cost of risk

When i was young while being not so young i met an old who was a retiree. he had come to the internet service firm i was working for to pay for his subscription. at that time internet service was a preserve of a few since the rates were high and very few people had personal computers in homes. in fact having a PC at home was a sign in itself. the man seemed rather satisfied with himself. though he did not look the 'part' at all. he had a not so striking suit but it was well kept. he then went ahead to give a free lesson on the secrets to a happy life. he told us that he kept one conviction, to always live below his means! and for life he had lived well below his means and that was how come he was still happy in his retirement; when his peers were either dying or killing their children and other relatives with bills.

I found this mantra very good and i adopted it. and so i have been trying to live below my means as advised by the old man. however i have recently discovered that even though it sounds sweet, its rather misleading since its difficult to determine 'your means'. Is it the paycheck or the investment precedes you get currently or business? living below your means can also mean lowering costs and hence avoiding taking any risks. it means never trying new frontiers, never tempting the untested. but that will make you remain where you are forever. The truth is that human limits have never been achieved. people who try things keep on surprising not only the world but also themselves. even large firms have long discovered that cost cutting is not what affords you large profits but rather more aggressive marketing, innovation and expansion. if expansion limits are reached then you must start being creative with yourself and re-invent yourself.

a life of no risks is probably the most risky life known to man.

The Nairobi star has finally been launched and true to its hype, it seems to target only the young. it is as kiss fm as the breakfast show. but Caroline this morning alleged that newspaper vendors have been paid not to sell the new daily. well thats competition for you. it happens everywhere and no one should cry foul. however in our office the reception of the paper has been that of disgust. everyone who saw it screamed, oh a tabloid!