Goal Setting Smart

Developing and adhering to a solid philosophy based on truths and principles will lead to success and a fruitful life, but this road is not fun or easy traveling. On the contrary, it is a rocky path that requires self-discipline and restraint, one that often is accompanied by suffering and sometimes by loss. When you take the rocky path and reach a crossroads, you must choose the route that leads to the right path, even if it is thorny and far removed from any personal reward, even if it means picking a clumsy and foolishly honest way of life. In the long run, however, actions based on a solid philosophy never result in loss. Despite the fact that they appear disadvantageous, in the end such genuine actions will profit you. With this approach you rarely will stray from the right path.

To illustrate this concept, consider Japan's experience during the asset price bubble, which wreaked so much havoc on the economy that its reverberations are felt to this day. During the years leading up to the bubble many companies were caught up in real estate speculation. Buying and reselling property caused land prices to skyrocket, and companies borrowed huge sums to invest in real estate in anticipation of high returns. When one logically considers the economic principles underlying the rapid inflation of Japan's asset prices, it seems very strange that the value of one's assets would increase without any effort, yet people behaved as if this phenomenon were perfectly normal.

Continue reading →