstrate, inspire. Be the teacher you always wished you had and you will move closer to the person you have always wanted to be.

3) Create. Make something beautiful where there was nothing before and you might feel a purity of passion you never expected. Whatever your art – painting, poetry or even polka, producing tangible evidence of your individuality will help you discover your true self.

4) Connect. An internal sense of belonging is a core human need that must be nurtured and should never be ignored. Because everyone shares this essential need, you can have complete confidence that the people in your life are looking to connect. No one wants to feel isolated or lonely – the key lies in discovering your common intersections and celebrating your collective interests.

5) Help. It is easier to tap into your purpose when you are genuinely helping others in need. This isn’t hard, and you don’t have to wait to get started. Improving the world an inch or two at a time is as easy as stepping outside yourself and getting started today. Keep your eyes open for anyone with less than you, or anyone who might benefit from your benevolence.

6) Ask. Who knows you better than your closest friends; the people who have seen you during both your highs and lows, and listened to your same stories over and over again? Don’t take their word as gospel, but do ask what they think your special power or true purpose might be. Chances are, you’ll be surprised by what they say.

7) Read. Perhaps you can’t go continent hopping, but you can conquer space and time by turning the pages of any good book. Literature opens your ears to the language of life and opens your heart to your inner whispers. Make time to read, then reflect on what you read, and you may find yourself with a deeper connection to the life you truly want to live.

8) Write. If you really want to know what makes you tick, start writing. I’ve been a professional ghostwriter for a couple of years, and I still marvel each day at the many things I didn’t know I thought. Writing forces you to organize your ideas and bring your emotions to the surface. Spend a day with nothing but a fresh notebook and plenty of ink – you might just stumble onto a powerful passion you didn’t know you had.
If your life has little purpose, then you are only living a little life. Find what drives you, then step on the gas and speed toward the life you’ve always wanted.

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6 Reasons You Need To Be Touched

Source:http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/6-reasons-you-need-to-be-touched/
Do you ever feel like you’re living in a bubble, surrounded by people but never touched?
We live in such a busy, crowded world, yet it’s so easy for many of us to go days, even weeks or months without touching or being touched by others.
While you might not notice the effects of not being touched right away, it can negatively affect your mood, your confidence and your health. We are only beginning to understand the holistic way our bodies work and the relationship between our emotional well being and our physical health.

Here are 6 reasons why you need to be touched on a regular basis.

1. Feel connected to others. We are social beings, and although we all fall in different places on the introversion – extroversion scale, we all need to have that sense of connection to other members of our tribe. While some of that connection can come from having conversations with others, touch also plays an important role in human communication.

2. Reduce anxiety. Simply touching another person can make us feel more secure and less anxious. It can make us feel grounded and safe and not so all alone. It’s not just children who could use a warm, reassuring hug to make things a little better, so if you’re feeling like a bundle of nerves, go ahead and ask for a hug.

3. Bonding. Touch is one of the ways romantic partners bond with each other and parents bond with their children. When partners and families get busy and let touch go out the window, they’ll often find that they don’t feel as close and relationships suffer. Regular touch is one of the ways that we continually renew our bonds with those we love.

4. Lowers your blood pressure. Studies have shown that those that get regular touch often have lower blood pressure than those that don’t. Even having a pet can have beneficial effects! Touch can also slow the heart rate and help speed recovery times from illness and surgery.

5. Improve your outlook. It’s harder to get into a pessimistic funk when you feel the confidence of being connected to others. Touch can make people feel more optimistic and positive and less cynical and suspicious. A positive, trusting attitude towards others can reduce tension in our daily lives and improve our relationships.

6. Give us the sensory input that we crave. Scientists are just discovering how truly important it is to exercise all our physical senses for proper brain and emotional development. All the various kinds of touch from butterfly kisses to deep tissue massage send our brains the physical inputs it needs to make sense of the world. So, along with touching other people and pets, make time to explore different textures and touch sensations such as letting cool sand run through your fingers or taking a warm relaxing bath.
Don’t let yourself get too busy that you starve yourself of touch. It’s important for your physical, mental and emotional well being to touch others and let others touch you.

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The Power of Words

Source:http://www.beinspired-blog.com/the-power-of-words-by-sean-m-kelly/
There is no doubt that words move us. They take our mind on a journey, weaving a web of imagery and emotion which is totally unique to each of us. Why is it unique? Because the meanings and emotions we have learnt to associate with particular words and phrases is also unique for each of us (to the most part anyway). Yet what is language and words? They are just sounds and syllabels which we have given meaning to. For example if you don’t speak Chinese the Chinese script doesent mean anything to you. Yet if you do speak Chinese it will mean something to you. So in and of itself words do not have any meaning except the meaning we choose to give it or have unconsciously learnt.

Some would also say however that words and languages have an energy and that sometimes we resonate with that energy, for better or worse. One of the oldest languages is Sanskrit. This is used a lot for mantras in meditation and chanting because it is said that the sound energy of certain words when resonated with help connect us with a higher vibration, one where we are connected to a universal consciousness, that is usually referred to as “God”.

Personally I think we’re connected at some level all the time as we’re all part of a great ocean of divinity, a collective consciousness. However a lot of the time we live our lives in the ups and downs of our individual “minds” , which is a great servant but not such a good master. It’s when we go beyond the mind and become the observer of it so to speak, that we realise just how much it has been our master – we’re afraid of so many things – especially that there isent “enough” – everything is perceived to be in short supply so we go filling our caves with as much “stuff” as we can in case it ever runs out! Yet when we go beyond our mind we align ourselves with our Spirit which by nature is abundant, infinite, loving, peaceful, blissful, creative, immortal (at least I hope it is!!!) and so on.

To experience more of these beautiful qualities all we need to do is make a habit of being still every day. It’s really great to start your day by being still even if only for a few minutes.

This morning I didnt have as much time as usual and there was a part of me that was resisting being still, so I tricked my mind and said “well I’ll just sit for 3 minutes then, I definetly have 3 minutes I can use“. And so I did. Of course invariably you sit for longer as it feels so wonderful once you surrender, let go and enjoy.

Now how has it affected my day? Well here I am writing about it and I still continue to “feel” the peacefulness of those few moments spent being still.

Find some words that resonate beautifully with you, words like love, peace, prosperity, bliss, kindness, calm, abundance, spirit, “om”, “namaste”, “om namah shivaya” or whatever. Sit for a few minutes, at least three and keep saying that word to yourself. Let it take you beyond the mind. Let it take you to a place where you are experiencing the meaning of the word … Peace …. Peace … Peace …

Allow it to fill your body with peace and allow it to go beyond your body until you realise your true nature which is loving, beautiful and peaceful. It will also remind you that you have unique and wonderful talents and gifts which will help you on your life’s purpose(s). Appreciate the magnificence that you are.

Have an amazing day!

Sean

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Bank Rakyat Dapat Kelulusan Tambah Modal Syer Kepada 3 Bilion

4 APRIL 2011 - BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, 2 April (Bernama) -- Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad (Bank Rakyat) telah diberikan kebenaran oleh Bank Negara Malaysia pada bulan lepas untuk menambahkan modal syernya sebanyak satu bilion lagi kepada tiga bilion.

Keutamaan untuk melanggan syer-syer baru adalah kepada koperasi-koperasi dan juga ahli-ahli Bank Rakyat, kata Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob pada sidang akhbar selepas merasmikan Mesyuarat Agung Bank Rakyat.

Beliau menjangkakan perkara seperti pengagihan kepada yang berminat melanggan syer tersebut akan dapat diputuskan oleh Lembaga Pengarah Bank Rakyat pada Mei.

Beliau berkata senarai menunggu untuk melanggan syer tersebut, adalah panjang dan nilai permintaan melebihi RM1 bilion, sambil menjelaskan bukan ahli mewakili 40 peratus dari yang berada dalam senarai menunggu itu.

Apa yang jelas, menurut beliau, ialah tidak semestinya semua yang memohon akan mendapat syer dan tidak semestinya yang dapat syer akan mendapat dalam jumlah yang mereka pohon.

Beliau berkata permintaan untuk syer Bank Rakyat adalah kerana prestasinya yang memberansangkan, di mana ia telah berjaya mengekalkan pembayaran dividen tahunan sebanyak 15 peratus sejak 1999.

Terdahulu, semasa berucap merasmikan Mesyuarat Tahunan Bank Rakyat, beliau mengingatkan Bank rakyat supaya tidak lupa tentang sumbangan Kerajaan yang pernah memberikan suntikan dana apabila Bank Rakyat hampir muflis satu ketika dahulu.

Katanya deposit lebih RM30 bilion dalam Bank Rakyat sekarang datang dari Kerajaan, agensi kerajaan dan syarikat berkaitan kerajaan.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Bank Rakyat Tan Sri Dr Syed Jalaludin Syed Salim berkata Bank Rakyat merancang membuka tujuh lagi rangkaian Ar-Rahnu X'Change dan menyeru koperasi-koperasi mengambil peluang membangunkan perniagaan pajak gadai Islam itu bersama Bank Rakyat.

Ini selaras dengan sasaran pengeluaran pinjaman melalui rangkaian tersebut kepada RM200 juta dalam tahun ini, kata Dr Syed Jalaludin.

Setakat ini, katanya Bank Rakyat telah berkongsi kepakaran menerusi perniagaan francais Ar-Rahnu X'Change dengan 17 koperasi yang mencatatkan pengeluaran pinjaman RM121.702 juta hingga Disember 2010.

Mengenai sokongan Bank Rakyat kepada koperasi, beliau berkata sehingga akhir bulan Februari tahun ini, Bank Rakyat telah menyalurkan pinjaman RM1.027 bilion kepada koperasi iaitu sebanyak RM943.48 juta dalam bentuk modal kerja, RM57.62 juta untuk perniagaan Ar-Rahnu, dan selebihnya untuk membeli hartanah, pembinaan dan pengangkutan.

-- BERNAMA

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Hukum beli emas secara ansuran,hutang dan Trade-in

Source:http://www.zaharuddin.net/hal-ehwal-riba/286-hukum-beli-emas-secara-ansuran-a-trade-in.html
Saturday, 10 February 2007 00:18

Hukum Beli Emas Ansuran & Trade 'In'

a- Ustaz, saya ada mendengar bahawa barangan emas tidak boleh di beli secara ansuran, adakah ia benar dan mengapa? Untuk makluman, jual beli emas secara tangguh ini amat berleluasa terutamanya di Kelantan.

b- Pohon penjelasan ustaz juga berkenaan cara menukar emas lama dengan yang baru, yang dikenali sebagai "trade in" yang selalu di lakukan oleh kaum wanita di Malaysia.

- ingin selamat di akhirat-

Jawapan :

a. Jawapan Emas di Jual Beli Secara Ansuran.

Semua ulama empat mazhab mengharamkan jual beli barangan emas secara ansuran dan hutang.

Bagaimanapun, terdapat pandangan yang mengatakan ia bukan lagi di anggap emas kerana telah dibentuk, bagaimanapun semua empat mazhab menolak hujah ini kerana gelkang, cincin, rantai emas itu, walaupun telah di bentuk ia masih lagi emas dan tidak akan terkeluar dari sifat emasnya. Ia juga adalah pendapat sahabat seperti Ibn Umar, Udabah bin Somit dan disokong oleh pelbagai ulama kontemporari seperti Prof. Dr Muhydin Qurah al-Daghi, Prof Dr Ahmad al-Kurdi, Prof Dr Ali Salus. Prof. Dr Mohd Said Ramadhan Al-Buti dan ramai lagi.

Rujuk pandangan mazhab empat dalam Al-Mabsut 14/4 ; Al-Bayan wa at-Tahsil 6/444 ; At-Tamhid 2/246 ; Al-Umm , 2/32 ; Takmilah al-Majmu' oleh As-Subky . 10/83 ; Mughni al-Muhtaj , 2/25 ; al-Mughni oleh Ibn Quddamah , 6/60 )

Ibn Abd al-Barr dlm Istizkar menyatakan telah berlaku ijma' (sepakat) mengatakan bahawa emas dengan emas seperti dalam bentuk ‘at-tibr' (serbuk) dan apa jua bentuk emas tersebut, hukumnya tetap tidak harus berlaku sebarang tafadhul (tambahan dari mana-mana pihak yang berurusniaga), demikian juga perak. Justeru tidak harus membelinya secara ansuran dan hutang.

Khatib As-Syarbini dalam Mughni al-Muhtaj (2/25) mengatakan bahawa hasil pembuatan atau tukangan emas hingga menjadi barang kemas berbentuk itu tidak memberi sebarang kesan kepada hukum emas yang asal.

Bagaimanapun terdapat satu pendapat minorti ulama yang mengatakan bahawa emas tulen apabila ia telah di bentuk sehingga menjadi rantai, gelang dan cincin. Ia telah menjadi sil'ah (barangan dagangan seperti kereta kerana terdapat proses pembentukan dan pembuatan) dan tidak lagi dianggap sebagai emas biasa, justeru hukumnya juga berubah.

Pandangan minority ini di katakan adalah pandangan Ia adalah pendapat Mu'awiyah (Rujuk riwayat ini dalam Al-Muwatta oleh Imam Malik dlm kitab Buyu' no 2541; An-Nasaie 7/279 ; Al-Bayhaqi 5/280, tapi Abu Darda telah menegur Mu'awiyyah kerana pandangannya bersalahan dengan nas hadith dan kemudian mengadu ke Sayyidina Umar, dan Umar juga mengharamkan), Ibn Taymiah dan Ibn Qayyim (Rujuk I'lam al-Muwaqqi'ien, 2/141 utk pendapat Ibn Qayyim dan rujuk kitabnya Tafsir ayat Asykalat utk pendapat Ibn Taymiah 2/632 tapi jika dirujuk Majmu' al-fatawa kita akan dapati Ibn Taymiah bersama pendapat jumhur pula). Hasilnya menurut kumpulan ini adalah Harus untuk menjual dan membelinya secara hutang dan ansuran kerana ia telah jadi sil'ah (barang dagangan).

Ia disokong Prof Dr Mahmud ‘Akkam dari Syria dan disetujui oleh As-Syeikh Prof Dr Yusof al-Qaradhawi (kerana "umum al-balwa" - Perkara maksiat yang kurang mudarat tetapi terlampau meluas dan sukar untuk di halang).

Mereka semua menyokong apa yang disebut oleh Ibn Rusyd al-Maliki ( w 595 H) berkata (Rujuk Bidayatul Mujtahid 2/103) yang mengatakan bahawa: "perhiasan emas dan perak sudah terkeluar dari katergori emas tulen (yang tertakluk kepada hukum tukaran emas dalam Islam), justeru harus menjual dan membelinya walaupun secara tangguh.

Ibn Mufleh al-Hanbali (w 763 H) pula berkata (rujuk al-Mubdi' 4/149) : Sesungguhnya ia telah keluar dari sifat asal dengan sebab sun'ah (pembuatan dan pertukangan).

Dalil-dalil jumhur dari pelbagai hadith, boleh rujuk di dalam kitab Az-ziyadah Wa atharuha fi al-Mu'awadah al-Maliah oleh Dr Abd Raouf Bin Muhd Al-Kamali (tesis PhD di Univ Imam dengan tahap Mumtaz, 2/558)

Kesimpulan dan pandangan terpilih : Maka hukum barang kemas adalah sama dalam hal ini, kerana ia tetap emas pada pandangan majoriti, lalu setiap pembelian dan penjualan yang dibayar menggunakan duit (maka Kesatuan Fiqh Sedunia telah memutuskan bahawa matawang kertas adalah ‘nuqud istilahiah' yang sama hukum hakamnya dengan emas, maka jual beli barang kemas dengan wang adalah nuqud dengan emas, maka wajib taqabud boleh tafadhul kerana tidak sama jenis.


b- Jawapan Bagi ‘Trade in' Emas Lama Dengan Emas Baru.

Jelas menurut perbahasan hukum bahawa ‘trade in' emas lama dengan yang baru atau barang kemas emas lama dengan yang baru mestilah mengikut hukum yang dibincangkan di atas, iaitu menurut majoriti ulama setiap barang kemas tetap dianggap emas dan bukan sil'ah, maka bila seseorang ingin menukarnya dengan barang kemas baru emas yang lain. Ia mesti punyai dua syarat tanpa khilaf (Boleh rujuk pelbagai kitab antaranya al-muamalat al-Maliah al-Mu'asiroh oleh Prof Dr Ali Salus, hlm 180 ; Al-Buyu' al-Sya'iah oleh Dr Tawfiq al-Buti dan lain-lain), iaitu :

i) Mutamathilan - mesti sama berat timbangannya. Manakala standard emas tersebut (‘Iyar) 20 atau 21 atau 24 tidak memberikan sebarang kesan. Ia adalah berdasarkan hadith yang menyebut tentang tamar khaibar (yang kurang elok atau buruk) yang ditukar dengan tamar Janib (yang elok) yang mana ianya mesti menuruti syarat sama berat walaupun berbeza kualiti. Hadith ini riawayat al-Bukhari dalam kitab al-Buyu', no 4553. Jika tidak Riba Al-Fadl akan berlaku.

ii) Mesti 'Taqabud fil hal aw fil majlis' ( diserah dan terima dalam satu masa) - kerana ia adalah tertakluk kepada hukum sarf (tukaran matawang dengan matawang), maka tidak dibenarkan untuk menangguh masa serahan. Justeru, mestilah kita menyerahkan emas lama, dan kemudian penjual menyerahkan emas baru yang sama berat pada ketika itu juga. Jika tidak, Riba Nasiah akan berlaku.

Mungkin ada yang akan bertanya, jadi kalau kita ingin melakukan 'trade in' dengan emas baru yang lebih mahal harganya?? Bagaimana kita nak bayar tambahan harga itu?

Jawabnya : Ia sama dengan kes dalam hadith Tamar Khaibar dan Janib tadi. Jawapan yang diberi oleh Rasulullah SAW adalah : "Juallah dengan sempurna , ambillah harganya dan kemudian belilah semula dengan duit kamu tadi"

JELAS, CARANYA : MESTILAH SESEORANG YANG INGIN MELAKUKAN 'TRADE IN'. MENJUAL TERLEBIH DULU KEPADA PEKEDAI EMAS ITU, LALU IA MESTILAH MENGAMBIL DUIT HARGA RANTAI LAMA ITU, CTH HARGA SEUTAS RANTAI EMAS LAMA KITA RM 2000 DAN BERATNYA 200 GRAM, APABILA KITA INGIN TRADE IN DENGAN RANTAI BERHARGA RM2500, MAKA KITA MESTI JUAL DULU, LEPAS KITA PEGANG DUIT RM2000, BARULAH KITA PILIH RANTAI BARU DAN KEMUDIAN TAMBAH DGN RM 500, KEMUDIAN PEMBELI MEMBAYAR KEPADA PEKEDAI LALU MENGAMBIL RANTAI BARU ITU.

Kemungkinan jika transaksi seumpama ini di buat di Malaysia, ia akan kelihatan pelik. Bagaimanapun itulah cara yang selamat dari Riba.


Ust Zaharuddin Abd Rahman

www.zaharuddin.net

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Impian dan Hutang

Semua orang ada impian dan cita-cita kan. Apakah impian dan cita-cita anda. Impian saya hendak menjadi seorang `JUTAWAN TANPA HUTANG. Semua orang ada hutang kan.Walaupun ia adalah hutang baik atau hutang jahat,sikit atau banyak,ia tetap hutang.
Hutang inilah selalu membuatkan diri saya tidak senang duduk dan tidak tenang.
Benarlah seperti yang pernah dikatakan oleh Baginda Rasulullah dulu.

Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w yang maksudnya:” Berhati-hatilah kamu dalam berhutang, sesungguhnya hutang itu mendatangkan kerisauan di malam hari dan menyebabkan kehinaan di siang hari.”

[Riwayat al-Baihaqi ]


PG
30 May 2011

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Jalan menuju JUTAWAN

Ada 2 jalan untuk kita mendaki `Gunung Jutawan`: Jalan jauh dan jalan pintas/dekat.

Untuk permulaan mari kita bicarakan tentang `Jalan Jauh`.
`Jalan jauh` ini ialah jalan yang paling selamat dan mudah.
Kita boleh menjadi jutawan dengan melabur seminima RM1/hari.

Bagaimana pelaburan RM1/hari dapat menjadi RM1,000,000 (RM1 Juta)

RM1/hari Interest 3% ...untuk menjadi RM1 Juta perlukan masa 147 tahun

RM1/hari Interest 5% .. untuk menjadi RM1 Juta perlukan masa 100 tahun

RM1/hari Interest 10% ..untuk menjadi RM1 Juta perlukan masa 56 tahun

RM1/hari Interest 15% ..untuk menjadi RM1 Juta perlukan masa 40 tahun

RM1/hari Interest 20% ..untuk menjadi RM1 Juta perlukan masa 32 tahun


Apa akan jadi jika kita menyimpan RM1/hari dari hari pertama kita lahir sehingga usia kita 66 tahun

1.Simpan bawah bantal..0%...selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul= rm24,000
2.Labur di saving account...3%...selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul=rm77,000
3.Labur di Tabung Haji..5%...selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul=rm193,000
4.Labur di ASB atau saham amanah 8% selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul=rm1,000,000
5.Labur di tempat 10%...selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul=rm2.7 Juta
6.Labur di tempat 15%..silver/gold/bisnis selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul=rm50Juta
7.Labur di tempat 20%...bisnin/saham/emas/perak selepas 66 tahun ,jumlah terkumpul=rm1 Bil

Yang penting mulai dari saat ini kita perlu ada tabiat menyimpan dan melabur.
Semoga diharap tulisan ini dapat membuka minda kita.

PG
30 May 2011

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Top 10 Silver Producing Countries

Source:http://www.tiptoptens.com/2011/05/19/top-10-silver-producing-countries/

Posted by Urva on May 19, 2011
This post consists of top silver producing countries. World production of silver is a kind of super giant puzzle that we must rebuild their eyes closed. The average growth of the production of silver in the world was 1.5% per annum for more than century. Now the world production of silver is increase by 10 millions ounces.

Following are the list of top ten silver productions with 10th Argentina and 1st Mexico.

10. Argentina:

Argentina has jumped 55% in silver output in 2009 to 15.5% million ounces over the previous year. It produces 20.6 million of ounces silver. Only one mine at this time is in production and producing revenues. The pirquitas mine in Argentina.
9. Russia:

It produces 36.8 million of ounces silver. Russia‘s biggest silver producing regions are the Krasnoyarsk territory, Bashkortostan, Chelyabinsk region, Orenburg region Primorye territory. Over the past Russia was produce 60% silver. Now it produce 90% silver.
8. Poland:

The production of silver is 37.7 million in Poland. The production of silver increases in 2011 compared with their average production from 1998 to 2006 is 14.4%. The situation of Poland is close because a majority of the production is handled by a single mine.
7. United state:

The United state is the major producers of the production silver in the world. In United State, silver produce 1,200 metric tons silver. 35% of the silver it used. The 65% is imported from Mexico, Canada, Peru and Chile.
6. Bolivia:

The production of silver in Bolivia is 41.0 million. San Cristobal is the top silver mine in Bolivia producing some 620,000 tons of the silver. San Cristobal mine is the third largest producers in the world.
5. Chile:

The productions of silver in Bolivia and in Chile are same. It also produces 41.0 million of ounces silver. It is very old silver production country and remains among the fifth number.
4. Australia:

Its production is 59.9 million ounces. It has the largest share of the world’s economic silver resources. Australia’s silver production ranks after Mexico, Peru and the china. About 25% its mine output is refined to silver metal and sent to Japan.
3. China:

The production of silver in china is 99.2 million ounces. It supplies 29,000 tons silver to the world. The domestic price of China’s silver market is higher than international market price. The demand of silver in china is high.
2. Peru:

Mexico and Peru are the two pillars of silver production in the world. It produces 116.1 million ounces silver in Peru. In silver output, companies were more active and produce more than the last year. It exports about $479 million silver compared with $281 million in 2005.
1. Mexico:

In the last 500 years, Mexico silver industry provided one-third of the world In Mexico, the production of silver is 128.6 million ounces. It has two of the top silver miners, industries Penoles and Grupo which together produce 66% silver. It is the pillar of world production of silver.

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Gold 25-05-2011

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