The Power of Desire! - Part 1Written by Carl Cholette
What is Desire? Let us see! Webster tells us that it is: "The natural longing to possess any seeming good; eager wish to obtain or enjoy," or in its abnormal or degenerate sense:"excessive or morbid longing; lust; appetite. "Desire" is a much-abused term – public mind has largely identified it with its abnormal or degenerate phase, just mentioned, ignoring its original and true sense. Many use word in sense of an unworthy longing or craving, instead of in true sense of "aspiration," "worthy craving and longing," etc. To call Desire "aspiration" renders it none less Desire. To apply to it term "laudable aim and ambition" does not take away from it is character of Desire. There is no sense in endeavoring to escape fact that Desire is natural and universal impulse toward action, be action or good or bad. Without Desire Will does not spring into action, and nothing is accomplished. Even highest attainments and aims of race are possible only when steam of Will is aroused by flame and heat of Desire. Some of occult teachings are filled with instructions to "kill out desire," and student is warned to beware of it even in its most insidious and subtle forms, even to extent of "avoiding even desire to be desireless ; even desire not to desire. Now this is all nonsense, for if one"wishes", or "wants", or "is inclined", or "thinks best to", or "is pleased to" Kill Out Desire ; in any of these cases he is but manifesting a Desire "not to desire", in spite of his use of other names. What is this "wishing to; wanting to; feeling like; inclination; being pleased to;" and all rest, but just plain, clear, unadulterated Desire masquerading under some of these names. To proceed to "kill out desire" without "desiring" to do so is like trying to lift oneself by pulling on his own bootstraps. Ridiculus. What is really meant is that occultist should proceed to kill out lower desires that he finds within his nature, and also to kill out "attachment" for things. Regarding this last we would say that all true occultist know that even best "things" are not good enough to rule and master one; nothing is good enough for soul to allow itself to be unduly attached to it so that thing rules soul instead of soul mastering thing. That is what teachings mean, avoidance of "attachment. "And in this occult teachers are clearly right. Desire is a frightful master, like fire it sweeps away supports of soul, leaving nothing but smoldering ashes. But, also like Fire Desire is a splendid servant and by its harnessed power we are able to generate steam of Will and Activity, and to accomplish much in world. Without proper Desire world would be without activity. So do not make mistake of using Desire any more than you would refuse to use fire, but in both cases keep mastery in your own hands, and avoid allowing control to pass from you to Desire.
| | How To Use Small Business Value As The Ultimate Performance IndicatorWritten by David Coffman
Business performance measurement and management promote use of carefully selected key performance indicators to evaluate performance of a company, its management and employees. Management theory has long recognized that primary purpose of a company’s management is to maximize shareholder value. For large companies with stock that freely trades in public securities markets, this is a simple process of monitoring stock price. For small, private companies situation is quite different.Large, public companies have many stockholders that elect a board of directors, who in turn hire key executives. This separation of ownership from management does not exist in small, private businesses. Often these three groups (owners, directors and management) are comprised of exact same individuals. Small businesses become extensions of their owners in many ways including their objectives. Owners are typically more concerned about objectives like: minimizing taxes, maximizing personal income, maintaining personal lifestyles, minimizing assets held within business, and protecting personal assets. Pursuit of these objectives tends to minimize value of small businesses. Owners often are not very interested in value of their businesses until something happens that makes it important like a divorce or wanting to retire. Do small business owners really not care about business value? Or is it because they are not accustomed to having it available? Business valuations cost thousands of dollars, so small businesses can’t afford to get one on a regular basis. If it is not practical to measure something, it becomes unimportant. If value of small businesses were readily available, like public companies, then owners would become interested in it. Quite possibly they might shift their business objectives to maximize value. Those who have tried to monitor business value without paying for regular business valuations often used industry “rule of thumb” formulas. While formulas are easy to use they have some serious drawbacks. They are based on data of unknown quality and quantity. The formulas are expressed in ranges that produce widely varying values. They do not take into consideration unique facts and circumstances of each specific business.
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