12 Common Sense Ideas

12 Common Sense Ideas
for Successful Living!
12 Common Sense Ideas for Successful Living!
Common Sense Living Private Limited

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Preface
Let me ask you a question. Are you living your best possible life?
Do you come alive every morning, or do you just wake up? Do you work with all your heart or do
you spend your day thinking about when the clock will strike freedom, and you can be released?
Does every aspect of your life make you smile, is it full of dreams, energy and achievement? Are
you living, or simply existing?
Maybe your idea of successful living is starting a business that becomes a million dollar venture.
Maybe it's losing 20 kilos, moving to a beautiful island, becoming a sparkling conversationalist,
mastering a musical instrument, or just finding contentment in what you have.
We at Common Sense Living believe that your life should be all of these...and more. Aspire to
success in all these areas of life... in your finances, in your relationships, in your self... let your
dreams expand and take over. And then chase them until they are all enfolded within your arms.
Well, we are big thinkers. We are dreamers. And we want you to think big and live large.
If you have been struggling for years waiting for your dreams to come true, for your life to catapult
to success... If you have all the right ideas, make all the right moves, set goals, and work
hard...and still you are left wondering... Where's my success?
Then we would like to remind you of the words of Nelson Mandela:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure
around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone."
You have within you the capacity to achieve an amazing, energy-filled, vibrant life ... and all you
need is to bring out your inner power.
We at Common Sense Living focus all our research and writing to answer the question: What will
make readers lives easier, happier, wealthier... what will make their lives buzz with energy and
success... Everything we write answers these questions.
This eBook is inspired by our mentor Mark Ford, and brings you thoughts from areas of:
Building Wealth, Achieving Your Dreams, Entrepreneurship, Inspiration and Happiness.
To your successful life,
Anisa Virji, Managing Editor, Common Sense Living.

About the Authors

Ritika Bajaj
Armed with a Masters in English Literature, Ritika set out to explore her life as a
writer and editor. Her decade long career in the media started in a publishing
house in Mumbai, where she was editor of a lifestyle magazine. Here she
interviewed and met with some of the finest minds in India and wrote on a range
of topics like business, lifestyle, travel, culture and fashion.
Soon the entrepreneurial bug hit and she started her own venture, a design and
content house that focused on custom publishing. From understanding business development to
creating a wide network of service providers, this start-up taught her many valuable lessons on
entrepreneurship that she continues to share in her writing.
Today she dons several hats, moving from being a prolific writer/editor to an educationist,
entrepreneur and spiritual enthusiast. She is also involved with youth and women forums and often
expresses her views on important social, cultural and gender issues.
As an editor at Common Sense Living, Ritika will engage you with her own stories of
entrepreneurship and give you valuable tips on creating wealth. Her insights will be a guide on
living the good life and helping you build enough wealth to ensure your coffers are never empty!
Anisa Virji
Anisa Virji is the Managing Editor for Common Sense Living, and the Wealth
Builders Club India.
When she was 17 she left the comfort of her home and family in Mumbai and
travelled to the US to study. For over a decade she traveled and lived in over 20
countries around the world, working with international organizations, and
absorbing many cultures along the way.
In Cambodia and Indonesia she worked to build peace in post-conflict societies and a Tsunami
struck region. In China, Morocco and France she spent summers studying the local languages,
and in Turkey she researched the local culture.
She then moved back home to Mumbai to be with her family, and served as the Director of
Marketing and Communications for their business, a nationwide chain of retail stores.
Her love of communication, and her vast global experiences, drew her to Common Sense Living,
an initiative that aspires to bring Indian readers ideas from around the world that make their lives
fuller and richer.
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She has a Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, and one
from the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. She completed her Bachelors degree in
International Relations from Brown University.
Our Mentor Mark Ford

He started his first business when he was 11 years old. Hes started hundreds
more since then. Today, hes a self-made millionaire. Hes also a New York
Times bestselling author and a successful business builder.
Mark is the founder of Common Sense Living and the Wealth Builders Club
India and is the inspiration behind the Common Sense Living Letters that
we write.
Since 1993, he has been the chief growth strategist for Agora, Inc., international publisher of
newsletters and books with revenues of over $300 million annually. He grew up in Brooklyn and
Long Island, NY. He has a BA from Queens College, CUNY, a masters degree from the University
of Michigan, and did PhD work at Catholic University.
After college, Mark joined the Peace Corps and spent two years teaching students at the University
of Chad in Africa. Despite his incredible business success and intellectual acumen, he has been
quite the failure - at retiring. He retired for the first time at age 39. The urge to get back into
business was too strong. A few years later, he retired again.
Now that hes turned 60 years old, Mark has retired again. He now focuses on growing his
investments and writing, as the creator of The Wealth Builders Club.
Books by Mark Ford
Mark Ford, (also identified as Mark Morgan Ford or Michael Masterson) has authored and coauthored books on entrepreneurship, wealth-building marketing, copywriting. Some of these books
include:
Automatic Wealth: The Six Steps to Financial Independence (John Wiley & Sons)
Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast-Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire (John Wiley
& Sons)
Confessions of a Self-Made Millionaire (Early to Rise)
Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat (John Wiley & Sons)[22]
The Pledge: Your Master Plan for an Abundant Life (John Wiley & Sons)
The Reluctant Entrepreneur (John Wiley & Sons)

Table of Contents
Common Sense Ideas for Inspiration
Enjoy being you; there is no other version of yourself! Celebrate the uniqueness that you bring to
your life and to all those around you.
1.
Be Inspired By the Falling Stars
2.
Let Your Heart Make Your Choice: BE INSANE
12
3.
You Can Energise Your Work... And Your Life : Being Present
14
Common Sense Ideas for Building Wealth

The greatest luxury is the luxury of financial security personal stories and lucid language
illustrate what would otherwise be complicated wealth-building ideas, so you can focus on
finance...
4.
Are You Living in Intelligent Luxury?
18
5.
Kaun Banega Crorepati: Take the Wealth Builders Quiz
20
6.
Is Your Financial Health in Tip-Top Condition?
24
Common Sense Ideas for Achieving Your Dreams

Start paying heed to that inner voice, listening to your deepest dreams, changing what you thought
you couldn't and building the life you've always wanted...
7.
Stop Saying Chalta Hai?
28
8.
The F.R.E.E.way to Achieving Your Dreams
30
Common Sense Ideas for Entrepreneurship

Your entrepreneurial journey is unique - your challenges are yours alone, but so are your
rewards...with a little encouragement and the right motivation you can be on your road to success.
9.
Automatic Entrepreneurship: Leading With Your Heart
10. Can Two Unequal Halves Become Equal? The Challenges of Partnerships
34
38
Common Sense Ideas for Happiness

Happiness does not depend on money, it is a state of mind... use these ideas to find where your
true happiness lies... discover where its missing... and use them to make your life fuller.
11.
Are You Making Enough Me-Time In Your Life?
41
12.
What is Your GPH? Measure Your Happiness Index
43
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Common Sense Ideas for Inspiration
Enjoy being you; there is no other version of yourself! Celebrate

the uniqueness that you bring to your life and to all those around
you.

Chapter 1
Be Inspired by the Falling Stars

By Anisa Virji
It will be raining stars tonight. When was the last time you craned your neck to look up at the night
sky? If you look up tonight, you can catch a glimpse of the Perseid meteor shower at its best, and
gaze in wonder at radiating streaks of light across the skies, one of the most memorable sights you
will ever lay eyes on.
Us city-folk rarely get the chance to marvel at starry skies, let alone catch a falling star, but we
have much to learn from our skies, and as I turn my eyes and my thoughts skywards here's what
occurs to me.
The World is Free, and Priceless.
How many people get the chance to see showers of stars filling up the skies? Everyone does. You
don't need any special equipment to see it just go find a dark spot and tilt your head. For little
effort and no money you get rewarded with a priceless unforgettable experience.
Isn't life generous?
In fact, usually meteor showers keep you waiting for hours only to catch sight of a couple quick
bursts of light in the sky but the Perseid is magnanimous ... over several days it showers us with
meteors brighter than any star, sometimes over a hundred an hour.
Anyone, no matter who you are, where you are, what you do, can sit down on a small dark hillside
and have one of the richest experiences the world has to offer. And I for one, know that I do not
take enough time to get the most of my spectacular world.
Do you stop to gaze at the galaxies, listen to the birdsong, travel to see the many spectacular
experiences our country and our world can offer?
Sometimes I find myself spending more time worrying about what I need to do and where I need to
go, what I can and can't afford. I get so hung up on my issues that I forget to even take what's
coming to me for free. Look around you, the most magnificent things really are yours for the taking.
The beauty of a shower of stars certainly overshadows a fancy car, right? The majestic beauty of a
tiger's walk, a sight to make you forget there's a camera phone in your hand? After I saw a tiger
strolling casually in front of my safari jeep in the Tadoba national park, I distinctly remember
thinking, 'Wow! For once in my life I forgot to take a picture.'
India is littered with natural beauty, sanctuaries, forts, tigers even... you don't have to go far, either,
wherever you are you're probably within a few hours of a sanctuary, forest, river or fort.
Behavioral science research shows that spending money on experiences makes you happier than
spending it on possessions. Traveling to a beautiful place, climbing a mountain, seeing your
favourite musician in concert (sweet-talking my way into a sold-out Zakir Hussain concert is one of
my favourite memories of all time)... these things make life richer.

"We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we
have forgotten," Italian poet Cesare Pavese tells us.
So take a moment to look up at the sky tonight. Take a few more and go have adventures. And
then fill your life with the riches of these memories.
Small Things Can Have a Big Impact.
When you look up at a meteor miles away, you think it must be an enormous explosion for you to
see it all the way down on earth, right? Actually, the streaks of light are caused by tiny specks of
dust - the size a grain of sand up to the size of pea. But when this tiny, seemingly insignificant
speck of dust hits the earth's atmosphere it creates a streak of light so bright that we can see it
here on earth.
We are tiny too.
As you turn your eyes heavenward and take in the full majesty of the universe, the vast protective
sky, the billions of stars, planets, galaxies, lording over the tiny insignificant blue dot that we call
home, you can't help but feel small. In this vast and varied universe, you are but a speck, a cog in
the machinery, a stray thought in a magnificent mind.
You are tiny, yes. But insignificant, definitely not.
Astronomer Carl Sagan said "What rescues us from insignificance is the courage of our questions
and the depth of our answers."
In this bigger picture, your life is a tiny speck, a nanosecond... The question is: What will you do
with your nanosecond on earth?
If a miniscule grain of dust can light up the sky then you can light up the world. You are part
of an enormous universe, and you have access to unlimited power.
Let your dreams explode into a streak of hot white light that takes you wherever you want to go.
Because it is not how small you are, but where you aim to go that matters. W. Clement, an
advocate of positive mental attitude, was known to say "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit
a star".
So Be Extraordinary, There's Light Within You.
When you're looking for a falling star (a meteor, to be exact) there are many things that can
obscure your vision - local conditions such as light, clouds, etc. will play a role in how clearly you
can see.
Sometimes there are even larger forces at play. This year for example, the Perseids coincided with
the appearance of a supermoon. It is the biggest full moon of the year, where the moon is closest
to the earth, and is therefore much bigger and brighter than a regular full moon.
Unfortunately the light of this supermoon is so bright that it dulls the brightness of meteors in
comparison, almost making them disappear. But only the weak meteors will disappear. The
strongest, the brightest will still fly spectacularly across the sky with millions of eyes following
them.
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Sometimes in our pursuit of our goals we get distracted and feel defeated - we face challenges,
stiff competition like unanticipated supermoons trying to get in the way. But you just need to forget
about these and remain entirely focused on being the best you can be. Excel at what you do, and
remember your unlimited power. Shine as bright as the brightest Perseides meteor and let your life
fill the world with light.
I know this seems a bit dramatic. But when the sun sets tonight, look up at the sky and be inspired.
It's a week of spectacular wonders up there and it will be a sight to remember. When you look up
at the stars, though, make a wish. And make it a big one, an ambitious goal, a dream that will take
you to the stars.
And as you look up at the sky, stop to ponder what this moment means to you. To your life, to your
purpose, and to your reason for being. And remember the words of Nelson Mandela:
"We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our
own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
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Chapter 2
Let Your Heart Make Your Choice: BE INSANE

By Ritika Bajaj
These were words written on the t-shirt of 29-year-old Vikas Kumar from Orissa who was
rescued more than 72 hours after a 12-storey building collapsed in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Not just that, he asked for his chappals, so that he could continue to walk on, as if nothing
had happened.
These words struck me so deeply that they instantly triggered a series of thoughts. What exactly
was going on in Vikas Kumar's mind when he was lying still under the debris? When he was
waiting patiently for someone to rescue him? Was his life flashing past him? Was he regretting
what he hadn't done or said? Was he choosing life over death? Choosing to believe that someone
would save him, maybe the Almighty would see him through this one as well?
Or maybe he was just listening to his heart. A heart that refused to give up, a heart that like most
others may have been broken but still repaired, a heart that could have been feeble but stayed
strong, a heart that simply did not want to stop beating.
Vikas Kumar's story asks us to exercise our power of choice.
Most of our life is determined by our choices. But there are no good or bad choices, there
are just choices that work for you or don't. And sometimes the world doesn't understand
these choices.
People around you may think you're 'insane'. But that's what the t-shirt says, right? 'BE INSANE'.
Don't care about what the world thinks. Just have the courage to stand by what you believe in
because more often than not, what your heart says is what will really work for you.
There were times in the early stages of my life as an entrepreneur when I wondered what I was
doing. How far my venture would go and if it at all I was making any impact on my clients, their
businesses and even on my bank balance. It was at such times that I just listened to my heart. The
journey had to be lived, I had taken a conscious decision and I would give it my best. In the
process I developed some mantras that hold me in good stead. I share these with you today.
BE PATIENT
Yes, Rome wasn't built in a day. No venture has been successful without first having a painful
gestation period. And sometimes, it may also be very discouraging. But the time you spend waiting
for that first big client or the first cheque can actually be put to constructive use. You can use that
time to hone your skills in the trade. It can even be used to study the market, see what others are
doing and what you can do differently. And finally the time on hand can be used to connect with
people. An important part of entrepreneurship is meeting new people and building your network. I
must have had hazaar meetings in coffee shops, discussing ideas, possible marketing tools and
even generating leads. Aim to meet at least one new person every day. This will eventually
give you a substantial number of people to bank on when your business grows.
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BE FOCUSED
As an entrepreneur it's easy to get swayed. To see how much you can stretch away from your core
competence and do something else.
We dabble with several mini-ventures before we finally come back to where we started.
Your main area of expertise will continue to stay the same no matter how many off-shoots
you start. In my business I tried to change my focus from one medium to another but by the time I
had entered the other medium, there were already many players. They had created their niches
and they were offering services at more competitive prices. Wasting any more time in that medium
would mean losing time and making less money in what I knew best. And moreover, the biggest
chunk of revenue was still being generated by the core competence. So it helps to stay focused,
grow in one area of expertise and continue to strive for excellence in that space.
BE HONEST
Honesty applies everywhere. Be honest while analyzing your strengths as an individual or an
organization, be honest when you make commitments to clients and vendors and even with the
people you work with. Honesty may slow you down at the start: you may reject clients, delay work
that you find shoddy, or even have to do all the work yourself because you can't afford to pay
anyone else. But in the long run, honesty will earn you respect, and money.
BE OPEN
This is about embracing change, opportunity and new ideas. As an entrepreneur you should be
open to exploring new ways of thinking and working. Be open to working with new people, learning
new things, even accepting criticism. Very often criticism can be used constructively, where you
take the good points from it and use it to your advantage to make a better product. More
importantly, create an environment of openness, allow people to talk to you openly about
their views and feelings. And don't shoot down any ideas as 'insane' because sometimes
what's 'insane' might actually work.
BE YOU
In the race to be a successful entrepreneur, don't forget to be yourself. Be true to everything you
stand for and everything you are. Enjoy being you; there is no other version of yourself! Celebrate
the uniqueness that you bring to your life and to all those around you. Be the biggest fan of your
own work, as the world might run you down but only you can pull yourself up, time and
again.
And let's honour Vikas Kumar's t-shirt philosophy: BE INSANE. The most memorable
entrepreneurs are those whose success stories defy logic maybe because they believed that
'being insane' was actually a good thing.
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Chapter 3
You Can Energise Your Work... And Your Life : Being Present
By Anisa Virji
A man is getting ready for work. As he is about to walk out the door, adjusting his tie, he turns back
towards the living room sofa and says in frustration, 'Are you both sure you don't want to come?'
No! They yell back.
'Fine. But you should know sooner or later they will begin to notice that you two never show up.'
The two that he is talking to are his heart and mind.
Maybe our lives are not quite so literal, but do we not sometimes find ourselves doing the same
thing?
In school I had a history teacher who would throw a piece of chalk at me if she found me being
absent in class - i.e. daydreaming. Then, I had thought it was quite mean.
Today, I wish I had someone who would follow me around and give me a chalky-wake-up call
every time they found that I was not being present in
my own life.
Because by being mentally absent, I was letting my life
pass me by.
The basic principle to bring about change in your
environment ... energise it is this: To change your
environment, you must change you. You have, within
you, the energy that can bring the world to life.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake
the world... as in being able to remake ourselves."
You can change the world around you, and this three part series will show you how.
The first approach is Being Present.
We spend too much time dwelling on the past, regretting. We spend too much time thinking about
the future, worrying. Regret and worry diminish your energy and steal your life. Only one moment
exists, and that is this one. Now. Abhi.
I always wondered why, in Hindi, there was only one word for yesterday and tomorrow. Frankly, I
thought it was a significant flaw in the language. How can one word, kal, be considered enough to
indicate two such distinct and important concepts as past and future.
Now I think it was not the language, but my own thinking that was flawed. I was giving too much
importance to the distinction of past and future, when they are bound by one most-important factor,
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that they are not the present. Kal, whether yesterday, or tomorrow, should not consume you. Only
aaj, today, matters.
Gautam Buddha, whose followers especially live by this philosophy, said, 'The secret of health for
both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the
present moment wisely and earnestly.'
Maybe you thought the secret would be something more exciting. Conquer Mount Everest, you
thought I would say, and your life will be energised! Or go sky diving, and your perspective will
change.
But the truth is as simple as this: To change your life, the adjustments need to come from within
you. And when you are wholly present, you experience life completely, and the world changes for
you.
Being Present @WORK
When you are fully present, you are a better colleague, a better friend, and a better employee. By
being there in heart and mind - you begin to care about the people, and the work.
You are listening to people, picking up on non-visual cues, able to assess what they mean even
when they don't say it and respond empathetically. No more is one eye on the smart phone, and
one ear on the conversation at the next table.
Being present means understanding the expectations of your work so you can do a better job,
immersing yourself in your job so it loses its drudgery, and takes on meaning. It doesn't mean
chasing after some new glamorous opportunity. Your work, in itself, matters. Being present is a
Zen philosophy, and this proverb, sums it up:
Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water.
Whether you are enlightened or not, the work doesn't change. What changes is you. Whether you
chop wood, carry water, crunch numbers, write poetry, sell insurance, act in movies, file papers,
serve chai... that's what you will keep doing. But when you're being present, this same task will
consume you, you won't notice the passing of time, and you will be filled with energy instead of
exhaustion.
Being present @HOME
Do you think your child is 'naughty' and always throwing tantrums, or making unreasonable
demands? Does your spouse seems to always be picking fights with you, any little excuse will set
them off? People often act up when they are seeking attention. If you have your head buried in
your phone, TV, or newspaper at all times, then it doesn't matter if you are sitting with your family...
you are not being with them.
Instead, when you are at home, be there.
Have you noticed, when you are talking to someone, and their eyes glaze over and you can tell
that they are not interested, not really listening? How does it make you feel? Boring?
Unappreciated?
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But those who made you feel instantly comfortable, treated you like a long-lost friend, and you
happily spilled all your heartaches to them... They were being present for you.
When you give people your whole, they know they matter. Your loved ones especially need that
from you. So next time you have some time at home, switch off the TV, put away the iPAD, and
just be present.
Being Present @LIFE
Your family needs you, your boss and colleagues need you, but you know what, you need yourself
too. If your mind strays off into its own idle chatter, obsessively worrying about little things - what
went wrong, what needs to be done, what can go wrong in the future... you don't give yourself
the space to reflect on and appreciate your life.
So set aside the energy-destroying combo of regret and worry, and make space in your heart and
mind for the true happiness that comes from being present for yourself.
Like anything else, being present takes practice too. Throw an imaginary chalk at yourself every
once in a while ... kindly, of course ... a reminder for your heart and mind to check-in. They will
keep slipping away at first ... they dream, they idle, they worry ... but coax them back to the task at
hand, and watch as slowly you find that you don't have to bring out the chalk anymore.
And to help you along, here once again is a Zen Buddhist monk who relays wisdom with the
utmost simplicity, Thich Nhat Hanh:
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth
revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual
moment. Only this moment is life.
Try being present and you will find things come alive. You find that you won't be sitting halfheartedly in a bleak office surrounded by zombies praying for the clock to tick faster... you will be
exactly where you should be, surrounded by energy, experiencing each interaction - life, love,
sadness, happiness. Your work becomes rewarding. Home becomes harmonious. Each moment
begins to count... building up to a full life.
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Common Sense Ideas for Building Wealth
The greatest luxury is the luxury of financial security personal

stories and lucid language illustrate what would otherwise be
complicated wealth-building ideas, so you can focus on finance...
17

Chapter 4
Are You Living in Intelligent Luxury?

By Anisa Virji
The last time you got a cup of tea on the street ...did you get sticker shock?
'When I was in college a cutting chai was only Rs 2,' you probably turned to tell your
colleague/friend/son.
Tea now costs five to ten times as much as it did a few years ago. A vada pav now costs about
that much more as well. How much more does life cost now than it did in college?
Life in India now probably costs several times more than it did just ten years ago... even up to a
hundred times as much.
Life is more expensive now, and it's not just inflation...its upgradation. Our lifestyles have changed.
Quality of life has improved. The standards of service and professionalism that we expect in our
daily lives are greater.
When I was young and wanted to go sit at a caf with a friend we would pop into the nearest Shiv
Sagar for a six rupee cup of Nescafe...today when I leave home with same intent I often find myself
sprawled on an armchair in Starbucks with a Grande cappuccino and poorer by two hundred
rupees.
If you're thinking that a fancy cup of coffee is a luxury... it doesn't represent your spending... then
consider this...
I got a good convent school education in South Bombay... apparently at the time it cost less than
Rs 3,000/year (I had to call my dad and ask him). Today, the same school charges about 30,000
rupees... makes sense ...about ten times as much.
But we don't want to send our child to that school anymore. Now we dream of our children at
international schools where they are taught with the care and creativity we wish we had in our
childhoods, and a promise to give our children a head start in life.
The average international school in Bombay will give my child my ideal education for a princely
annual sum of Rs 3,00,000... a hundred times what my dad paid for my good solid catholic school!
This fact extends to all areas of life, big and small, luxuries and necessities.
Today, we are not just paying for the same thing at greater prices. We are paying for greater
things.
'Ok I get it already. I'm spending a lot more. But so what, I'm also working hard and earning a lot
more.'
So you are. Incomes are greater as well, significantly so. Professionalism and good educations are
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valued with greater salary packages. A graduate from a top B-school often has lucrative offers
falling into his lap before even walking off campus.
However, as you become wealthier, your expenses increase to keep up with your income. Your
tastes get more sophisticated, and luxuries turn into necessities.
This is fine... the whole point of making more money is to enjoy spending it... and you should.
The only problem with expenses keeping up with your income is that your savings are in greater
danger of getting left behind.
As your standard of living increases, and you move into a nicer house and get a nicer car, all your
associated living expenses increase....except your savings.
The opposite should happen. As you make more money, your savings pot should get bigger
first... before you increase spending indiscriminately.
There are two ways to save more: either you earn more, thus maintaining your expenses with
having more to put in the savings pot; or you spend less, thus putting more of your income into
your savings.
Earn more: You have a full-time job. You earn what you earn. How can you earn more? There are
two ways to do so - one is to prove yourself as a more valuable employee and increase your
primary income. To do this you might need to work harder, work longer, learn more financially
valuable skills. The other way is to create additional streams of income that add to your main
salary.
There are many doable, practical, ways to earn extra money working a few extra hours each week.
A great area of opportunity lies online. Here you can monetize your hobbies, interests and talents
... whatever you like. Indians go online for services, entertainment, information and products - but
there are not enough Indian websites catering to them. There is huge gap here to fill, so get online
and sell to this enormous market.
Spend less: To spend less you need to be prudent. But recognize that 'prudent' is not the same as
'frugal'. Frugal means to scrimp and save and cut corners until every rupee that leaves your pocket
seems to leave a hole where it once was. Being prudent, on the other hand, means to spend
wisely.
I have great faith in German engineering. When I was getting a new car I was determined that it
should be German-made. I found that I could get a Mercedes or BMW, or I could get the same
German engineering and beautiful design for a fifth of the price in a Volkswagen Polo. And
although it doesn't have the same prestige associated with it, the VW is beloved around the world
and has the prestige of being created by Porsche. That was not only enough to satisfy me, but to
make me truly happy.
Someday, when my net worth is higher because I made the decision to save rather than splurge
19

today, I will be driving a BMW. For now, I enjoy driving my prudent yet luxurious VW, or what I call
my 'intelligent luxury'. It fits right into my budget and leaves me with lots to put in my savings pot.
With all areas of my spending, I employ such prudence - it takes a little bit more effort at first to
figure out less expensive, equally satisfying alternatives to expensive desires, but it helps me keep
my priorities straight, and my savings high.
'I've learned through my own experiences that you really can live just as luxuriously as a
multimillionaire or billionaire just by knowing what to splurge on... and what not to spend your
money on. And it doesn't slow down your wealth-accumulation efforts one little bit," says wealth
coach Mark Ford.
We should all be living in luxury ... the key is to find 'intelligent luxuries' - wallet-friendly alternatives
that bring you your own right level of satisfaction - a balance of quality, prestige, and happiness - at
the right price.
20

Chapter 5
Kaun Banega Crorepati

Take the Wealth Builders Quiz
By Ritika Bajaj
The whole nation is once again hooked to Amitabh Bachchan aka Big B and his TV show Kaun
Banega Crorepati (KBC). And this time you can add a "maha" before the title of crorepati. Yes, the
stakes have just got bigger. Seven crore! With much tougher questions, an improvised lifeline
called the triguni - a panel of three advisors, many more poems from the participants, nuggets from
Big B's life and a dash of social responsibility.
A formula that never goes wrong. A formula we come back to watch season after season. In its
eighth season, Kaun Banega Crorepati is yet again a hit with the audiences.
Have you ever wondered about the success of KBC? I must confess I enjoy watching the show
because it tests my own general knowledge. And of course because I admire the show host
immensely. But for viewers at large, there are many more tangible or intangible reasons for its
success.
One of the most obvious reasons being that KBC is a platform for hope. It's a place to make your
dreams come true, purely by the use of your brain and quick thinking. If played well, the game will
change the way you live forever. It will impact you and those around you profoundly. And for many
who come there to promote a cause, the impact of that money touches the lives of others too.
In entrepreneurship as in KBC, everyone gets a level playing field. The same number of questions,
the same lifelines and the same amount of time to answer them. The 'hot seat' is that moment in
your life as an entrepreneur where you're tested on all the knowledge you've gained so far as a
person and as a professional.
You may answer some right, and for the others you depend on your lifelines. But either way, to get
to the top of the pile of cash, you have to come well prepared. You have to gear yourself before
you play, you have to dip into all your resources, and you have to answer in time! And finally you
have to pass the 'Fastest Finger First' test. In entrepreneurial lingo this could very well be the firstmover advantage.
So today dear reader, we've designed a small questionnaire to help you better discover your own
entrepreneurial instinct. If you're not already sitting on the entrepreneurial 'hot seat', these will help
you identify the tools you need to get there. And for those who have already set off on their
journey, it may provide you with reassurance.
We cut short the 14 questions of KBC to just 10. But the good thing is, if you manage to get
through all ten, seven crore is just the tip of the iceberg. There really is no limit to how much you
can earn if you become a successful entrepreneur.
Over to Computerji...
Q1
Are you willing to go it alone?

To spend long hours working, away from friends and family, putting every waking
21

moment into making your dream come true. Entrepreneurship is a game you often play
alone. While you find partners and investors along the way, the final buck will stop at
you. Time and again you will question your decisions, your beliefs, your own responses
to situations and this quest for the right answers will be yours alone.
Q2
Do you have a vision for your business?

All great businesses start with a vision - with a need to fill a space, to redefine markets,
to change consumer behavior and to eventually leave a legacy. A legacy of values,
good will and innovation that changes the way businesses are done thereafter. A vision
breathes life into an enterprise, it gives a sense of ownership to all involved.
Q3
Does creativity come easily to you?

One of the core strengths of any entrepreneur is the ability to think differently. Be it to
design and market a product, create a supply chain or deal with customers, creativity
comes handy in every aspect of entrepreneurship. Creativity brings a special you-ness
that helps you stand apart from the rest of the crowd.
Q4
Has money-making been in your system since the early yars?

Most entrepreneurial mindsets are reflected early in life. As children, you may not have
set up businesses but you may have conducted small sales among friends and family or
simply done some job or the other to ensure you have enough money to get what you
want. The spirit of enterprise starts small and surfaces at a very young age.
Q5
Can you share your work with other people?

One of the primary ways to get ahead is to work smarter instead of work harder. And in
order to stop working harder, you must give up trying to do everything yourself. Thus
delegation becomes an important tool for any entrepreneur. Do what you can and
handover the rest to others who can do it better than you. This will ensure quality, sanity
and most importantly, scale.
Q6
Are you built to be an all-rounder?

Being an entrepreneur makes several demands on you. It pushes you to learn more
than you know, do more than you can and be more than you are. You will be an
accountant, peon, salesperson, founder and worker all rolled into one. Each role will
come with its own learnings but the sooner you can switch roles, the finer will be your
act!
22

Q7
Can you face the onslaught of critics?

Yes, critics there will be, and many. They will question your product, your service and
the very existence of your enterprise. But at such times, take the blows with a smile. Be
your venture's best friend, stand by it, guard it, hold it close to your chest. Instead, let
criticism serve you in creating a better service or product.
Q8
Are you determined enough to keep at a task day after day?

Many entrepreneurs get bored soon. Their minds are full of ideas, they want to do new
things every day. While this works when creating new products, it can be detrimental to
building a lasting and consistent enterprise. Repeated efforts, daily discipline and a
never-say-die attitude separate the go-gettersfrom the rest.
Q9
Are you sociable enough to network and market your business?

Being an entrepreneur requires you to come out of your introverted shell, meet new
people, strike up conversations and talk about your enterprise. Most successful
entrepreneurs have no qualms in selling their product on any given platform. They can
talk about it ad nauseam and they may just strike a deal at a dinner table. So network
and watch your net-worth increase!
Q10 Can you risk all the time and money you have into that business?
This is by far one of the most crucial questions because you are staking your skills,
dreams, time and money to build your enterprise. As an entrepreneur you often stake it
all to make it all. But try and take calculated risks: assess the quantum of risk vis--vis
the estimated profits and then decide what works best for you.
Just like KBC, risking the last question can mean coming down from a couple of crore to
a few lac, a big price to pay eh?
And don't worry if you get stuck answering any one of these questions. You have four lifelines
remember? 'Audience poll' should get you to know your customer better, 'double dip' will give you
the two best options to choose from in any situation, triguni will act as your supportive board of
mentors and directors. And on a very bad day, use 'phone a friend' to bail you out!
23

Chapter 6
Is Your Financial Health in Tip-Top Condition?

By Anisa Virji
My friend Aarish has been saving ever since he graduated from college. He is intelligent, modest,
hard-working... and has completely supported himself since he was 16, even going through
university on a full scholarship.
Having scrimped and saved for a few years, he had scraped together about 5 lacs in savings - a
decent sum of money to start something new. Maybe he would invest it? Start his own business,
perhaps? It was time to spread his wings... to start building a nest egg for a future family.
And then he discovered a tumour in his liver. Benign, thankfully, but had to be surgically removed
and in one fell swoop his savings bucket was empty ...and he was back where he started.
What happened to Aarish made me stop and think. My savings bucket had been sitting in a corner
of my bank account - completely neglected - for as long as I could remember. In fact if this
misfortune had fallen upon me, I would have been plunged into debt. My financial haalat was a
mess.
So why had I been neglecting my savings bucket?
Everybody knows, as do I, that saving is important. Beyond important, it is crucial. Preparing for
contingencies is an absolute basic fundamental of financial planning.
Why then, do we neglect financial advice?
We don't want to give up 'happiness'.
As bad as spending on that branded car, or unnecessary new phone, is for your wallet, it often
feels like it brings happiness. Of course, if someone tells us we need to stop something that makes
us 'happy' then it's difficult to do. But the happiness we derive from material goods is fleeting.
I recently wrote an article on spending on intelligent luxuries. But many readers wrote to tell me
that luxuries for them were the things that didn't even require spending. Here are what readers said
luxury is:
Drinking my morning cup of tea alone without any noise and phone, taking my family regularly to
park for weekends - Subscriber AA
One can afford Luxury through social work, help to the poor and the needy and other very many
ways. Satisfaction is in itself a Luxury. And for me Luxury is satisfaction - Subscriber MMA
Good health. Mental peace. Simple living. Never have the need to beg for money for any of your
needs...To be in a position to help others in their needs - Subscriber MGK
More important than spending on luxury goods is the luxury of financial independence. And to
achieve that long-term goal, you must sacrifice short-term happiness.
24

We don't like change.

This is a good one. We don't like change. Good or bad, change is difficult to deal with. My friend
recently got a new job. Big company, vice president position, amazing pay package, a move to a
nicer city - and when he was telling me about it he completely broke down. He was a bundle of
nerves. Change is a huge form of stress on us, and takes a toll. So we avoid it at all costs. But all
change is good - even things that make our situations worse are good for us because it forces us
to stretch and grow. Change is a challenge, an opportunity to learn, and it can make us better
people. Changing our financial habits can have a great impact on our lives, and for successful
wealth-building we must embrace change.
We don't think we deserve wealth.
If a person believes they were just not meant to be rich, they will simply not do anything about it.
Have you ever met anyone who said to you, 'My luck is doomed. No matter what I do I can't get out
of debt.' And you wonder if they actually even tried or they are so busy wallowing in self-defeat that
they might have ignored some pretty basic financial advice. If you don't value your own wealth,
then all financial advice will fall on deaf ears. 'Ye mere bas ki baat nahin hai' people think. But they
are wrong.
Whether you are rich or poor, young or old, basic financial advice is the same for everyone. Spend
less. Save more. If you are not following this, you are being self-destructive, and this negative
attitude could be the reason you can't change your situation. So believe that you do deserve good
financial health, and your situation will begin to change.
We simply don't get it.
If financial basics are just not something you understand, you will not follow them. Especially
because it is difficult to admit that you don't understand something so basic as money.
Everything you've read about finance is riddled with jargon, banks are impossible to deal with
because they seem to overwhelm you with fine-print and ridiculous charges, and school teaches
nothing about personal finance. Sometimes when I read some financial writers' words I find myself
cringing with embarrassment thinking, 'Am I stupid or is this person just talking nonsense?' I do not
get it.
But everyone else seems to get it. What do they know that you don't. The answer is, nothing. Most
people know a lot less about finance than they should. And sadly, most schools teach nothing
about finance.
Reader SD wrote in to say that 'there is a greater need to spread financial education and this
should start from middle school level where children start getting basic knowledge on banking,
followed by investment in high school. Parents need to be educated themselves first followed by
supporting their children to get the feel of saving vs spending and creating long term wealth.'
So if you think you don't get it, you're not alone.
We don't want to know!
Ignorance is bliss, right? If you don't know how fast my account is dwindling, then it can't be that
bad. That's what I used to be like. I hated going to the bank. It was so easy to avoid. Then the bank
25

followed me by coming online. It's even on my phone now. I still ignored it. I didn't even want to
know what was in there just as long as my buddy, ATM, kept coughing up cash.
But after what happened to my friend, I decided I did want to know, so I got serious about finance.
The effort of changing our financial habits to get in better financial shape is the same as changing
habits in any other area of our life. We all know we must cut out sugar and fried foods to live
longer, healthier lives. But when faced with that freshly fried bhajiyaand sugary chai, the resolve to
be healthy dissolves into the samosa-flavoured air.
But bad financial habits can bring you as much disease as bad health habits. For peaceful happy
lives we must bring finance back into focus. Because the more you pay attention to finance, the
less attention it will require from you.
What we need is someone who can clearly, without interest or prejudice lay out these basics for us
in a way that doesn't sound like Greek or Latin. For me, that person is wealth coach Mark Ford. If
you've read his writings on the subject you will understand what I mean.
With personal stories and simple language an intelligent wealth coach can illustrate what would
otherwise be complicated wealth-building ideas, and motivate us to focus on finance.
26

Common Sense Ideas for Achieving Your Dreams
Start paying heed to that inner voice, listening to your deepest

dreams, changing what you thought you couldn't and building the
life you've always wanted...
27

Chapter 7
Should We Stop Saying Chalta Hai?

By Ritika Bajaj
It's in our DNA to accept status quo, to say chalta hai and to move on. To continue to do what we
do every day, to rarely look forward and think about how we can create a better life for ourselves.
As we go about the daily grind, that little voice inside us seems to fade away, the dreams get lost,
the true calling goes unheard and before you know it, half of life has gone by.
But from today onward, it may be good idea to start paying heed to that inner voice, listening to
your deepest dreams and visualising how you can give them shape. Give a little extra time from
your day to making your dreams come true, to changing what you thought you couldn't and to
building the life you've always wanted.
The language of dreams
Dreams are the very essence of life. They make you want to live more, do more and be more.
I started following my own dreams in college, when I chose to pursue English Literature. Language
has always been important to me. I have a fascination for all kinds of books, from the big coffeetable ones to the small self-help ones, from airport trash to classics, from poetry to plays - I just
love words and storytelling in any form.
And today, as I sit and write this newsletter, I embark on my dream, to connect to the world with my
own thoughts on life and living. To share with you some of the lessons I've learned, good and bad.
And to be by your side as you go chase your own dreams. And honestly, if I had said chalta
hai during this journey, I may not have been having this dialogue with you.
Build your version of life
Have you ever jotted down your dreams? Envisioned how you would like your life to play out in the
next 10 or 20 years? Do you ever lose sleep over unfulfilled dreams? Have you ever thought of
anything that can't wait till the next janam? If you don't have a list of dreams, it may be a good idea
to make one right away.
There's a common belief that if you write something down, you will most likely do it. Your list of
dreams could be personal or professional, or simply anything that makes your heart beat a tad
faster. It's often noticed that when we write or talk about our dreams, our face lights up, as does
our tone of voice. This strange energy actually enables us to go on.
Very often people list material goals, rather than dreams. But it's a myth that most dreams are
material; that more acquisitions equal more happiness. Many of our dreams don't remotely
depend on money. While financial well-being is important, what is more important is collecting a
wealth of experiences, of feeling the satisfaction of a life well-lived, and of accomplishing dreams
and sometimes passing them on. Many successful people have built visions that live on long after
them.
Discover new ways of thinking and living
Everyone goes through moments of not being "with it", slipping into laziness, sometimes staying in
a state of inertia. I didn't vote in my early years, thinking: Chalta hai, whoever comes into power,
the country will stay the same. I regret this approach till today, knowing that had I been a more
responsible citizen earlier I would now have had a greater sense of reassurance that I had done
what I could to change my own future in the country.
28

As you follow your dreams, you will notice how life's many parts connect. What's more, you will
start seeing new sides in your personality, new approaches to living and thinking, and you will
begin discovering new capabilities. You will start viewing the world with a new lens and no longer
accept what life gives you. In fact, you will actively start working toward changing life and
contributing to its wonders.
And as you begin realising your own dreams, your success will ignite the dreams of others;
you will either inspire them or they will happily join you in the creative process.
Be the hero you are
So take the first step into your journey of fulfillment -- a journey that you've always wanted to take
but hesitated to do so till now. Be brave and figure out the road for yourself. Determine how far you
want to go and at what speed. Get future-ready in your mind and slowly watch the magic unfold.
Your life will soon unfold like a film on the big screen; where the impossible becomes
possible, where there are perfect endings and where the journey of the hero is finally
celebrated. Yes, you are a hero - to yourself, to your family and friends and even to the world at
large. You may not see that side of you yet but get ready to experience it.
Take a leap of faith and believe that you are capable of more, that the universe is waiting to give to
you what you want and that the rest of your life is yours to shape. Reach for the stars, take the first
step into the unknown and dazzle the world with your dream life.
29

Chapter 8
The F.R.E.E.way to Achieving Your Dreams

By Anisa Virji
Sea horses, because of how small they are, are incredibly difficult to find.
I've plumbed the depths of the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea, the Banda Sea, the
Mediterranean... scuba diving in search of the elusive sea horse that I've been dying to see.
As I clambered breathlessly onto a boat after my 50th dive, I thought, 'This is pointless. I'm never
going to find a sea horse!'
Sometimes when you really truly want something - you give it your all - your energy, your creativity,
your enthusiasm. And when you don't get it, you get exhausted, curse your luck, and give up.
And I was definitely on the verge of giving up... but something stopped me... I remembered all the
other beautiful sea creatures I had seen while looking for the elusive sea horse.
I had seen whales, sharks, octopus, enormous alien-looking fish bigger than me, tiny creatures
smaller than the nail on my little finger... Searching for that one sea horse, far and wide, I found
even more than I knew existed. This also reminded me that there was a lot more out there. I'd only
covered a tiny fraction of the oceans! And I was not ready to give up my search.
Life is like that. You think you want certain things. 'I just want
that only'. And in your single-minded focus you forget to stop
and appreciate everything else that you do get.
You might eventually get more than you want. Sometimes all
you need to do is change the way you approach your existing
goal.
The F.R.E.E.way to Success

F ocus on the positive
R emember why
E valuate your path
E njoy yourself!
Readers sometimes write to me disheartened that a venture

they started is not giving them returns as quickly as they
expected. They don't know how to proceed, and they don't know if they should proceed.
So here's my answer...
When your road seems strewn with insurmountable hurdles and you feel like you simply can't go
on anymore, the F.R.E.E.way method will give you renewed energy to keep going.
FOCUS on the positive
If you focus your attention on the 'nahin mila', instead of 'kya mila' you will always seem defeated .
But on your journey you gather things you never set out to - lessons, experiences, friendships,
wisdom.... Each one more valuable than the last.
When you reach your destination you will get what you want and feel the contentment, happiness,
and sense of achievement. But the journey has its own joys - excitement, anticipation, the
discovery of unexpected pleasures... be open to these and like coal in a steam engine they will
propel you towards your destination.
30

My friend Anahita wanted to sell her signature cakes. She opened a bakery and filled her display
with beautifully designed cakes - Chhota Bheem cakes, World Cup themed cakes, a Van Gogh
painting on a cake.... She also kept a few cookies and some coffee near the counter.
Week after week she waited for the cakes to start selling like 'hotcakes'. She advertised online, she
kept free samples... people came in but hardly bought anything. She was starting to get really
demoralized. Should she shut shop?
But as she was morosely going through her accounts expecting a disaster, she found that she had
broken even! How? None of the stupid cakes were selling. Turn out it was the cookies and coffee.
They were a huge hit and were actually selling like hotcakes. Her focus being elsewhere, she had
never even noticed.
As the fictitious but brilliant Dr. House says, 'Everything sucks. Might as well find something to
smile about.'
If you don't count your blessings, you will exhaust yourself and give up. Instead, focus on every
positive thing that you do find when you go looking for that one thing, and let that feeling of
gratitude keep you moving.
REMEMBER why you want what you want.
What made you start on this journey in the beginning? To change the world? To provide a better
life for your family? To find your true calling. The dream that prompted you to start down this path
will motivate you to keep you going. So stop to think about it, especially when the road ahead
seems difficult, and you're worried you can't go on.
Worrying about results is good, it gets your adrenaline going ...makes you work harder, stay
focused.
But too much worry can stress you out, leaving you incapacitated. Sometimes a burden on your
mind feels like a fog ...no clarity ... no answers.
Quiet your mind. Your heart. Things that you can't do anything about, leave them aside, and focus
on solving the problems you can. Strength will return to you. The answer will come and the way
forward will open up.
EVALUATE your path
Now that you've reminded yourself why you're heading down that one challenging path, evaluate
where you have reached. Stay focused on your destination, but maybe you need to adjust the path
a little... use what you have learned so far to map out a new route.
If cookies sell better than cakes, see what more you can add to that section. Maybe it's the pricing
you need to rework? Maybe cakes are better off when they are made on order rather than wasting
resources keeing too many on the shelf?
Evaluate your changing context, and visualize your new path right up to the goal post.
"To liberate the potential... you must first expand your imagination...things are always created
twice: first in the workshop of the mind and only then, in reality," said Robin Sharma, in The Monk
Who Sold His Ferrari. So use your imagination to figure out what you do better.
31

ENJOY yourself
Focusing on the positive will not only help you work through the toughest challenges, but enjoy
your journey to achieving your dreams.
Use the F.R.E.E.way motivational method to stay on your path, and don't stop till you've conquered
the peak, found the elusive sea horse, and change the world.
Your entrepreneurial journey is unique - your challenges are yours alone, but so are your
rewards...with a little encouragement and the right motivation you can be on your road to
success.
32

Common Sense Entrepreneurship
Your entrepreneurial journey is unique - your challenges are yours

alone, but so are your rewards...with a little encouragement and the
right motivation you can be on your road to success.
33

Chapter 9
Automatic Entrepreneurship: Leading With Your Heart

By Anisa Virji
It all started when he brought home a cow.

All he had wanted was to provide fresh milk for his family. He had some space, and some
experience with the dairy farm from his work in Ayurvedic medicine.
So naturally, one of our readers, Asif, brought home a cow.
But soon, neighbours were knocking on his doors asking for fresh milk. He couldn't disappoint, so
he had to get more cows! Before he knew it, in addition to milk, he was selling home-churned
butter and ghee.
And so, without even noticing it was happening, Asif became an entrepreneur.
When I congratulated him on an incredible beginning to his entrepreneurial venture, he was
reluctant.
"Is that really entrepreneurship? I never planned to start a
business. I bought that first cow because I just felt like having a
cow at home... Things fell in place... A few neighbors liked
buying fresh milk from home.
Soon lots more people started asking for milk. I had no option
but to buy one more cow.... this went on and now I have 14
cows at home "
'Yes', I say to him, 'this is the best kind of entrepreneurship'.
An entrepreneur is a person who sees opportunity where no one else does. Who can spot what
people want or need, and does what it takes to bring it to them. Someone who finds a passion
within himself, and chases it till it becomes a part of his life... a purpose... and eventually a living.
When Asif saw that he had something people wanted - access to fresh milk, he simply had to
share. He didn't say 'Nahin bhai, I only have so much milk.' He said 'I only have so much milk - so I
better get more.' And in the process of giving people what they wanted - he became an
entrepreneur.
To be an entrepreneur you don't necessarily need to come armed with 12-page business plans,
PowerPoint Presentations, business degrees, and huge amounts of funding. There is another way
... automatic entrepreneurship.
Anyone can become an automatic entrepreneur... here's all you need:
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GOOD INSTINCTS
To identify an opportunity and gauge whether it can become successful you need to be able to
trust your instinct.
When neighbours came knocking on his door to buy fresh milk, Asif wanted to do whatever he
could to provide for their needs. He wasn't trying to force upon them a product or service that they
didn't need. He wasn't hard-selling fresh milk to a group of lactose-intolerant people, or thinking
about USPs (unique selling propositions).
First came the need then came the business.
This is called the ground-up approach, versus the traditional top-down.
Both are valid approaches. The ground-up approach is used by companies such as FMCG and
pharma - headaches are a common occurrence so let's create a painkiller to deal with that.
An example of a top-down approach is the fashion industry, where the industry decides what is 'in
fashion' and then generates a need to sell what they have created.
For the genius visionary the top down approach is the way to go - if they can see what people want
before people know it - inventers, artists, designers. People like Bill Gatesor Steve Jobs who
create something that never existed before use the top down approach.
For the regular guy, a ground-up approach is a more viable option. You look around you, see
what's missing, what people are asking for, what people are complaining about ... then you come
up with a solution to fix it.
When Sanjeev Bikchandani decided he was going to start his own business, he would just note
and put away all the needs he saw. Because he was job-hunting, he noticed that there was a lack
of any database where people could search for and apply to viable jobs. When the Internet arrived
in India - he grabbed the opportunity to offer a solution to this problem - and thus came
naukri.com.
RIGHT INTENTIONS
Asif was merely fulfilling a need - he was not thinking about a business, or entrepreneurship, or
turning a profit. His concern was for providing for his family, and then for those around him who
needed what he had.
It was this need that led him ambling down the entrepreneurial path - not 'the numbers look good',
not the 'forecast makes sense'...just the fact that 'it is needed'
If your motivation is money, small obstacles will knock you off track. The fear of losing money is a
significant inhibitor. But if your motivation is something greater - duty, desire, passion, idealism...
then even great obstacles won't be able to stop you.
Success never comes easy. But if you care enough, it will come eventually.
UNSHAKEABLE VISION
Starting a venture is intimidating. It will challenge everything about you - it can be physically and
mentally exhausting. You have to do a lot of gadha mazoori running around doing everything
yourself at first. There is no chhota kaam-bada kaam... all kaam is your kaam and until you make
35

enough to hire someone, you have no choice but to do it. What's more, you probably won't even be
paying yourself a salary.
It can also be incredibly lonely - no colleagues, no one who understands what you're going
through. Main, meri tanhaai aur mera venture.
So you absolutely have to love what you're doing. You have
to enjoy doing the chhota kaam, because you know that it is
for a bada purpose. Keep your eye on the long-term goal
and the small obstacles will not stop you.
Having a clear vision of tomorrow will keep you on track no
matter what today throws at you.
Your entrepreneurial journey is unique - your challenges
are yours alone, but so are your rewards.
Remember the rewards - and I don't mean the profit,
though that certainly is rewarding. I mean the sense of
achievement, the satisfaction of creating something, of fulfilling your purpose and providing for a
need.
As an entrepreneur you can leave the world a better place than you found it. That is your true
reward.
So don't worry if you don't fit into the 'entrepreneur' mold. Be an automatic entrepreneur - let your
heart, for once, lead you to success, and let your brain play the supporting role.
36

Chapter 10
Can Two Unequal Halves Become Equal? The Challenges of

Partnerships
By Ritika Bajaj
During my journey as an entrepreneur, I had the wonderful opportunity to edit an insightful and
easy-to-read book called 5-Minute Tales of Wisdom authored by Kiran Agarwal. There was an
interesting short story in this book titled Partnership. Here's how it went:
A traveler sets out on a journey with a few rice grains and some vessels to help him cook food on
the way. Hunger strikes. He takes out his pot, finds some firewood and gets ready to put in his rice
grains. Just then a sadhu walks by. He gives him an idea: He has carried some dal with him and if
the traveler agrees, he could add them to the rice and they would both get a nice meal ofkhichdi!
The traveler agrees and once the khichdi is cooked, he serves both a portion each. The sadhu
consumes what's on his plate and asks for some more. A little perturbed, the traveler says he has
already given him sufficient considering the amount of dal he added to the khichdi. But
the sadhu refutes. He says he can still see some of his dal in the rice left in the pot.
The story ends with the sadhu giving the traveler a nugget of advice. He says beware of
partnerships, they may spoil relationships and you may have difficulty accounting for profit and
loss.
This story left a lasting impression in my mind. It brings out the basic truth in all partnerships, both
personal and professional. Someone may always feel shortchanged and someone may always
think he is giving more than the other.
There's no denying partnerships form the bedrock of our lives. We cannot live or grow in isolation. I
remember even as children we used to often study in pairs. Each would call up the other,
sometimes at unearthly hours of the morning, go through the study portion and tick mark what they
had missed. We took care of each other, it was an easy partnership.
But we were kids then. Profit, loss, sales targets, keeping jobs, being competitive, didn't really
matter. All that mattered was that we passed with reasonably good marks and made it to the next
class.
In later years at work too you identify with people who have the same wavelength as you. Start
working with them closely, sharing thoughts, ideas and taking projects to new levels. Sometimes
you're the mentor, sometimes the mentee. But at both times it's a partnership; built on similar
values and an understanding that you're both here to do good work, to grow your career.
Several big companies have been formed with the coming together of like minds. In 1981, six
individuals joined hands to create a company that would go on to revolutionize the way the IT
industry wrote software codes. Nandan Nilekani, S Gopalakrishnan, N R Narayana Murthy, K
Dinesh, N S Raghavan and S D Shibulal created the legendary Infosys. Recent heroes, Sachin
Bansal and Binny Bansal founded Flipkart, a brand that has redefined the term 'cash on delivery'.
In start-ups and new-age businesses, you particularly see a lot more partnerships than in any other
37

business. One person comes in with intellectual capital, the other with his marketing and
networking skills, the third with real capital and off it starts. It grows, gains clients, makes profits.
But a few months or years down the line things start looking different. Each partner's wants and
needs change, expectations change, levels of contribution change and at times the enthusiasm
also changes.
So how does one keep the tight-rope act of partnership alive and harmonious? The answers can
be simple and still very complex. But here's a checklist that may help before you start your next
venture:
Find partners with similar ethos: The saying 'like attracts like' holds true here too.
There's a reason why we gravitate toward people who think or work like us. The reason
is simple. Because there is a similar understanding and approach to people and
situations. We believe they will exhibit the same qualities of creativity, enterprise,
commitment to work and fairness that we ourselves embody. And in an organization or
enterprise, if everyone is in sync, working is just so much smoother.
Draw up paperwork at the start: This is often an awkward moment as it is perceived
as lack of trust. Especially when the partnership is with friends and family. Most startups shy away from it for very long. But this is by far one of the most important aspects
of any association and more so for a profitable one. From who is investing how much,
to how the profits will be divided, to the stakes in the company, and finally an exit
strategy, ensure all your paperwork is in order.
Be clear about roles & responsibilities: In a start-up, you often try to hire sparingly,
outsource and generally keep costs low at the early stages. This results in the founders
doing pretty much everything themselves. And that's when the issue of roles crops up.
One person may feel overloaded or the other may feel he isn't getting enough to do. So
chalk out a list of roles and responsibilities for each partner. This works best when you
take into account each person's strengths and allow them full expression.
Clarify
who
makes
decisions: This
is
seen
in
group
dynamics
and
in
partnerships, sometimes the decision maker evolves naturally. But if that doesn't
happen, it becomes important to determine who takes the final call. For this reason it
may be better not to have a completely equal or 50/50 partnership. In Avoid These 7
Partnership Killers, author Brad Sugars recommends: If you decide to go the
partnership route, make it a 60/40 or 70/30 split. Then you and the business have a
point person for accountability and overall operational control.
Keep communication channels open: Communication is the first and last pillar for
every human relationship. Likewise for business partners. Channels to communicate
38

should always be clear and transparent. The less we hold back, the more we
achieve. Listening to the other and addressing issues quickly, eliminates pointless
misunderstandings. Debate, discussion and disagreements should be encouraged but
intervene before they lead to discord.
Enjoy the learning process: And finally, there is no guarantee of where the
partnership will go. You can go a long way holding someone's hand or you can decide
to take different directions. Either way, see it as a learning. Enjoy the process of
collaboration while it lasts, observe the good qualities of the other person and revel in
the experience of building and growing together. Because the only true reward of work
is in the work itself.
I'd like to end with a short story of my own experience of partnership, albeit in a different setting. I
did a Vipassana course a few years ago. For most of you who are familiar with it, it means ten days
of absolute silence. And in those ten days, you have to share a room with a complete stranger
without speaking to each other or looking her in the eye. You have to cohabit purely by sensing
what the other person wants. Sometimes this can be easy, sometimes trying. But either way, you
figure it out.
In life as in business, partnership is essentially an understanding of the other person's patterns. It's
about making room for each other, creating a more peaceful co-existence, aiding another in their
journey. It's not just about the amount of khichdi, it's about having someone to share it with. That
sure makes it much tastier!
39

Common Sense Ideas for Happiness
Happiness does not depend on money, it is a state of mind... ... use

these ideas to find where your true happiness lies... discover where
its missing... and use them to make your life fuller.
40

Chapter 11
Aur Mere Liye? Are You Making Enough

Me-Time In Your Life?
By Ritika Bajaj
I heard an interesting lecture by a professor at IIT Bombay a few months ago. It was essentially
on setting goals but he brought up an intriguing point during his talk. He spoke about the
importance of a "work-life-me" balance rather just a "work-life" balance.
This concept was not new to me but it was coined so cleverly that it stuck with me for days and
months later. More than anything, it got me thinking of how this theory is so seldom put into
practice.
Several things take precedence before we give ourselves and our own pursuits any time. We have
to complete work assignments, catch up on the news, be there for a family wedding, finish up a
child's homework or take a friend to a doctor. And once all this is done, energy is depleted, the
mood has changed and the passion to do anything just fizzles out.
Why do we put "me-time" last on our list? Is it a cultural phenomenon? Is it our altruistic genetic
coding? Why are we so afraid to say, "Aur mere liye?" like the tall man in that advertisement on TV
we saw so many years ago? Why are we afraid to reclaim time that belongs to us in the first place?
Do people around us put us on a guilt trip? Or have we simply not understood the real value of metime?
Me-time is essentially keeping aside some time to follow your heart's calling. This could be
anything from playing an instrument, to listening to music of your choice, meditating in silence,
penning a short story, trying your hand at cooking or taking a walk in the park. It's time that you
spend with yourself, understanding who you are and what you do well. Me-time moments go
toward making you a more 'whole' person, giving you those extra shades and edges. Me-time
helps you feel more complete, more content, more one with yourself. And finally, away from the
world's gaze, it brings out the truest expression of yourself.
As a child, I got me-time when I was learning how to play the sitar. Those early morning sessions
and late evening practices after wrapping up my homework, were complete bliss! As I learned, I
grew. It enhanced my creativity, made me disciplined and increased my concentration.
Cut to college - many distractions, more books to read, new subjects to learn. And the sitar stared
at me from a corner, sad and abandoned.
Then came a job - time to build a career, make a name and leave a mark. But this time without a
tear in the eye, the sitar was passed on to a young enthusiastic cousin just beginning to learn.
Do I feel bad? Of course.
Can I go back in time? Not a chance.
Will I start playing the sitar again? Maybe.
But until then I make time to stay connected with my passion for music. I go to music stores
regularly, stock up on new CDs, attend concerts in the city, catch up on music fests and gigs
whenever I can. I may not play anymore but I keep music a part of me, separate from my work,
separate from my life... it is purely for me.
41

Making me-time is about finding the right balance. It's about not doing too much or too little. It's
about sometimes saying "no" when you would have otherwise said "yes". It's about changing
unyielding habits, cutting out the unnecessary, doing away with limiting beliefs and making small
changes that go a long way.
Here are 5 ways to help you find some precious me-time in your busy schedule:
1. Catch the first rays of the sun: The early bird not only catches the worm but gets enough time
to do everything and more. Get an edge by waking up a tad bit earlier than you normally do and
see the number of hours and minutes you add to your day. Even better start your day with some
me-time activity... this will bring peace and positivity to the rest of your day.
2. Wear blinkers to focus on essentials: Do what is absolutely urgent and important first. Then
spend time on the less important stuff. Try and delegate jobs that you don't need to do yourself.
And don't feel obligated to be a part of every 'happening' event. Go for things that matter and
skip the rest for more me-time.
3. Create your own rhythm and flow: Create a schedule that works for you. Account for the time
needed to get various things done and then account for contingencies. Build systems that help
you do more and stay more organised. Don't procrastinate as taking something forward only
means reducing your time for other activities. So keep a discipline, get rid of sloth and see your
life get much freer.
4. Don't indulge in too much gossip: Yes, this is probably one of the most wasteful past-times
of our life and we have all indulged in it at some point or another. When we talk less about other
people, we both curb negativity and bring back more focus into our own lives. Social media is
just another extension of gossip - browsing other people's photos will take away time from your
own life and reduce several hours that could otherwise be put to good use.
5. Bring together work and hobbies: The perfect job is one which is an extension of your hobby.
But that's an ideal world, largely for chefs, authors, artistes etc. But there's no reason why you
can't combine your work with your hobbies - listen to soothing music on headphones at the end
of the work day, choose a project which has travel if it excites you or better still think of a
venture for your company that matches your passion.
42

Chapter 12
What is Your GPH? Measure Your Happiness Index

By Anisa Virji
When I wrote about intelligent luxury, reader JS was disappointed that I equated money with
luxury. For him, and for many other of our readers, luxuries are simple happinesses that do not
depend on monetary backups. 'It is a state of mind, not money,' JS said.
This got me thinking.
Doesn't the whole world measure success in monetary terms? Acting as if a person's net worth is
the true measure of human worth. Economists claim they can actually measure the value of each
person's life in rupees.
We take this beyond the individual level too. Don't we create lists of the best and worst countries
depending on who has the highest GDP?
We do. And yet, some countries don't participate in this dog-eat-dog world.
One remote kingdom of ancient stupas, crisscrossed with prayer flags and blessed with an
abundance of natural beauty, rejects the traditional measure of GDP (gross domestic product).
Barely a few centimeters on the map, but large in thought, Bhutan has developed its own measure
of GNH... Gross National Happiness.
Bolstered by the teachings of Buddha, Bhutan developed the GNH to measure the true holistic
well-being and quality of life of their people... an indicator of the state of a nation and the lives of its
people which goes beyond economics, to assess spiritual, environmental and physical reality.
One nation believing so strongly that the lives of people is more than money... breaking away from
the herd of a hundred countries to go its own way, following
what it believes is right.
Inspired by their philosophy, this version of the GNH indicators can measure your own Gross
Personal Happiness (GPH). Follow them to gauge your personal wellbeing... find where your true
happiness lies... discover where it's missing... and use it to make your life fuller.
Economic Wellness: Your economic wellbeing can be measured not only by the money you
have, but also by your relationship with that money. Your comfort with spending, the health of
your savings pile, being debt-free, the ability to fulfill your basic needs as well as the occasional
indulgence, gives you a sense of your economic well-being. If you feel like taking your family
out for a good meal, and can do that without having to worry about the hole in your pocket,
then you are likely in a good state of economic well-being. If you suddenly need to spring for a
new washing machine, and you feel stretched, then you might need to add to your savings pot.
43

Financial security is a great luxury. For a lasting sense of economic wellness, follow the
incontrovertible rules of financial success: Spend less, and save more.
Environmental Wellness: Look around you. Are you happy where you are? Do you have
enough space for you and your children to be comfortable? Do you have a swing in your
balcony where you can sit down at the end of a busy day and lose yourself? Is there a park in
your neighborhood you can go for morning walks, or to catch some fresh air? If you can think
about your environment with a pleasurable sigh, rather than a fretful frown, you're doing quite
well.
Physical Wellness: My dad's real estate broker is pushing 80. He travels across the country
looking at properties, stands straight as a rod, and doesn't use a walking stick. So I had to ask
him his physical wellness secret: Every morning, come rain, shine or knee pain, he finds a pool
wherever he is and goes for a swim.Your physical wellbeing is reflected in your happiness with
your body.
If you like the way you look, can engage in the activities you like to do, and are free of serious
illnesses -you can enjoy life fully. Find your 'swimming secret', and you will find great physical
wellness.
Mental Wellness: Your mental health is the one directly reflecting
your state of happiness. Do you feel happy? Can you sleep
peacefully, or do you find yourself laying awake worrying about
your future. Do you struggle through bouts of depression?
Happiness is a state of mind. To be truly happy, your mind
must be well. To enhance your mental well-being you can
engage in wellness activities like yogic pranayama or
meditation. Spending quality time with your loved ones will also give you mental happiness.
Workplace Wellness: Job satisfaction is a significant part of wellness, after all we spend
about a third of our lives working. Do you wake up every morning dragging your feet at the
thought of heading to work? Or are you happy and ready to go be productive, whether you
work in an office or freelance? I really love the writing part of my job (my favourite part is your
responses!). It's enough to keep me happy at work, and willing to do everything else without
much grumbling. I would say my workplace wellness was in order, is yours?
Social Wellness: When you watch any of Ektaa Kapoor's drama-filled family horror shows, it
makes you wonder if anyone in India has socially sound relationships. But we do. Being the
land of joint families, we are skilled at compromise, forgiveness, and accepting new additions
to our families all the time. We need to hold on to these traditions of living in harmony, and use
them to foster social wellness, not just in our families, but also in our neighbourhoods, our
communities, our society at large...
44

Political Wellness: Bhutan uses this indicator to measure the quality of local democracy,
individual freedom, and foreign conflicts. Let's do the same here. Do you have personal
security? Do you feel free to make the choices that are important to you, without undue
pressure from others?
Equally important, do you give that freedom to those around you. If your spouse and child feel
personal security and freedom to pursue their heart's desires, then you score well on political
wellness. If not, your politics need a bit of adjustment.
So the value of your life can be measured after all, not like economists, in lacs and crores, but like
Buddhists, in a holistic and meaningful manner.
Use the Gross Personal Happiness indicators to create a picture of your life, and you will see
clearly what path you must follow to grow, and live the best life possible.
45

Prioritize For a Richer Life

Do you ever feel as though money has taken over your life? Instead of simply being a means to an
end... instead of allowing you to live the life you want, pursue your passions, spend time with your
family... money itself has taken center stage?
If your financial situation is the first thing you think of when you wake up, the worry that doesn't let
you sleep at night, and the reason you had to miss your child's school concert to stay late at the
office...then your relationship with money needs to change.
Redefining my money priorities really changed my life. I was living better while spending less, and
making more while worrying less. I began to value the things that mattered to me, instead of
dwelling on things that worried me.
Having access to a wealth coach here at Common Sense Living helped me to understand why
some people seemed so at-ease with money, while I was always struggling to figure out what was
going on. Having the right guidance can make achieving financial comfort surprisingly easy.
If you're wondering how to get yourself a wealth coach, the Wealth Builders Club India is a great
option.
The idea of life coaching and wealth coaching is new to India. We hear of some celebrities having
wealth coaches but it's not practical or affordable for everyone. However, through the Wealth
Builders Club, Mark Ford brings this opportunity to everyone who is interested in building wealth.
With the help of my mentor, I am now on the path to financial independence. I hope that you too
can have success in finding your perfect relationship with money.
To your successful life,
Anisa Virji
Managing Editor, Common Sense Living
46

About Common Sense Living

Common Sense Living is an initiative that brings you straightforward lifestyle and wealth-building
ideas from wealth coach Mark Ford.
CSL believes that everyone can attain the wealth and success they desire. Our goal is to bring you
ideas from around the world that make your lives fuller and richer.
In addition to our email newsletter, The Common Sense Living Letters, we also publish the Wealth
Builders Club India, a comprehensive wealth-building program.
The WBC India, launched in 2014, shows readers who are "not yet wealthy" how to achieve
financial independence. The goal of our wealth-building program is simple:
Get richer every single day!
Disclaimer
Common Sense Living Private Limited (hereinafter referred as ' Common Sense ') is an initiative that brings you
straightforward lifestyle and wealth-building ideas from wealth coach Mark Ford. Use of the information herein is at one's
own risk. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation to buy any securities and Common Sense will not be liable for any
losses incurred or investment(s) made or decisions taken/or not taken based on the information provided herein.
Information contained herein does not constitute a personal recommendation or take into account the particular
investment objectives, financial situations, or needs of individual investors. Before acting on any recommendation,
investors should consider whether it is suitable for their particular circumstances and, if necessary, seek an independent
professional advice. All content and information is provided on an 'As Is' basis by Common Sense. Information herein is
believed to be reliable but Common Sense does not warrant its completeness or accuracy and expressly disclaims all
warranties and conditions of any kind, whether express or implied. As a condition to accessing Common Sense content
and website, you agree to our Terms and Conditions of Use, available here. The performance data quoted represents
past performance and does not guarantee future results.
Common Sense Living Private Limited. 103, Regent Chambers, Above Status Restaurant, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021. India. Telephone: 91-22-6143 4042.
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