Saturday, July 31, 2010

Top 5 Things That Should Be Taught In Every School

I can’t speak for schools outside the United States, but for those readers who went to school in America, I think you’ll agree that the American education system is in sore need of an upgrade. The world is changing at such a rapid pace and it’s my strong opinion that there should be more classes dedicated to helping students prepare and cope with the real world once they graduate.

If you look at this generation of students, you’ll find that most are “shell shocked” once they graduate because they had little or no preparation for what was to come.

High school mostly teaches you to memorize information and to regurgitate it back to your teacher, only to completely erase the information from your mind the moment you walk out after taking the test.

When you go on to college, you do a bit of the same things, but you also learn to think analytically, critically, and to broaden your mind so to speak, but even people who graduate from college will learn lessons from the real world the hard way as well. The sad part is all of this could’ve been prevented with some proper education beforehand.

Below are five things that I firmly believe should be taught in every school in America so that students don’t get railroaded when they enter the real world. If you’re still in school and reading this, consider it your lucky day as mastering these five skills will give you a great head start and help separate you from the rest of the pack as well.

#1. Personal Finance

Every week or so, there always seems to be a new article in CNN, USA Today, or Yahoo about young adults struggling with debt, whether it be from credit cards or loans in general. High interest rates, hidden fees, not consolidating debt – these terms and concepts are mostly unknown to young adults and because of that ignorance, they tend to make big errors in judgment. A prime example is thinking that they just have to pay the minimum on their balance and not realizing that by doing so, they pay 2-3 times as much in the long run.

Alongside that, most young adults don’t have a clue on how to invest their money. They don’t know what a Roth IRA account is, or a 401k, or the magic of compound interest, the tax benefits associated with investing in these types of vehicles, etc. There’s a lot of specialized knowledge out there that young adults are not aware of on when it comes to how they can invest their money and as a result, they frivolously spend it away.

Credit score is another big thing. A lot of young adults don’t bother to check up on it to make sure there are no errors with it. Your credit score is your report card in the real world and it comes into play when you’re buying a car, renting your first apartment, and even when you’re getting a job (most employers are now checking credit scores to determine how responsible the candidate is). Protect that at all costs. Learn what drives your credit score down. Learn what drives your credit score up. Check up on it every now and then to ensure nothing is wrong with it.

Even something as basic as creating a simple budget is beyond the grasp of some young adults and it simply amazes me that a lot of people don’t do this and some don’t even know how (you’d be surprised). Figure out your income after taxes, pay yourself FIRST (this is a big one – most people pay the bills and frivolously spend the leftovers until next payday), see what you can cut out if things are tight, look to see where you can bring in more income if you need to do so, etc.

Another important subset regarding personal finance are those “intangible” things, such as learning to differentiate between need and want, delaying the gratification, and having an inner sense of value. These concepts can’t be taught in the classroom but only taught through oneself via self discipline.

We live in a materialistic society where unfortunately, many young people grow up with the “have” then “be” mentality.

If I have _______, then I’ll be ____________.

Blame it on the media, advertising, or the impressionable minds of young people, but you’ll frequently see that a lot of people get stuck in this mentality and as a result, needlessly pile themselves in a mountain of debt.

One thing that I want to point out to students is that you’ll find as you get older, that a lot of people “fake” financial success. Not all, but a pretty big chunk. The neighbor or co-worker you see with the fancy car and nice clothes are most likely knee deep in debt while you’ll find the people with the average car and clothes have little or no debt and a nice big cushion of savings to that as well.

And the ironic and sad part is that most people don’t really care about other people because they’re so busy with themselves, so all that effort to impress others is really all in vain. The inherent danger in trying to accumulate expensive things to feel good about yourself is that you’re telling yourself that you need something outside of yourself to validate you, when everything you need to validate yourself is already within you. Stop looking for anything outside of you because there will always be something new and better to purchase. It’s like a dog chasing its tail. You’ll never catch it. Learn to simplify your life and to be content and grateful for the things you have. Don’t get caught up in the materialistic chase because once you do, it’s hard to get out.

#2. Communicating Effectively

By this, I’m not necessarily talking about giving speeches and presentations, although that certainly falls in this category. I'm mainly talking about being able to clearly take what’s in your head and to put it into words so the other person clearly understands what you’re saying the first time.

I know that sounds simple, but I’m sure you’ve met people in the workplace who don’t take the time to prepare when they speak with you and as a result, waste your time talking in circles when all you want to say to them is: “Can you take some time to think through what you want to say and come back to me later with that?”

Communicating effectively is one of the most underrated, yet most powerful skills you can develop.

The biggest part in communicating effectively is preparing what you want to say beforehand. Keep it simple. What’s my point? Why? Prepare a good example.

Your best friend in communicating effectively are these two words: “For example”. Whenever you see a confused look on people’s faces, your best response is leading with those two words: For example. When you do that AND follow up with a relevant example, it allows the other person to “frame” what you’re talking about to get a better idea of what it is.

Communicating effectively is one of THE MOST underrated and MOST valuable skills a person can have. And let me tell you on a personal level, there’s nothing more refreshing than dealing with people who take the time to prepare what they have to say and back it up with clear examples. It’s a very rare skill nowadays.

#3. Social Skills

Closely related to communicating effectively are social skills in general. After you graduate, you’re not going to be dealing with your high school or frat buddies anymore.

You’ll be dealing with many people from different backgrounds, countries, and more importantly different age groups, so it would be wise to learn how to socialize outside your own group.

Cut the slang. Learn to respect customs from other countries. Learn how to listen – few people do. Learn when to speak and when NOT to.

Build rapport. Learn the art of networking – that’s key. Networking is a big skill that’s not taught enough in schools. Learn to compliment. Mingle. Make small talk.

Learn to approach people – that’s another big skill. Most people don’t have the guts to take the first initiative and introduce themselves. Be the big man. Take the first step. Learn to make the other person feel good and important. Dale Carnegie is your best friend in this area (Google his name if you don’t know what I’m talking about)

#4. Sales

Obviously I’m not advocating people becoming a salesman after school, but learning the art of selling is what I’m advocating. If you think about it, we all sell everyday. We sell ideas to our boss. We sell to our friends when we pitch ideas on what to do this weekend. We sell ourselves in job interviews. You could say that sales is a great combination of social skills and communicating effectively, but with some other components you should pick up that will be useful.

Listen. Really listen. Actively listen. Learn how to be convincing. Be persuasive. Think of objections and counter them ahead of time. Stress benefits instead of features. Listen to the other person. (yes I know it's a repeat, but it's for emphasis) Develop empathy. Think in terms of how you can help serve the other person.

Selling is one of the few skills that can be utilized in any job or career. It’s one of the most important cross marketable skills you will ever develop.

#5: Time Management

Speaking of other skills that can be utilized in any job and career is time management. The majority of students never really learn to value their time and manage it while in school. Procrastination is all too rampant (studying right before class, doing homework and essays the day it’s due, partying the night before the exam). This lack of time management often carries over into adulthood, which becomes a major liability.

Learn to make a to do list. Learn to prioritize. Learn to break things down into 30 minute blocks of time. Learn about actionable items. David Allen’s GTD system is your best friend here along with Dan Kennedy’s No B.S Time Management. Again if you’re unfamiliar with these people, Google is your best friend, but I’m sure the majority of readers will know what I’m talking about.

+1. Health

It’s not enough to make students run a mile and play sports. Education is needed now more than ever. Education on the dangers of consuming too much fast food. Education on what diets in high sugar and fat can do to the body. Education on proper nutrition. Education on the importance of exercising regularly as well. I think if schools start teaching these kinds of things, we could nip so many problems in the bud because most teenagers will not research this material on their own. The few that do have a head start in life but if we can’t teach them, schools should at the very least raise some sort of awareness and have an introductory class that talks about them – Real World 101.

If you have any friends or family who are still in school, please forward them this article. Think of it as a cheat sheet for the real world. You’ll be doing them a great service and they will most definitely thank you after they graduate. I guarantee it.

By Brian Kim.

How to Find What You Love to Do

This article was inspired by Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University. In it, he says the advice we’ve all heard a thousand times:

“You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs

Well then, the question naturally arises:

How do you find what you love to do? It’s such a big question.

What absolutely boils my blood is that we hear we should be doing what we love to do all the time, but there’s not any step by step advice out there on how to find what you love to do. The advice that is out there helps to a certain degree, but it’s just a bunch of pieces thrown together with no coherent logical structure or order.

A perfect example is this. In order to find your passion, we are told to ask ourselves: “What would you do if you had a million dollars (tax free)?”

The typical answer ensues: “Well gee, I would put it in an account that yields high interest and live off the interest each year. Then I would move to Hawaii, buy a house, sip margaritas all day, play video games, go to the beach, swim, travel around the world, taste all the cuisines, read the books, play the sports, and on and on and on.”

Does this really help? Not really. Sure, you figured out what your lazy butt likes to do, but it doesn’t really answer the question that’s hidden, which is “How do I make money doing what I love to do?

What's the result? People working in jobs they hate, feeling trapped because they can’t quit as they rely on that sole source of income to finance a lifestyle tailored to escape their grim reality, drifting aimlessly in life, in short, leading lives of quiet desperation, as so eloquently put by Henry David Thoreau.

Why don’t they just quit their jobs and pursue what they love to do you ask?

Two Reasons.

Reason #1: They don’t know what they love to do.

Reason #2: Fear. They’ve got a lifestyle to uphold, bills to pay for, families to take care of, fear of no steady source of income, fear of what other people might think or say about them, etc. Fear. Conquer indecision in Reason #1 and ACT, and you will most definitely conquer all fear in Reason #2.

The very fact that you are seeking to find what you love to do (by the very fact you came across this article and started reading it) is a BIG step believe it or not. Many people in their lifetime avoid or do not even seek to find the answer to that question. They hear the question in their head but have become extremely adept at silencing it.

It is extremely important to answer the question on how to find what you love to do.

You must decide what destination to steer your life in. Otherwise, you leave yourself wide open for others to direct your life, as well as at the mercy of the winds and storms of life. If you know where your destination is, the rest is easy.

You will find once you know what you want to do, all uncertainty and burden will be lifted off your shoulders and you will have clear vision as to what your journey is and that journey will truly be joyful.

By the time you finish reading this article, I sincerely hope you experience that.

What about how to make money doing what you love?

The question of how to monetize doing what you love is certainly a valid one. There are bills to pay, stomachs to feed, families to support, etc.

Don’t worry about that for now. That will be covered later in this article.

First things first, you’ve got to find what you love to do.

Why is it so hard to find what you love to do?

The answer is:

It’s not hard at all.

You read right.

It’s not hard at all.

Then why are so many people having difficulty finding what they love to do?

Because they’ve never truly asked themselves.

What amazes me is that there seems to be a stigma attached to spending time with oneself. You have to constantly be doing something, whether it’s going to the game, drinking beer with the buddies, going to that hot party or club downtown, etc. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with doing all that, but I suspect the vast majority of people who engage in this “I have to be doing something every minute because I can’t be by myself” mentality are just putting up a front to show people how satisfying and fulfilling their life is, when in reality, it’s just the opposite. The irony here is that spending time with oneself is EXACTLY what you should be doing to lead a satisfying and fulfilling life.

People think you have to travel around the world, experience new things, etc to find what you love to do. No. You just have to sit down and decide. The answer is already within you. You just have to dig it up and avoid procrastinating. Your brain has absorbed all sorts of information and experiences and it has the answer ready to be unraveled.

Just let it out.

Be honest. Have you actually sat down by yourself with no distractions, with your sole focus on asking yourself what you love to do without picking up your cell phone, surfing the net, watching TV, chatting on AIM, listening to your favorite song, playing solitaire or minesweeper, checking your email, returning a call, getting a drink of water, going to the bathroom, looking at the clock, reading a magazine article, I could go on and on but you get the point. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you haven’t for the sole purpose of you reading this article. Why is that?

Fear of what the answer will be if you ask yourself what you love to do.

The answer is: I don’t know.

But that is exactly why you MUST find out. You’re avoiding the question because you know the answer is you don’t know, but that’s ok. Admitting you don’t know is perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with it. You’re way ahead of a ton of other people who learn to quiet the voice within that asks the question of “What do I love to do?”

And let’s say you’re one of the few people who actually specifically know what they love to do. The next thought that pops in their head is “Oh, I can’t make any money off of that.” The seed that was planted never grew.

I hate vague answers. I want clear, logical, definitive answers to questions.

So let’s do this.

Step 1: You WILL find the answer. No doubt.

You will find the answer. You will find it. No doubt.

Approach the question with this mentality and you are sure to find it. How long will it take? It doesn’t matter. Bottom line, you will find the answer.

By doing this, you automatically instill an anti quitting mechanism within yourself, because you know you will find the answer. If you know what you want to do, then you will do it.

For example, if you know you want to arrive in New York, you’ll find ways to get there. You’ll hop a train, bus, or plane going to New York and will arrive in New York.

If you don’t have the cash, you’ll borrow it, or get a job and save up, or get a job as a flight attendant to get there for free. It doesn’t matter how long it will take or what you need to do because you know you’re going to New York.

All your actions onward from the decision that you want to arrive in New York will revolve around getting to New York.

Read that last sentence again.

All your actions onward from the decision that you want to arrive in New York will revolve around getting to New York.

Finding what you love to do = Deciding to arrive in New York.

Step 2: Make a list of your skills and interests in two columns and WRITE THEM DOWN (I’ll explain why you must write things down later):

I’ve taken the liberty of creating a document you can print so you can easily fill in the blanks. You can download it here. KEY is to WRITE THESE DOWN!! I cannot emphasize this enough. Don’t think you can do it all in your head. WRITE IT DOWN.

When I mean by skills is any skill. It could be an intangible skill. Empty your clip here, list EVERY skill you have. It could be programming, making web pages, talking, listening, persuading people, typing, flirting, analyzing, giving speeches, making things easy to understand, whistling, blowing bubbles with your spit, it could be anything. Don’t be bashful. List everything you perceive your skills to be.

On your other column, lists your interests and don’t be shy here as well. List EVERY interest you could possibly think of. Spiders, shoes, hair, makeup, basketball, tennis, thinking of ideas, babysitting, walking, hiking, fireworks, helping people, making fun of people, fishing, tai chi, karate, seashells, seaweed, can openers, anything goes. Yes, I did say can openers. Your interests can also include subjects you are knowledgeable about as well. Computers, economics, biology, baskebtall plays, football plays, magic tricks, etc.

To help you write down more interests, think of what you were interested in at your previous jobs and write them down. Also, think of what you were NOT interested in your previous jobs and write the exact opposite.

Asking yourself the following questions may shed light as to what skills and interests you possess.

If you went in a bookstore, which section do you naturally gravitate toward?
Ask friends for any skills and interests they see in you. You’ll be surprised at how much insight they have on you that you’ve never thought of before.

What do you spend most of your time doing? What do you look forward to doing? Go back and think of your accomplishments as a child. What kind of skills and interests revolved around your accomplishments?

What did people praise you on doing?

What did your teachers or parents say you had a skill or knack of doing?

Why am I emphasizing skills and interests here?

Skills: Because you’ve got to leverage what you’re strong with. And don’t say you don’t have any. Everybody has skills. You’ve just never sat down and thought about it and wrote it down. By using your skills, you’ve got a head start, a catalyst.

Interests: Simply because you’ve got to love what you do. By including interests, you include another form of an anti quitting mechanism.

Focus on generating as many skills and interests you can possibly think of and WRITE IT DOWN!

You may find that your skills are gravitating toward one or two particular skills. The same may hold true for interests. Keep that in mind for step 3.

Step 3: Set aside some TRUE alone time with no distractions to focus and figure out what you love to do by asking yourself the right questions.

It amazes me how people set aside time for taxes, cooking, watching movies, reading, but when it comes to their own personal future, they NEVER set aside any time. How much MORE time should you set aside to figure out the path that will make you happy?

Ok, you’ve set some private alone time with no distractions; now what?

You must ask yourself an extremely clear question. Clarity is key here. The clearer the question, the easier the answer will be.

For example, if I ask you what 12 times 12 is, the answer comes easily, 144.

However, if I ask, what is some even two digit number times some other even two digit number? Guess how long it’ll take you to answer that question?

Clear questions lead to clear answers.

Another key thing is to WRITE it down. I know you’ve heard it a billion times and it’s so cliché but there’s a reason. Writing things down allows you to easily make connections you’ve never thought of before because you see it on paper. It also allows you to "free room" in your brain for other thoughts because they are put in another container so to speak.

If I ask you, what’s 257 times 852, try doing that in your head vs. writing it down. When you write it down, the answer comes out easier, not to mention more accurate.

If you haven’t already wrote down your skills and interests in the previous step, STOP and DO IT NOW. It won’t do you any good having them in your head.

So, let’s use your alone time to ask yourself a clear question in writing. What is the question you should ask yourself? Is it: “What do I love to do?”

That question is a bit broad, so let’s narrow it down a little. Try asking yourself:

What would I love to do on a daily basis utilizing both my skills and interests that will add significant value to people?

See the difference here? The more detailed and clearer the question, the easier it is to answer it. Why did I add the add value part? Because that will lead you to find a way to make money doing what you love.

By incorporating the question of how to add significant value by utilizing your skills, you automatically filter out all the “common answers” that people come up with when asked what they love to do. Common answers such as: “I love to watch TV.” Or “I love to play video games.” Answers such as that discourage people because they see no way of making money from it.

Adding to that, many people tend to make the mistake of focusing on how to make money. A lot of people fail to realize that money is just a byproduct of adding value in the form of a product or service to people.

When you know how you can add value to people, you’ll know how to get money.

Open up Word or get out a blank sheet of paper and write that question up at the top. Here it is again in case you don't want to scroll up.

What would I love to do on a daily basis utilizing both my skills and interests that will add significant value to people?

The KEY is to WRITE YOUR ANSWERS DOWN!! I cannot emphasize this enough. Don’t think you can do it all in your head. WRITE IT DOWN.

Looking at the two column list you made in the previous step, start writing down a list of answers. Just write. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to make sense because sooner or later, you will connect the dots. Here’s a story to illustrate what I’m talking about.

There was a story about a small town with a ski resort which attracted a lot of tourists, which in turn helped the town’s economy. However, when it snowed, the snowfall collected on the power cables, until the weight was enough to collapse the cables, resulting in several power outages. Slowly but surely, tourists stopped coming, so the town held a meeting to discuss how to solve the problem of having snow collect on the power cables. Solutions were tossed out for quite some time.

Then somebody shouted in a loud voice from the back of the room and said “Let’s hang pots of honey on the power cables to make the bears climb up. When the bears climb up and get the honey, their movement will shake the snow off the power cables.”

The audience laughed and somebody else deciding to play along said “How will we refill the pots of honey?” “We’ll use a helicopter”, another person said.

Then the answer dawned upon them. By having a helicopter fly by the power lines, the wind from the propellers would shake the snow off.

The main point here is that answers, no matter how ridiculous they may seem, should not be feared because more often than not, they lead to results. It’s all part of the process.

Even if an answer seems ludicrous, write it down. Write down all your answers. Do it until you have 20 answers and look them over. You will find that as you write down answers and look at them, it will in turn propel you to think of new creative answers that you would not have come up with before.

You will be amazed at all the things you wrote and the different solid creative ideas that come about.

Now the time comes for focus.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the sun and magnifying glass analogy pertaining to focus but I’m going to say it again. If you try to do a bunch of things at once, nothing will get done. If you wave a magnifying glass around on the hottest day, you won’t burn anything. You’ll dissipate all your energy among the trivial many.

By focusing and harnessing all your power, energy, time, focus, thinking, etc. on one goal, you will be amazed at how deep and quickly you can accomplish that. Just as you steady a magnifying glass on a single object, with the hot burning sun rays analogous to your desire, focus, power, energy, time, etc, you will make an impact.

The notion of focus is so important that I’m going to use another analogy. Imagine you’re a cheetah and you see two juicy gazelles grazing in the grass. Spending your time chasing both = no food = death. Hunt one down. It might take time to catch it and kill it, but when you do, you'll be recharged. You will soon start collecting information on how the gazelles run, which direction they run, where they like to graze, etc, which will help you catch more gazelles in the future, thereby putting you in a favorable cycle. Case in point, focus on one.

So look over your list you just made and choose one idea that seems the most appealing to you. You may find you can combine a few ideas into one idea. Nevertheless, choose one idea that you will garner the greatest satisfaction not just for yourself, but to other people.

You might want to zero in on the ideas that combine your skills and interests that you’ve listed in the beginning. The reason being, psychologically speaking, you’ve probably listed your greatest skills and interests first and then as you started listing them downward, so did your degree of skill and interest. This might not be true. You might have 20 different but equal skills and interests, which if you do, I congratulate you. Just a tip I thought I would throw out.

How Will You Know You’ve Found What You Love To Do?

Does it make you feel good? If you feel it in your gut that you’ve hit the jackpot, you’re right.

If your friend were to bring up the idea you picked, would you be all over it talking about it?

You have to have no reservations about it. If you feel the slightest doubt that it’s not your passion, then it’s not. You must hunger to overcome any obstacles to pursue your passion.

By Brian Kim.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Сэтгэл ханамжийн баталгаа

“Сэтгэл ханамжийн баталгаа 100 хувь” гэсэн реклам зурагтын дэлгэцээс сонсогдох болоод нэлээд удаж байна. Энэ бол худалдаж авсан бараа чинь гомдоохгүй, ийм юм авсандаа үргэлж сэтгэл дүүрэн байх болно гэж хэлээд байгаа юм.
Хүн бүрийн бололцоо, таашаал, сонирхол, зан ааш янз бүр байдаг болохоор “сэтгэл ханамжийн батлагаа”-ны хувь процент янз бүр л байдаг байх. Хүний биеийг олж энэ хорвоод ирээд аль нэг улс үндэстэнд хамааран, нийгмийн дотор бие хүн болон оршиж буй 7 тэрбум хүмүүсийн “сэтгэл ханамжийн” төвшин янз бүр байдаг аж. Сүүлийн үед энэ талын судалгааг их хийх болжээ. Хоёр зуу орчим улс орон болон хуваагдсан манай гаригийн иргэдийн амьдралын төвшин, байгалийн нөхцөл, зан заншил, хэл соёл харилцан адилгүй. Харин амьдарч буй нөхцөл байдалдаа хүмүүс аль зэрэг хангалуун байдаг вэ?
Ийм судалгаа хийж үзэхэд маш хачирхалтай нь ядуу орны иргэд илүүтэй амьдралдаа сэтгэл хангалуун жаргалтай байдаг бол баян орны иргэд амьдралаас бага таашаал авдаг, тулгарсан олон зовлон тоочдог, сэтгэл нь дундуур, бухимдуу, өөрөөр хэлбэл дундуур жаргалтай байдаг аж. Ингээд Gross National Happiness буюу Үндэсний сэтгэл ханамжийн илтгэцүүр гэгч хэмжүүр бий болжээ. Үүнийг эдийн засагт их хэрэглэх боловч цаад уг үндэс нь улс төр, эдийн засаг гэхээсээ нийгмийн сэтгэл зүйтэй холбоотой юм. Өөрийн аргачлалтай, нэлээд шинжлэх ухаанжсан индэкс ба тухайн улс үндэстний нийгмийн тогтвортой байдал, хөрөнгө оруулалтын бололцоо гээд эдийн засгийн судалгааны маш их ач холбогдолтой юм гэнэлээ. Дэлхийн хамгийн аз жаргалтай ард түмнээр филиппинчүүд шалгарсан бол швейцаричууд хамгийн зовлон зүдгүүртэй ард түмэн болж тодорчээ. Хачин байгаа биз? Эсвэл тэнэгийн дотор тэнүүхэн гэгчээр санаа зовох юмаар бага байдаг юм болов уу?
Одоохондоо монголчууд судалгаанд хамаарч амжаагүй болов уу, хайгаад олсонгүй. Гэхдээ маш их бухимдалтай, сэтгэл тун гонсгор, аз жаргалаар нэн хомс болохыг эргэн тойрноо хараад шууд ажиглаж болохоор санагддаг юм. “Нийтээр үгүйрэн хоосорч”, “хүн амын 80 гаруй хувь нь нэн ядуу ангилалд хамаарч”, “идэх хоол өмсөх хувцасгүй шалдарч”... гэх мэтийн яриаг хүн болгон цаг тутамд мэдээллийн хэрэгслэлээр байнга сонсож байдаг. Үүнд улстөрчид, сэтгүүлчид, эгэл баатрууд, хурал цуглаан үйлдэгсэд гаажтай чангаар уран сайхантай, өнгөтэй, өргөн дэлгэцээр ярьдаг болохоор цөмөөрөө цээжээрээ мэднэ. Ялангуяа сүүлийн хорин жилд хоосон хонож хог дэрлэх болсон тухай УИХ-ын нэгэн тарган гишүүн хэхрэн байж мэдэгдээд араас нь золтой уйлчихсангүй. Ингэхээр 1990 оноос өмнө цатгалдаж үхэнгээ алдаж байсан дүр зураг өөрийн эрхгүй үүснэ. Дашрамд дурдахад мэдрэл нь нэлээд жаажийчихсан харсаар байтал эрүүл бус амьтантай Бат-Үүл ханцуй шамлан маргаж явдаг нь ч юу юм билээ!
Энд дэлхийн банкнаас гаргасан хэсэг гол гол гэж байгаа статистик олж авснаа дэлгэж, Монголын аж байдлыг дэлхийн бусад орнуудтай харьцуулж үзэх гэсэн юм. Энэ статистикт НҮБ-ийн гишүүн 200 орчим орноос гадна Хонгконг, Тайвань, Гибрэлтар, Америкийн Самао гээд тусгаар тогтносон бус олон субъектыг хамруулжээ. Судалгаанд оролцогсод нийтдээ 240 орчим байгаа учир байр эзлэлтийг эндээс тооцох нь зүйтэй. Энэ 2010 оноос Монголыг ядуу орны бүртгэлээс бүрмөсөн хаслаа. Хүн амд ноогдох ДНБ хэмжээ хэдийнээ хоёр мянган доллароос давсан учир дунд ангилалын доохон хэсэгт хамрагдах болсон юм. Ийм оронд буцалтгүй тусламж олдохгүй, хүнсний тусламж бол бүр горьдолтгүй. Харин зээл олдох боломж нь хавьгүй нэмэгддэг гэнэ. Орон сууц гэж тухайн орны байгаль цаг уурт таарсан нөхцөлд жилийн турш амьдарч болохуйц сууц оромжийг тооцдог юм байна. Энэ утгаар нь авч үзвэл Монгол нь бүх гэр бүл нь орон сууцажсан цөөн улсын тоонд ордог гэнэ. Тохь тух олон өрөө байр энд яриагүй нь ойлгомжтой. Гэтэл баян АНУ-д ерөөс орон сууц оромжгүй гэр бүл нэлээд хэдэн хувь байдаг аж. Хоол хүнсний хувьд нэг хүнд өдөрт 2800 ккал ноогдож буй нь тун сайн үзүүлэлт гэнэ. Японд энэ үзүүлэлт 2600, АНУ-д 3500 байдаг юм байна. Америкчууд цөмөөрөө хэт таргалсан байдгийн учир энэ байх. Таргалалт гэснээс Монголын хүн амын 30 хувь нь, 35-аас дээш насныхны 60 хувь нь жингийн хэтрэлттэй байгаа нь харин тааруухан үзүүлэлт аж. Эрүүл мэнд талаасаа шүү дээ.
Дундаж наслалт 68 хүрч байгаа, үүнээс эмэгтэйчүүд 70,2, эрэгтэйчүүд 65,3 наслаж байгаа нь дэлхийд 154-рт орж байгаа боловч сүүлийн 20 жилд энэ үзүүлэлт 5 жилээр нэмэгдсэн аж. Энэ хооронд орос эрчүүдийн дундаж наслалт 57 болтлоо буурчээ. Мянган хүн тутамд 21,05 төрөлтөөр 93-р байр эзэлж, харин үхлээр 6,12 гэсэн тоогоор 158-р байр эзэлжээ. Сонирхуулахад энэ 158-р байр гэдэг нь хойшлох тутмаа сайн үзүүлэлт ба мянга тутмаас 24 үхлээр Анголи тэргүүлдэг юм байна. Үхлийн тоогоор Герман, Дани, Англи мэтийн өндөр хөгжилтэй орнууд 10 гарантайгаар манай урд ордог нь нийгмийн бүтцэд өндөр настай хүний тоо олон байдагтай холбоотой байх л даа. 14 хүртлэх насныхан Монголын нийгэмд 28 хувь, 15-64 насныхан 67,9 хувь эзэлж байгаа нь харьцангуй залуу нийгэм гэсэн үг. Гэрлэх нас ч сүүлийн хорин жилд ихэд хойшилж эмэгтэй нь 25.7, эрэгтэй нь 24,9 насандаа гэрлэх болсон нь залуусын амьдралын өмнө хүлээх хариуцлага нэмэгдсэнтэй холбоотой болов уу. Ой хүртэлх хүүхдийн үхэл гэж хөгжлийн зэрэглэл илэрхийлдэг нэг чухал тоо байдаг. Төрөлт өндөртэй байсан наяад оны үед энэ нь 128 хүрч байсан боловч ичсэндээ ч тэр юм уу, хоёр дахин багасган 64 гэж Дэлхийн эрүүл мэндийн байгууллагад илтгэдэг, үнэн тоог нэн нууцалдаг байлаа. Одоо бол үнэн баримтаараа мянган төрөлт тутамд 39,88 үхэл тохиолдож байгаа нь дэлхийд 68 дугаар байрыг эзлүүлжээ. ДОХ-ын тархалт 0,1 хувиас бага буюу энэ талаар хамгийн аюулгүй оронд тооцогддог юм байна. Харин сүрьеэгийн нэлээд том голомттой, элэгний хавдрын үхлийн хувь нийт үхэлд маш том хувь эзэлдэг, хүн амын маш өндөр хувь нь элэгний вирустай зэрэг муу үзүүлэлт бас байна.
2007 онд Дэлхийн банкнаас хийсэн судалгаагаар монголчуудын 34 хувь нь олон улсын жишгээр ядуу гэсэн ангилалд багтаж байжээ. 2010 онд буюу энэ жил Дэлхийн банк дахин судалгаа хийгээд сая дүнгээ танилцуулсан. Ядуурлын хэмжээ хорь хүрэхгүй хувь болон буурсныг тэд ихэд сайшааж хэвлэлийн бага хурал хийлгэв. Гуравхан жилийн дотор ядуурлаа хоёр дахин буулгаж чадсан орон өдрийн од шиг ховор тохиолддог гэнэ. Ядууст зориулсан хүнсний карт буй болгох гэсэн Засгийн газрын хүсэлтийн дагуу Азийн сангаас нэн ядуу гэсэн 1500 өрхөд судалгаа хийгээд маш хачирхалтай дүн гаргаж ирлээ. Нэн ядуу өрхийн хүнсний нөөцийг судалж үзэхэд 12 кг гурил, 5 кг мах, 2кг цагаан будааны жоортой гэсэн дундач гарчээ. Энэ бол хүнсний аюулгүй байдал нэн сайн байна гэсэн үзүүлэлт юм байна. Хүнсний аюулгүй байдал гэдэг нь хүнсний хүрэлцээг хэлдэг (security), хүнсний аюулт байдал буюу хөнөөлт байдал нь (safety) тусдаа асуудал юм байна. Ийм сайн үзүүлэлттэй байхад хүнсний карт хэргээр төдий л нэмэргүй гэж олон улсын байгууллага зөвлөжээ.
Эрэгтэйчүүд нь дундачаар 12 жил, эмэгтэйчүүд нь 14 жил суралцдаг ба бичиг үсэг тайлагдсан зэрэглэл 97,8 хувьтай байгаа нь дэлхийд тун сайн үзүүлэлт гэнэ. ДНБ-ийхээ 5 хувийг боловсролд зарцуулж байгаагаараа дэлхийд 72-т ордог юм байна. 10 мянган хүнд ноогдох эмч, багш, оюутан, докторын тоогоор дэлхийд бараг л толгой цохиж байна даа. 10 мянган хүнд ноогдох оюутны тоогоор АНУ 575 гэсэн тоогоор Монголын ард 2-р байранд байна. Гэхдээ тэндэхийн 20 хувь нь гадаадын оюутан гэж байна шүү. Хүн амын 94,9 хувь нь монголчууд буюу нэгдмэл үндэстэн ба энэ тоогоор дэлхийд эхний аравт багтдаг гэнэ. Энэ нь үндэстэн хоорондын асуудал бараг байхгүй, энэ чанараараа эв нэгдэл хадгалагддаг гэсэн үзүүлэлт юм гэнээ. Хүйтэн дайны үед буюу дэлхий нэмж хуваагдаагүй байхад Монгол нь газар нутгаараа 18-д, хүн амаараа 118-д ордог байлаа. Одоо урдуураа Казахстаныг оруулаад газар нутгаар 19-р байранд, харин хүн амаар 134-т оржээ. Хүн амдаа хувааж үзсэн тоогоор бол байгалийн маш их баялагтай ба одоо нээгдсэн буюу баттай тааварлаж буй ашигт малтмалын үнэлгээг нэг ихнаяд америк доллар гэж тооцоолж байгаа юм байна. Иймээс Азийн дараагийн гайхамшиг, эдийн засгийн үсрэлт чухам Монголоос гарна гэх таамаг их элбэг болжээ.
Нэгтгэн дүгнэх юм бол энэхүү олон улсын нэр хүндтэй байгууллагаас гаргасан статистикаар монголчууд дэлхийн дундаж үзүүүлэлттэй орон юм байна. Үүний зэрэгцээ эрүүл мэнд, боловсролын сайн суурьтай, тогтсон сүлжээтэй, өндөр боловсролтой энэ орон ашигт малтмалдаа түшиглэн тун ойрын хугацаанд дэлхийн тэргүүний хөгжилтэй баян улс болох найдлагатайг мэргэжилтэн судлаачид нэгэн дуугаар батлаж байгаа юм байна.
Манай эдийн засгийн салбарыг ерөнхийд нь хуваабал нийт орлогын 20 хувийг Хөдөө аж ахуй, 30 хувийг Аж үйлдвэр, 50 хувийг Үйлчилгээний салбар бүрдүүлж байгаа аж. Хотод оршин сууж буй хүнийг 52 хувь гэж гаргасан байна, гэхдээ энд Улаанбаатар, Дархан, Эрдэнэтийг тоолоод аймгийн төв зэргийг “хөдөө” гэсэн ангилалд оруулсан бололтой. 170 мянган хүн нүүдлийн мал аж ахуй эрхлэнэ. Ажиллах хүчний тоо нэг сая 68 мянга гэж тоологдсон ба ажилгүйдэл 2,8 хувь байгаа нь дэлхийд 22 дугаар байрыг эзлүүлжээ. Энэ тоо АНУ-д 9,3 хувь хүрсэн гээд бод доо. Тэд 109-р байр эзэлжээ. Монгол улсын эдийн засгийн өсөлт 1990-2004 онд дундажаар жилд 3 хувь орчим байснаа 2004 оноос огцом өсч сүүлийн дөрвөн жилд 9 хувиас буухгүй дээшилж байна. Энэ бол дэлхийн хамгийн сайн үзүүлэлт, огцом өсөлттэй цөөхөн орнууд л ийм дүн үзүүлж байгаа. Сүүлийн 10 орчим жилд Японы эдийн засгийн өсөлт 0 бүхэлтэй л яваа. Цагтаа далаад оны үед тэд 8 хувийн өсөлт үзүүлдэг байлаа.
Хүнд ноогдох ДНБ-ийг олон жилийн турш шууд америк доллароор илэрхийлж ирсэн ба энэ нь дэндүү оночгүй гэх шүүмжлэл сүүлийн үед их гарч байна. Нэг америк доллар буюу түүнтэй харгалзах үндэсний валютийн худалдан авах чадвар газар бүр янз бүр байдаг. Монголд 2 доллар буюу түүнтэй тэнцэх 2800 төгрөгөөр юутай ч гэсэн дунд зэргийн гуанзанд бараг хориод бууз аваад идчихэнэ. Америкт үүгээр мухлагаас ганц муу асаагуур л авна, ширхэг боорцог ч авахгүй биз. Эсвэл яг адил чанар брэндтэй шилтэй коко кола Америкт 2,5 доллар, Улаанбаатарт 20 цэнт буюу даруй 15 дахин хямд. Иймээс тооцоог Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) буюу тэгшитгэсэн худалдан авах чадвар гэсэн үзүүлэлтээр харьцуулах болжээ. Ийм РРР гэсэн үзүүлэлтээр манай ДНБ хэмжээ хэдийнээ 10 тэрбум доллар давсан ба нэг хүнд оногдох хэмжээ нь 4 мянга гарсан байна. Энэ тоо баян орнуудтай харьцуулахад ичмээр дамшиг л даа, гэхдээ олон ядуу орны хувьд мөддөө санашгүй үзүүлэлт юм. Монголын эдийн засгийн нийт хэмжээ сүүлийн 20 жилд даруй 10 дахин нэмэгджээ.
Үүнийг иргэний орлогын энгийн жишээгээр харж болно. 1990 онд хамгийн бага цалин гэгдэх цэвэрлэгч, манаачийнх 180 төгрөг байлаа. Нэгдлийн гишүүн гэх малчидын зарим нь ердөө 30-50 төгрөгийн цалинтай, дээр нь зөндөө өртэй байсныг энд тооцохоо больё. Одоо хөдөлмөрийн хөлсний доод үнэлгээг сард 108 мянган төгрөгөөр тогтоосон. Дээрх мөнгөөр тухайн үеийн ханшаар хэдэн кг мах, гурил, будаа болон хэдий тооны цай, архи, тамхи авч болохыг өөрснөө бодоцгоо. Харин 108 мянган төгрөгөөр авч болох гол хүнсний бараагаа хамгийн хямдаар нь тооцоорой. Учир нь социализмын талх, будаа, хүнс, бараа, үйлчилгээ одоо манайд бараг тааралдахаа больсон хамгийн доод төвшинд байсан юм шүү. Хэдэн цагаар үхтлээ оочирлодог, огт олддоггүй байсан зэргийг тооцоолж яршиг зүгэээр, илүү хөдөлмөр зараад яахав.
Өгүүллийн эхэнд дурдсан “сэтгэл ханамжийн баталгаа” буюу аз жаргалын индэкс л харин сүүлийн хорин жилд маш ихээр унаж дорд орсон ба улс төрчид болон сэтгүүлчдийн ярьж байгааг хараад байхад цаашид улам хүчтэй унах бололтой юм. Нэгэнтээ Дэ Голл Францын ерөнхийлөгч болсныхоо дараа “500 төрлийн бяслаг хийдэг ард түмнийг удирдахад ямар хэцүү юм бэ!” гэж дуун алдаж байв. Бяслаг нь ийм олон юм чинь үзэл бодол зан авир, “сэтгэл ханамжийн илтгэцүүр” –ийн тоо замбараагаа алдаж таараа. Тархи угаах гэсэн ойлголт байдаг. Энэ нь мэдээлэл авах бүх сувгийг хаагаад ганц албан шугамаар нэг төрлийн мэдээлэл цацсаар байгаад иргэдийг худлаа юманд хүчээр үнэмшүүлэхийг хэлдэг. Ойлголт, үзэл бодлыг хүч хэрэглэн төлөвшүүлнэ гэсэн үг. Жоорж Орвэлийн бодож гаргасан нэршил. 1990 оноос өмнө Монголд нэг үзэл суртал ноёлож тэр шугамаараа нийт иргэдийн тархийг угаадаг байсан учир өөр үзэл бодол төдийгүй өөр үнэлэмж оршин тогтнох эрхгүй учраас аз жаргалын индэкс мөн л нэг маягаар сайн гэсэн үзүүлэлттэй гардаг байсан байх. Одоо бол Улаанбаатарт л гэхэд 40 гаруй телевизийн суваг монгол хэлээр нэвтрүүлэг цацаж, өдөр тутмын 20 сонин, 25 радио өдөр шөнөгүй ажиллаж өөр өөрийн олон янз бодлоо зэрэг цацаж байна. Та хүсвэл 120 суваг ч гэртээ үзэж болно. Олон үзэл бодол зэрэгцэн оршсоор байтал тархиа угаалгаж байвал хохь нь л гэх байх.
Аз жаргалын индэкс буурч байгаагийн нөгөө нэг шалтгаан нь баян ядуугийн ялгаа ихэссэнтэй холбоотой. 1990 оноос өмнө Монголын нийгэмд баян хүн гэж байгаагүй байхаа. Хамгийн баян этгээд банкинд 30 мянган доллартай байсан, тэр нь тэгээд хоёр гуравхан иргэн шүү. Ерөнхийдээ тэв тэгш л ядуу байж дээ. Одоо Монголын иргэдийн дотоодын банкинд хадгалуулсан нийт мөнгөний хэмжээ 4 тэрбум доллар хүрч байна. Сая долларын хөрөнгөтэй хүн нийгэмд цөөнгүй буй болоод ирэхээр хамаг малаа бараад олон хүүхдээ чирэн хот бараадаж хүүрийн газартай зэрэгцэн хөршилж хоногийн хоол хайн амьдралаа зохиож чадахгүй яваа олон мянган шилжин ирэгсэдийн хувьд энэхүү нүдэнд ил харагдах зөрүү мөнөөх “сэтгэл ханамжийн баталгааг” навс доош нь дарж таарна.
Овоо босгоогүй бол шаазгайд суух газар олдохгүй байсан. Түмний нүдэн дээр ямар ч ажил төрөл хийгээгүй мөртөө лус мэт баяжиж буй төрийн ажилтан, дарга дорго нарын хээл хахууль авилга нийгмийг асар их бухимдуулж байгаа. Тэр ингэж болоод байхад би яагаад адилхан зүгээр сууж байгаа мөртөө турж үхэхтэй шахаж байна гэсэн энгийн асуулт хэний ч толгойд юун түрүүн орж ирнэ. Чухам энэ сүрэг нийгэмд буй болох хөрөнгийн ихэнхийг зүй бусаар хулгайлан авч байгаа нь, эсвэл бүр улаан цагаангүй дээрэмдэн авч байгаа нь нийгмийн аз жаргалын индэксийг бууруулж буй нэг том шалтгаан. Ерөөсөө ч нүүдэлчний нэг төрөлх авир бол өөрийн ядуу явахыг гэхээсээ өрөөлийн баян тарган явааг тэвчдэггүй. Үүнд социологи, нийгмийн сэтгэл зүйн судалгаа хийх юмсан.
Амьдрал богинохон. Хүн аз жаргалтай явж насыг барах ёстой. Байхгүйдээ гансрах биш, байгаадаа жаргах хэрэгтэй. Богино амьдралыг гансрал гашуудал, хор шар, хорсол атаархалын зовлонгоор дүүргэн дуусгах нь юутай гунигтай. Одоогоос 2500 жилийн өмнө амьдарч байсан Гаутама Сиддихарда гэгч ухаантан ингэж сургажээ. Түүнийг хүн төрлөхтөн Будда гэдэг нэрээр нь андахгүй. Мөн тэр үед амьдарч байсан нэгэн мэргэн өгүүлэхдээ “Байгаа бүх юмнаасаа аль болох их таашаал авч амьдралаа аз жаргалтай өнгөрөө. Тэнгэрт тэргэл сар гарсанд ч баярлан шөнөөр сар харан, голын чимээ сонсож сэтгэлээ баясга. Амьд явахын утга учир энэ” гэжээ. Түүний нэрийг европчууд Конфициүс гэх юм билээ, манайхан Күнз гэдэг. 2500 жилийн өмнө нийт хүмүүний амьдралын төвшин мөн ч дорой байсан байх даа. Лав л өнөөгийн хамгийн ядуу төвшинтэй ч харьцуулашгүй. Гэвч хүмүүс нь сэтгэлээрээ жаргалтай байж дээ.

2010.7.6

Baabar.