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Investing to maintain and grow ones wealth is perhaps given more attention of late.  With society getting more affluent and better knowledge and ease of dissemination via electronic means have seen this sector grown tremendously over the last few years.

However, with the financial meltdown and economic crisis around the world today, has held back and to some extent given such aspect a bad name. As many people have now seen their hard earned savings/assets diminished in value arising from the diminished value if they have not yet become worthless.

One particular investment that I ventured into about 4 years ago, and that I have reaped the reward, is land banking which was then new to my country.  And here I would like to share my pleasant encounter with you.

Back in 2004, when I attended a seminar on the potential of Land banking, I was totally sold into the concept and saw the great potential.  However, after checking around, I find that people around you tend to be very cautious and risk averse and strong discourage for the high risk.

I started off with an investment of Canadian 43,500, by putting an upfront sum of Can 15K with the balance 28.5K from  a loan at an interest rate of  12%.  The investment is for the purchase of an undivided share for a piece of 1 acre land in Canada, and is supposed to be for a tenure of  6-7 years to reap the return.  Fortunately, after 2 years into it, there was a lucrative offer and the investment was sold.

In total, I had managed to receive back Can  65,258K  and thus giving me an annual return of  20 plus percentage which is quite good.  There is of course the foreign exchange risk and exposure.  In my case, when I first invested, the exchange rate was 2.8 Rinngit to 1 Canadian dollar.  When I cashed out, it was about 3.1 Ringgit to 1 Canadian dollar, which means that my profit and gains are well in excess of the ROI.  So if anyone of you out there who thinks that land banking is a scam,  I can tell you that there are genuine ones that offer good investment opportunities and return.

Since then, I have seen a couple more of the other Land Banking being launched in the country.  I must say that one has to be careful in checking the background of the company to ensure that they are reputable and stable and to match to one’s appetite for risk.  One must view this investment in the longer term.   And till to-date,  I still have confident in this added form of investment.

Posted by

Ivan

In life, we have all heard of the saying, the pasture is always greener over the fence. By this, it means that we tend to overlook what we have in our possession, but envy and vie for other things that others have.   That’s reality, be it in our home, our office and the world at large.  And we can apply this to a lot of situation.

Take the case of  office.  How often we hear of about staff, our bosses or even ourselves sometime lament over what others have and can do.   In situation as this, we tend to undermine our own strengths, our abilities and  the treasures within us and within our control.  When this happens, we tend to see the strengths of the others, and compare them to the weakness of ourselves.  

No one is perfect and ideal,  as such if we can leverage on the positive, the strengths,  we can then combine this for a common purpose, ignoring the negatives and weakness.   When we give focus  and more importance to the shortcomings,  we are then  looking for our weakness and criticize  basing on these,  sidelining and ignoring all the other positive factors accumulated over the years.  It is sad to see big bosses, blinded to these, and go for so called best practices, newer breed of people that they believe delivers results and their key performance indicators.  When this happens, what I see then is people replacing longer term goals and objectives with short term gains.  It is then replaced with give me the results for whatever it takes.  Recognition and reward  is purely by way of results.  It is not to say the olden ways is not driven by results,  but  the results has to take cognizance of longer term needs to be done, but cause a short term setback. 

The present day phenomena as such breeds  unhealthy buildup such as  back stabbing, silo mentality, a break-up against a total organization.  While people will not admit it,  this is the case at ground level.  If it is nothing to do with me, forget it. If people do not ask for it, forget it.  Gone are the days, where guidance , coaching , real mentoring takes place from the supervisor.  Nowadays, it is either I say you listen, or if you cannot deliver, you are not good enough.  It’s a dog eat dog world now. One is as good as delivering your next result, the past is immaterial.

Imagine how one started with all the positive, the strengths, but as time goes by, shifted to the weaknesses.   If we can reflect and realize this,  then we must constantly remind ourselves to always go back to the original moment, when we place focus on the strengths that we first employ someone, we first befriend someone or when we marry our partner, then we will always be able to sustain the relationship and the passion.  In my working years,  I have seen employee being treated well for good performance, but over time sidelined and marginalized.  Why, not because they are not good enough, but managing the perception, selling yourself is key, not the result.  Because of perceived new traits that are found in so called new talent.

Take another case of the family,  how eager and passionate when one enters into a new relationship.  Over time, things are taken for granted. We look at the other girls/women who are more desirable. So what then, one start to find fault with your own wife, girl-friends, children, parents.  We think well of other people’s wife, girlfriend, children, mother or even maid.  The truth is, we ourselves are changing our own thinking.

A bird in hand is better than 2 in the bushes.  So let us reflect on what we have on hand, the good things that you can have and do now.  And let’s work towards rekindling the spirit and find the reasons and passions you once had. We will all be happier.

Posted by

Ivan