Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Book Review: Harmonic Wealth by James Arthur Ray

This book does not share anything on how to make money. However, it teaches us how to attract wealth in all aspects, both monetary and non-monetary, in our life. The author, James Arthur Ray, emphasizes heavily on action to achieve wealth in 5 pillars of life. The 5 pillars are financial, relational, mental, physical and spiritual. He believes universe will give you what you want if you:

1. think about it, positively;
2. visualize and believe it, i.e. to feel it;
3. take action

The author calls these steps as “3 for 3” and the “Law of Attraction” will do the rest.

Lets me quote an example. Under physical pillar, you know that you are having, say, high blood pressure. In order to get rid of it, you must first think positively. Your thinking must be at “present”. If, in your mind, is thinking of “I will be cured from high blood pressure”, according to the author, you will continue to get high blood pressure. However, if you think that “I am very healthy now” and the universe will reply “your wish is my command”. Next, you start to visualize your life healthy lifestyle. Use your heart to feel it how wonderful it is. Subsequently, you should have action plan, like having regular exercise and medical checkout, towards this lifestyle you desire.

Well, I believe there is “Law of Attraction”. I recall way back to the year 1997, 13 years before this book is published, I bought my very first house. I put down 10% of down and loan with bank for the rest. It is not a low or medium cost house and, therefore, I enjoyed no special interest rate for the loan. Worst still, the rate fluctuated with the market. That is, interest charged to my housing loan was subject to the BLR then.

In 1998, Asian Financial Crisis hit. High interest charged made my monthly installment service totally nothing to my principal. In other words, I need longer loan tenor to fully settle my loan and this was totally not what I wanted. Therefore, I decided to settle my loan within 5 years of tenor. For me, no loan means total freedom. I kept imagine that. To achieve this target, I requested the bank to revise my monthly installment upward. I did not request to revise down even after the rate was softened as my target was set. I subsequently shifted the loan to an offshore bank that allowed me to settle, either partially or fully, any time I wanted. I dumped in most of my monthly take home income as well as annual bonus on regular basis. And you know what? I really fully settled my housing loan by December 2002. Yes, I did it. The feeling was so fantastic.

Even until now, 7 years after full settlement, I still can get the wonderful feeling then when I submitted my final cheque to the bank. Since then, I have been using the same approach on my other financial aspects. Only after reading this book, I realize it can be applied to other aspect in life. Most importantly, the author also shows how have them all in harmony.

I believe this is a book that worth reading for anyone who is targeting to achieve personal wealth in all aspects in life.

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