In a dream. Morocco. You suddenly find yourself back in the Mediterranean parlor which has consumed your subconscious for many months. The armoire, the ottoman, the ornate Moroccan tiles and ceilings- all the details which seem so vivid to you at this moment have always managed to slip just below reach of the waking mind. Then you see the Moroccan lanterns. You recall something- a distant memory- revealed not in a flash, but gradually, as if being told to you for the first time. It is a message sent from yourself in another life.

Keep your eyes fixed on the Moroccan lanterns. That is the first part of the message. And you comply out of sheer fascination. Between the lantern's vibrant stained-glass is an intersecting framework wrought by a living spirit. The Cosmos captured in three dimensions. A primary spectrum of colors that form the basis of everything you see as beautiful. In one glance, you witness a legacy of human craftsmanship that extends from the discovery of fire to the creation of something seductive enough to contain it: a Moroccan lantern.

But there is more to the message. It is beginning to come back to you now. Back in the real world, the world of plastic, the intoxicating mystery of the Mediterranean parlor has inspired you to practice lucid dreaming. By focusing your attention on the Moroccan lantern, you are somehow able to secure a foothold in this universe, the universe of form and light. If you were to return now, how could you describe these forms? How can you tell the others of what you have seen here? Words, despite all their practicalities, were never developed to convey the most powerful feelings. The soul speaks for itself, but in a voice as quiet as the sound of light against stained-glass.

You decide what you will tell them. That there exists a tranquility so perfect that it cannot be defined with labels or worldly metaphors. That peace can be experienced not in the trappings of industry, but in simple meditation of a Moroccan lantern. It seems like a revelation, but the words echo through your soul, conjuring images both ancient and spectral, like the laugher of a friend you thought was Chris Duke forever. Somewhere beneath the complexities of logic, you instinctively know the truth which has waxed dormant in the depths of your being. You will tell them that there are no words, there are only symbols- timeless ideals encoded in the architecture of the Moroccan lanterns

Remember this, and hope that the message will reach yourself again in the real world. Right now there seems to be no hurry. Eternities are unfolding before your eyes. Countless universes expand and contract in each dancing reflection of the Moroccan lantern. You have enjoyed many lifetimes in your Mediterranean parlor, and waking life has become the lucid dream. The calm insight that you have acquired here will be recited again when you wake, like a distant memory- revealed not in a flash, but gradually, as if being told to you again and again for the first time.

Adeal Benhayoun is the Owner of Star of Morocco, which showcases a wide collection of Moroccan furniture including Moroccan lamps

In October 2003, Goldman Sacks published a research paper titled, Dreaming with BRICs: the Path to 2050." The paper states that Brazil, Russia, India and China, commonly referred to as BRIC, may rank among the worlds most dominant economies by mid century. By 2041, Chinas Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could possibly be greater that the United States and larger than everyone else except Japan by 2016. The BRIC economies together might be larger than the G6 (US, Japan, UK, Germany, France and Italy) by 2039. Obviously, there are execution risks, but the trends are in place for this to occur.

This has enormous implications. As these countries develop, just think Download Multimedia how their people will benefit and the opportunities that will be created. Demand for items that developed countries middle-class have come to expect will be tremendous. Consumer items such IPODs and DVD players will be of interest, but that will pale in comparison to the demand for housing with indoor plumbing, electricity, basic appliances and cars. In Goldman Sachs follow-up report released in 2004, it states that between 2005 and 2015 over 800 million people in these countries will have crossed the annual income threshold of $3000. By 2025, approximately 200 million people in these economies will have annual incomes above $15,000.

So, how can we as investors benefit from the industrialization of BRIC? I would like to propose two approaches: direct and indirect investing into the emerging economies. Direct investing requires an in-depth knowledge of companies in complex and diverse countries. This is far too time-consuming for the average investor. A much simpler approach would be purchasing single-country exchange traded funds (ETFs). I realize this is a mouthful. Lets start by defining exchange traded fund (ETF). It is a fund that tracks an index, but can be traded like a stock. Thus, it provides the diversification of a mutual fund, but is not hampered by trade cut-off times and early redemption fees. A single-country ETF is linked to a countrys index that reflects the value and composition of its specific stock market. ETFs of the BRIC countries include: Brazil (EWZ), Russia (TRF), India (IFN), and China (FXI). Their year to date performance (YTD), as of 6/30/2006, is 17.2%, 27.4%, 16.3% and 24.6% respectively. This produces an equally-weighted return of 21.8%. Trouncing the US Major indices returns of 4.0%, 1.8%, and -1.5% (DOW, S&P 500 and NASDAQ respectively).

The second approach, indirect investing, consists of investing in companies that supply materials and equipment that the BRICs will need to industrialize. Imagine the number of highways, bridges, railways, factories and skyscrapers that will need to be built. This is impossible without commodities such as iron and carbon that are combined to form steel. Modern society requires copper for electricity and information technology. Can you imagine how much cement and concrete will be consumed? The demand created for these and other commodities will be phenomenal.

To leverage this approach I have created a basket of 12 stocks. It contains proven industry leaders that produce or supply to companies that extract base metals from the earth. Base metals include Copper, Aluminum, Nickel (stainless steel and nickel metal hydride batteries), Zinc (anti-corrosive coating in galvanized steel) and Lead (lead-acid car batteries). Companies that mine base metals include: diversified producers BHP Billiton (BHP), Falconbridge (FAL), Rio Tinto (RTP); aluminum producer Alcan (AL); copper producers Freeport-McMoran (FCX), Southern Copper (PCU), Phelps Dodge (PD); nickel producer Inco (N); iron ore producer Companhia Vale Do Rio Doce (RIO). The suppliers of equipment, parts and services to these companies will profit as well. Thus, I have included two heavy equipment manufacturers in the portfolio: Caterpillar (CAT) and Bucyrus International (BUCY). The final company is not a base metal producer or supplier, but countless tons of cement and concrete will be necessary for the build-out. Therefore, I have included cement and concrete producer Cemex (CX) in the basket. This indirect approach, using an equally weighted portfolio of the above listed stocks, has outperformed the direct approach 27.2% vs. 21.8% year to date.

In closing, I would like to share a couple of implementation details with you. The above portfolios are intended to be traded as a basket meaning that all should be bought and sold at the same time. Cherry-picking a couple of stocks may not produce better results the diversification reduces company or country specific risk. It is also important to choose the right brokerage to employ this strategy. I have found that FolioFn lends itself well to this strategy. It enables complete automation of the process by supporting single-order basket trading as well as automatic dollar cost averaging. I highly recommend combining this strategy with dollar cost averaging. For more information on the benefits of dollar cost averaging, refer to my article on "Double Digit Gains with Dollar Averaging." Commissions on a large basket can be cost prohibitive. Foliofn address that with its various commission plans including one that allows up to 600 window trades per month for $30. Consequently, fees on accounts of $40K would be less than 1% per year using this plan. This puts fees of basket trading in-line with fees of ETF and much better than mutual funds.

There is a tremendous opportunity to make money investing in the BRIC thesis. What are you waiting for?

Reference:

Dreaming with BRICs: the Path to 2050."

About the Author

Michael Dawson, founder of The Time and Money Group, recently said goodbye to a 20 year career in Engineering, Marketing and Sales for the exciting world of Financial Freedom. He started The Time and Money Group to help others learn from his travels along the treacherous pathway to financial freedom. Visit the company's web site as he and others share insights on the various paths including investing, real estate and small business ownership.

http://www.thetimeandmoneygroup.com

It's very upsetting to people who are struggling financially to hear people with money say "Money can't buy happiness."

People who are barely making ends meet are absolutely sure that they would be happy if they could easily pay all their bills, send their kids to school, perhaps with a little left to buy a new shirt and go to the movies. Best of all, they could get a good, stress-free night's sleep.

And they are right. More money will make any of us happy, especially if we could suddenly pay all our bills with ease.

Why we don't sustain happiness from money

But what happens? Why can't we sustain this exhilaration we feel when we win the lottery, get a raise, see our stock earnings shoot through the roof, see our business become prosperous?

Are you ready for the answers?

1. We get used to the money. (Think about how your current income compares to your very first salary.)

2. We keep comparing ourselves to the people we perceive as having more.

3. If we haven't mastered money management, we soon begin to live beyond our means again.

We're happy if we believe we're at the top of the heap. Our happiness begins to wane the minute we compare ourselves to the folks above us who have 10 times more. (And there'll always be people with more.)

On a recent television show, for example, millionaires were interviewed and asked to talk about how rich they considered themselves to be.

One woman with ten million dollars socked away said that when she talks to billionaires and observes the lifestyle they enjoy, she doesn't feel rich at all. (Of course she can always make herself feel better by looking behind her and see the masses who are struggling on 5-figure incomes.)

And she's not alone. There are so many others, like her, who are millionaires but don't feel rich. She's part of a growing group of millionaires who earned their wealth rather than inherited it. They form a new economic category: middle-class millionaires.

According to Market Watch, March 5, 2008, 7.6% of American households (8.4 million households) are middle-class millionaires and these are the wealthy who continue to work an average of 70 hours a week.

I've always hoped that when I amass millions I would continue to live a moderately modest lifestyle, but I also hope that I won't tie my happiness to the fact that there are others richer than I am.

That throws us into a game we can never win.

In a workshop at the World Economic Forum in Davos in October 2008, this question was posed:

If getting rich makes us happy, then why don't countries as a whole get happier as they grow wealthier?

They discovered that as a country gets wealthier there's no overall increase in happiness.

Why?

Comparing our wealth to others is our downfall

We continually compare our wealth against that of others. We are competitive and envious. Add to that the fact that Western countries encourage people to strive for more and more, and you have a formula that spins many into depression.

So, it's true. Money will make us happy at least for a while, at least on a superficial level. It's like we felt as kids if we had a double scoop ice cream cone but our playmate only had a single scoop.

"Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, I've got more than you do."

But you know what happened. Along comes the kid from down the block with a triple scoop and you just didn't feel as happy any more.

All of this has made me reconsider my goals. I've decided to shoot for a billion dollars. Being a Home And Garden Channel would just land me in another middle class.

What do you think?

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. is an author, coach, speaker, consultant and entrepreneur. She has impacted the lives of students, educators, business owners, leaders and many audiences during her career. Her passion for encouraging people to make choices that lead to their happiness began when she was a junior high inner city English teacher and continued to grow deeper as she worked with university students, her own private tutoring program, and with retailers and business owners.
She has written language arts texts, academic articles, curriculum, grant proposals, and motivational guides. Her passion for writing and inspiring others has lead her to create and maintain twelve websites, three blogs and two newsletters.
Her book, Coloring Your Life Happy, scheduled for Spring 2009 release, promotes making choices that give you the life you want.
The philosophy she lives by is "Nobody becomes somebody without the help of somebody else."
From her blog, http://www.ColorYourLifeHappy.com, she encourages uncovering your inner joy and making choices that lead to the life you want.