Emergency Fund

Let's talk about an emergency fund. And no, I'm not trying to talk about "Visa" or "Mastercard" as emergency funds. It surprises me to this day how many times I bring up the term Emergency Fund and people look at me with a deer in the headlights expression. Seriously, in this day and age, it seems like there is no such thing.

How much of an emergency fund do you need? Ideally? Maybe about a year's worth of income. But here's the trouble. If we have put ourselves into such habits where we don't have an emergency fund at all, if we were to even be disciplined enough to accumulate a year's worth of income, who's to say that we would let it sit there for emergencies only? It seems more practical that you set a goal for an emergency fund amount that is believable for you. At the very least, stock away $1,000 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

My suggestion would be to open up a money market account where you'll still be liquid but your potential for a rate of return would be higher than merely a savings account at the bank.

How to get $1,000 or more as soon as possible? BE CREATIVE!
Here are some simple ideas:

1) Garage Sale

2) Craigslist

3) Part Time Work (Job or business)

4) Freelance Work

5) Claim more on your taxes (***SEE YOUR TAX ADVISOR BEFORE MAKING THIS CHANGE***)

6) Fund Raiser

7) Brown Bag Lunches and save the difference

8) Sell your car and buy a less expensive one (Only works if you're driving a paid off car)

9) Do your own housekeeping, oil changes, mowing, shoveling, etc.

10)Commit to it!

These are all ideas to get your brain working on how to accumulate this money. The important thing is that you begin somewhere. Building up your emergency fund shouldn't be a process that gets dragged out for years on end. Set a goal, $1,000 or $10,000 or $50,000. Whatever it may be, and then work like a mad person to set that money aside, preferably in addition to everything you're used to doing anyway (bills, paying off debt, retirement savings, etc.).

Once you hit your savings goal, DO NOT TOUCH THAT MONEY! Yes, you may have had a stressful month at work, DO NOT USE YOUR EF MONEY FOR A WEEKEND TRIP. Yes, the new designer boots are on sale at Bloomingdales, THAT IS NOT AN EMERGENCY. Use it only for expenses that come up UNEXPECTEDLY.

Why is the concept of an emergency fund so valuable? Because you will build wealth. How? Every time you can avoid using a credit card or a loan you avoid paying interest dollars. Hardworking dollars that want to make you financially bullet proof can then be invested and earn interest FOR YOU instead of the financial institutions that funded your debt.

At the end of the day, being financially independent is what we all want isn't it?

$1,000!

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Focus on MORE than Just the Interst % Rate

Look, here is a million dollar plus mistake that is happening all across our country on a DAILY basis. I'll even say HOURLY basis. Home buyers (Not home 'owners'...don't make your payment for 3 months and then let's see who really owns the home) all over America get duped into the dream of a LOWER INTEREST rate and then go refinance their home. We grow up being told to "chase the rate" and as we trap ourselves into this refinance cycle over and over we wonder when we get to age 65 how it is possible to still have a 30 year mortgage.

Hmmmm...I wonder.

I have a lot of acquaintances in the mortgage industry and I really despise the mortgage industry because of their tactics. If you sit down with a loan officer, you are usually going to be asking them two specific questions:

1. What's my rate
2. What's my payment

Your loan officer is very glad you asked them those two specific questions because they make the most sense for them. They know if you can be satisfied with those two answers, you'll move ahead blindfoldedly. In reality, those two things don't do much for your overall financial picture. Instead, try asking these two:

1. What will the total cost of my loan be?
2. When will I be completely paid off?

Because at the end of the day, isn't that really why you want a lower rate? To pay less? Well, if you continue to refinance time and time again, you always push back the day you pay off your mortgage. We've done this so much in our society that I have had people say to me, "We'll always be in debt" and they seem to think this is an acceptable way to live.

You want to know one reason why you might be broke...that is one of the reasons. So do yourself a favor, if you are refinancing, remember that you might get a .25% lower rate, but you are restarting the clock. You actually just cost yourself more money and you definitely pushed back your retirement because of it as well.

Let's get S.M.A.R.T. about our $$ shall we?

Here's an exercise for you to illustrate this point:

Grab a little kid and ask him/her to play a game with you. Pull out from one pocket a dollar bill. From the other pocket pull out a piece of paper that has the percent (%) symbol on it. Ask that little kid which one he/she wants.

What do you think he'll/she'll reach for? The dollar...EVERY TIME. Isn't it funny that kids get this simple concept so early in life, and as adults our view point can really get messed up?

K.I.S.S.

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Have You Even Met the Jones'?

Who in the world are these Jones people that we have to keep up with?

If you've lived in the USA for any period of time, surely you've run across the saying "Keeping up with the Jones'" a time or two. It is an idiom in our country and when it is spoken of, most of time it is in humor. Let me say right now, there is nothing humorous about it.

Let's examine these JONES people shall we?

~In 2006, the United States Census Bureau determined that there were nearly 1.5 billion credit cards in use in the U.S. A stack of all those credit cards would reach more than 70 miles into space -- and be almost as tall as 13 Mount Everests. (Source: NY Times, Feb. 23, 2009)

~Eighty-four percent of the student population overall have credit cards, an increase of approximately 11 percent since the fall of 2004. (Source: Sallie Mae, "How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards," April 2009)

~On average, today's consumer has a total of 13 credit obligations on record at a credit bureau. These include credit cards (such as department store charge cards, gas cards, and bank cards) and installment loans (auto loans, mortgage loans, student loans, etc.). Not included are savings and checking accounts (typically not reported to a credit bureau). Of these 13 credit obligations, nine are likely to be credit cards and four are likely to be installment loans. (Source: myfico.com)

~Average credit card debt per household -- regardless of whether they have a credit card or not -- was $8,329 at the end of 2008. (Source: Nilson Report, April 2009)

~The average outstanding credit card debt for households that have a credit card was $10,679 at the end of 2008. One year earlier, that average was $10,637. (Source: Nilson Report, April 2009)

~"As household wealth has declined in the downturn, more American families are facing financial distress due to high debt burdens. In 2007, before the recession began, 14.7 percent of U.S. families had debt exceeding 40 percent of their income." (Source: U.S. Congress' Joint Economic Committee, "Vicious Cycle: How Unfair Credit Card Company Practices Are Squeezing Consumers and Undermining the Recovery," May 2009)

~The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortgages, according to Experian. (Source: U.S. News and World Report, "The End of Credit Card Consumerism," August 2008)

~The average college graduate has nearly $20,000 in debt; average credit card debt has increased 47 percent between 1989 and 2004 for 25-to 34-year-olds and 11 percent for 18-to 24-year-olds. Nearly one in five 18-to 24-year-olds is in "debt hardship," up from 12 percent in 1989. (Source: Demos.org, "The Economic State of Young America," May 2008)

~28 percent of those surveyed say their ability to pay off their credit card balance has become more difficult. (Source: Javelin Strategy & Research, "Credit Card Issuer Profitability in a Difficult Economy," July 2008)

These are only a small snapshot of what is going on out there with people and their finances. Most of the time we get into these traps, because of trying to KEEP UP with or IMPRESS people who really don't care anyway!

"My neighbor got the new heavy duty snow blower, I will one up him with my new top of the line model. My Co-worker buys those nice designer shoes, I will one up her with a matching designer purse."

Silly right? The problem comes when we live on impulse, trying to match up with what others view us as, and then live an internal struggle because of our stress. If you are tempted to keep up appearances, ask yourself frankly, "Who pays my bills?" If they answer is the name of the person you are trying to impress, great, purchase it. If not, then bypass the purchase and move on with your life.

Truly at the end of the day, the person you are looking to impress is not thinking about you or your fancy purchases. They are too busy thinking about how stressed they are because of all their over spending.

RISE ABOVE THE REST!

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SHOW ME THE MONEY

When I first started this blog in July, all I really had was an idea and a lot of drive to learn how this whole "Internet World" really works. It has been so much fun learning how to do things online from advertising, to posting and hosting and such. One thing I've noticed from my blog posts is that successful blogs are those that target a specific niche. What has my niche been? Self Improvement. I believe in it, I learn from it daily, however, I truly feel that self improvement can really be an abstract concept that gets a little hokey for the everyday average Jane. When something is far too "out -> there" then it leaves no desire to be pursued. So...what good is Self Improvement when no Selves are being improved?

Therefore, I have decided to start making my specific niche a little more specific. My desire is to inspire people to think twice about things they view as normal. One area I feel passionately about is ...Drum Roll Please...$$MONEY$$. There are so many mistakes people make with money on a daily basis that they run themselves into financial ruts every day while blaming everyone else out there. If we can educate ourselves a little further and deeper on rules of the money game, then maybe, just maybe, we can begin to get ahead. One step at a time, right?

My goal is for this blog to be interactive. I will post some thoughts and ideas and hopefully you will participate. What if you don't agree? GREAT! Let's discuss it! You never know what may come of it from there right?

What qualifies me to write on such a hefty subject? Other than the fact that I hold financial licenses such as: Life Producer, Variable Annuity, Series 6, Series 63, and Series 26 (Investments), and Mortgage Appointment...I simply LOVE to talk about it. I study money from everyone who calls themselves an expert: Books, Magazines, Professionals. I have been in the financial industry for over 7 years and have been able to pick the brains of many many many wealthy people.

But really, who cares about all that. The only thing you can care about is if anything I write on a particular day will be of certain value to you. If it is...GREAT, then I have done my job. If it isn't, then too bad, come back tomorrow for some more ideas.

Remember...money is a mindset. You will attract to you that which you put out. That is as valid with the money (or lack thereof) in our lives as with anything else. I hope you are all excited about this prospect as am I. Here begins our journey...

GREEN IS GOOD!

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Spiritual Money

Let's get real, shall we? What on earth are you meant to accomplish here? Seriously? There are some things we want to do in life, but most of the time we couldn't even come up with clear definitions of those things...so therefore, tell me the likelihood of accomplishment? Close to zilch.

"I can help anybody get what they want out of life. The problem is I cannot find anyone who knows what they want." ~~ Mark Twain

Do you fall into that category?

The truth, however, is that it isn't quite enough to know what we want. The truth begins when you feel it deep inside. Before you label this post as a mushy one because of that last sentence, take a minute to think about it.

One of my favorite authors of all time is Robert Kiyosaki. He is the author of the "Rich Dad Poor Dad" books. They are smooth reads, and they really open your mind up to some different (AKA wealthy) ways of thinking. In his book, "Before You Quit Your Job" he writes about a concept called "Spiritual Money".

Basically, spiritual money comes from doing something not necessarily for the sake of loving it, but doing it because you know it must be done and you know you are the one to do it. If you are like me, that concept weighs a ton and just fell right on your porcelain head. There will be times in your life when you will face a choice of pursuing a profitable activity because you can change the world by its attempt. If nothing else, your world will change.

Maybe you've been struggling for a while in your business. Maybe you feel you've given too much to one single person. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by choices you made in a spirit of giving. Whatever your station, the reason you are dealing with that situation is because you are the one meant to make a difference there. Think about it, you were excited in the beginning, and there is a purpose for that.

My two cents are that we be CHAMPIONS. That we don't quit. That we finish strong, because after all, some one, some thing, some event is counting on us!

"Pain and discomfort are temporary, but quitting lasts forever!" ~~ Brandon Neil

BE YOUR OWN CRUSADER!

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Are We There Yet???

I am so very excited to write this post I can't even stand it! I was reading from an awesome book, "ASK AND IT IS GIVEN" by Esther and Jerry Hicks and in there they describe what it really means to move toward your direction. It has got to be one of the clearest explanations I've ever heard and so here I share it with you...

"When you drive your vehicle from place to place, you have an awareness of your starting place as well as an awareness of where you are going. You accept that you cannot get there instantaneously; you accept that you will travel the distance, and in time, you will arrive at your destination. And while you may feel anxious to get there, and maybe even tire of the journey, you do not get so discouraged at the midway mark that you must turn around and go back to your starting place. You do not drive back and forth and back and forth from your starting point to the midway pint and then finally collapse from the never ending journey.

You do not announce your inability to accomplish your journey. You accept the distance between your starting place and where you desire to be-and you continue to move in the direction of the destination. You understand what is required-and you do it. And we want you to come to know that the journey between where you are and where you want to be-on all subjects-can be just as easily understood."

How awesome is that? What a clear picture, isn't it? How many times do we set goals, and if we don't see immediate results we just quit...midway? Or how many times do we conjure up hopes for newness in our life and as soon as there is one obstacle, or after only one day do we stop hoping? It is just as silly to do that as it is to turn our car around halfway to the store and complain about how tiresome driving is.

Take this info and run with it. Go for your greatness and don't let up. Know that the journey is just as important as where you are heading, and that if you keep your foot on the gas pedal, you will come to your destination. It is law and must be so.

LEAD FOOT!

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Do as I do...

It's been a while since I posted a video, and when I saw this one, I knew it was one to share. We are all responsible for our realities, yet we live in a society of programming. How are you helping to program the people who look up to you the most? Let's do our part to give a great example to those wee ones who we don't even realize are watching.



YOU ARE POWERFUL!

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Kiss the Clock Good-Bye

Here's a concept foreign to many people. In fact it is so strange to the ear the first time you hear it, that it really gets shrugged off. With more practise and more pondering over the subject, you begin to make sense of it all and it can dramatically change the way you view life. Here it is:

There is no such thing as TIME.

Think about it. What is this thing we've created called "time?" Really it is just a way for us to have a little bit of bearing and be able to know when to meet. In that very essence we measure ourselves against it and come up with the notion that we get "older" which is also not valid.

How do we measure a day? By 24 hours, right? A year? 365 days. Well, we know that one day is constituted by the earth rotating on its own axis 360 degrees. Every time the earth makes a spin we call it a day. Then we measure a year by the period it takes the earth to rotate completely around the sun...So really, the earth spins in this way over and over again, and we as human beings decided to call it time.

You see, since we are all eternal beings, there can be no such thing as time. Simply because the earth spins, doesn't mean we are getting "older" or that we are on an expiration deadline. These limitations are subjects we've put upon ourselves as a society and therefore live by. When you really come to understand that there is no such thing as TIME in a general sense of the word, you come to understand several things about your life.

Such as: you don't have to rush through life. You don't ever have to feel as if you're too old or too young. There is no need to fear aging. Studying and embracing this concept can free you of fears and emotions which serve as an anchor. Now, you can be liberated knowing you have no deadlines, only inspirations.

LIVE FULLY!

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Loose Control

"Consider this, if you wait for someone else to change before you allow yourself to have a winning attitude then you’re giving control over to others for how you feel." ~~ David Zack Holmes

Have you ever noticed a time when someone you are near to has done something or said something that has caused you to accept a reaction of frustration, anger or similar? Notice, I said "accept a reaction". I didn't say that the action had caused you the frustration in and of itself.

WHY?


Truly, it is because we are uniquely responsible for our own emotions. I believe that once someone embraces this concept, their life can NEVER be the same again. Where we as a society got the programming that other's actions can cause us dis-ease is beyond me. No one has that power.


For example: Let's say you got a phone call today from a complete stranger. This stranger doesn't even introduce herself to you and tells you that she has decided never to call you or get in contact with you again.


How do you feel? If you are normal, you probably don't care. So what? You never even knew who this person was.


Now on the flip side: Let's say you got a phone call from your significant other. She tells you that she has decided never to call you or see you again.


NOW how do you feel? If you are normal you would probably react that it would be hurtful and it would cause you to be upset.


Take a look at this scenario from an outside perspective. Doesn't that comparison seem a little silly? The truth is, the situation was exactly the same. The only difference is the person that called you. You put a value on the second person and therefore let it affect the way you felt. That is where you have control. You get to be the one who decides how to handle that kind of rejection or acceptance. You are the only one who can look someone in the face as they either call you a term of endearment or a name and give the meaning to what is happening.


Now, as much as that is good news...we have to remember that we also CANNOT control others. The actions and words that come out of other people are their own. If someone changes their behavior it won't make you happier or angrier. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE who can make yourself happier or angrier. So in an effort to keep your sanity, try this one on for size. DO NOT expect others to behave in a way that makes you feel satisfied, learn instead to come into peace with yourself so you can feel complete on your own.


The heartache you'll save along the way will make this trip of self improvement priceless for you. Remember: The only person you can change in you, so if you want to see a change in your environment, start by looking inside yourself and take the steps from there.


YOU ARE ALREADY GREAT!

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What Do You Deserve?

This morning when I check my inbox, I received Bob Proctor's quote of the day. The quote itself is so powerful that I want to share it with you:

"No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change."
~~Barbara DeAngelis

Go Barbara for making such an impactful point. No one is in control of your happiness, but you. Good news, right? How debilitating it is when we allow others to control the way WE feel. Nonsense, if you ask me.



Within that email there was an offer for one of Bob Proctor's products and within it they showed a study that the Harvard Business School did. Here it is:

It is Your Right to be Rich
We cannot rise to our greatest possible height in talent or soul development without money. And yet it is surprising how many people feel like they don’t deserve this.
There was a study done by Harvard Business School using the USA Today Publication. They did a test where two ads were placed in this newspaper.
The ironic thing is that both ads were for the exact same position for the exact same company!
And yet… more people applied for the position that offered less money because they didn’t think they deserved to be rich! They also tend to have that underlying belief that it’s just “too good to be true!”
Do you now see how people through their own limited beliefs, fears, doubts & skepticism cut themselves out of so much opportunity in their lives?
People often let their limiting beliefs control their lives. They allow outside forces like the media feed them thoughts that imprison them into a self-fulfilling cycle of doom.

Crazy, right? The same exact job, the same exact company, yet they get responses from way more people from the ad that offers a MUCH LOWER amount in pay.

I know the emails that will flood in for this one will be similar to: The reason is that people who don't have a background earning a 6 figure salary won't really be looked at from employers offering such. Or something like that .

Well, save your breath (or typing fingers) because that is just a made up story we've programmed into society. Whose rule is that? Every belief we have has been typed into our own mental computer and therefore dictates the results we experience in our life. Once you start believing you are worth more, you will attract more...until then your option is to hold on white knuckled to the beliefs that are keeping you broke and unhappy and keep proclaiming that it is just the way it is.

Good news is:

IT'S YOUR CHOICE.

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Where to Go Next?

Take it one step at a time. Ever hear that piece of advice? It stems from the famous quote,

"Each journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

Though wise this quote may be, sometimes we're not too worried about the journey itself. Sometimes we're worried about where this journey is taking us. If you've been reading any of my previous posts, I think you'll see where this is going (no pun intended).


First of all, the worrying part needs to disappear. No need to worry. Even if you are unsure as to where you want to take your vision, just begin by doing something. ANYTHING. If you are moving, at least you will be getting somewhere. The truth is, when we become paralyzed by the unknown, years pass and we remain in the same spot. So who cares that you don't know where you want to go, yet...just MOVE!


Bob Proctor tells his own story of when he worked at the fire house as a young man. He read Napoleon Hill's "THINK AND GROW RICH" and learned that he must begin from where he is at that moment to act. Even if he feels unready or unsure. So, since Bob Proctor knew he wanted to be successful and entrepreneurial, he knew he must act. But act in what? What should be the course he needed to take?


Since he had no clear vision forming, yet of what he needed to do, he decided that "acting now" meant being productive in any given moment. He began to use his down time at the fire station cleaning the rooms and tidying the posts. From doing this stemmed his idea of starting a cleaning business and there began the venture of a man who we know today as one of the most successful free thinkers of our time.


Sure at the time cleaning the fire house didn't seem like much, but it was action. He didn't just read about the stuff that would one day form his goals into reality and sit there and smile and just think about "one day"...instead, he did something. Anything!


When I first started reading blogs, I knew I'd like to start one. I didn't know how to do it, I had no clue how to format a website, and I had no clue how I could get anyone to read what I wrote. But one day as I was browsing through some websites I came across a site where you can purchase a domain name. I had an idea for a name and I purchased it. That was the first step for me into taking action for writing a blog and being successful with it. It wasn't until months later that I found how to actually post my content and redirect my domain name to that content. However, had I not taken action and purchased my domain name, this blog would still be a figment of my imagination.

What do you have in your mind right now that is just waiting to burst into reality? What are you dreaming of becoming? There is so much greatness between your ears that if you truly comprehended that at this moment you would literally burst out of reality. My encouragement is that you begin from where you are to make something special happen. Even if you really don't know what you want to make happen, just begin by being active. Do something, ANYTHING, and the more your personality evolves into a being of action, the more opportunities you will come to recognize along your journey.


GOYA!

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If You Don't Have Something Nice to Say...

Remember being told "If you don't have something nice to say, then it's best you don't say anything at all." ?? That my friends, is one of the best pieces of advice in our day. The truth is, most people don't follow that concept and wonder why their life feels as hard as it does.

When we complain, gossip, or simply speak negatively to someone else, one of two things will happen. The other person will agree with what we are saying or they will disagree. Here's the rub:

If they agree with what we are saying, it adds power to the negative thought we've put out therefore beginning a vibration that will attract to us more negative circumstances. Not too good, huh?

If they disagree with what we are saying then we get more passionate about the thought we had and feel much more strongly about the negative thought we expressed, which also begins a vibrations that attracts more negative circumstances. Not too good there, either.

So bottom line is, negative statements about people, places, or things only bring about negative circumstances. They never cause us to feel good, therefore they keep us in the vibrational match of attracting situations that are also not good. The good news is, we don't have to change who we are fundamentally. We just have to let go of the negative thoughts. There is simply no need to take a course on goal setting and positive affirmations and then spend hours on the practise itself. All that is needed is to release the negative thought, absolutely don't share it, and picture your mind on something, ANYTHING, positive.

When you begin to do this more and more often, you become accustomed to the positive vibrational frequencies you are emitting, therefore attracting to you more and more positive events. Sounds like a great trade off, doesn't it?

THINK BIG!

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BE VERY AFRAID...

"Don't be scared."

"Don't worry."


"Don't let fear stop you."


Which one of these statements is the most sound advice? I hope you said the last one. The truth about fear is that we will all experience some form of it some times in our life. You won't be able to get rid of the feeling of fear, but what you can do is muster the courage to go through the task anyway. So when people tell you 'not to be afraid', that is actually poor coaching. Fear will come, you will feel it, but you have to push through.


Depending on the task at hand there are many ways to gain courage in order to push through. The greatest thing one can do in any circumstance is focus on the goal. This is why a "Clear Concise Mental Picture" (Thank you Napoleon Hill) is of utmost necessity. You have to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish, because when obstacles come into the way, you know that the reward is far greater than the price.


One of the most effective ways for combating the fears you have is to do that which you fear most. That sounds like a piece of advice you'd rather not listen to, doesn't it? I fear it, and you're telling me to overcome the way I feel, I have to go do that thing? Yes. Simple.


Many people have a huge fear of public speaking. There are people who absolutely are petrified of talking to strangers. Some people have fears that stem from feelings of inadequacy. Whatever the fear may be, the more you do that which you fear the smaller and smaller the fear becomes and you therefore gain power over that which once held you captive.


If you hate speaking in front of crowds, begin to do it. After about 100 times of doing it, you will learn that it is truly second nature to you. The same with any other task that might cause discomfort upon thinking about it.

Please note, I didn't say: after about 10 times of doing it...I said after about 100 times of doing it. Is that law written in stone, of course not. However, many people go after a new challenge in life, try it a time or two and because they are too fearful to keep going they then declare it doesn't work for them or that it's not in their cards. To really gain the mental power over things we fear, you have to do it over and over again. Dozens upon dozens of times, champions who do that, come out the other end as conquerors over their fears.


So be afraid, but


DO IT ANYWAY!

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Oh So Wise!

Well, you got a snippet on what I think about being healthy and wise...oh yes...just a snippet. I have lots of thoughts! What in the world does it mean to be wise?? That seems the most vague of all topics. Really, I've boiled it down to this definition for me: Being wise means being open minded to knowing that there is more or different things to know.



Huh?


Well, I think one of the biggest diseases out there is that we come to think that we know all there is to know. When we say, "I know" to someone it shows close mindedness most of the time, because you feel that you are already at the point where you know all there is to know on that very subject.



But if someone says, "The sky is blue" isn't it okay to say, 'I know' since you really do KNOW that the sky is blue? Well, do you really know that? Here's where I can start getting kooky on this subject.

If you've had the pleasure of watching the Panel Discussion of Beyond the Secret where they discussed the coming of the new movie, you heard Bob Proctor say, "People say I'm white and that he's black (pointing to Les Brown). But I'm not white, my shirt is white. He's not black, his suit is black. I'm more peachy or tan, and he's a chocolate shade of brown. So what are these beliefs we've had programmed in us?"*



That really struck me. It made me think about all the beliefs I've held on to about ANYTHING and I really had to dig deep to decide what I thought I knew that really wasn't a good belief to hang on to. One of the biggest things about ourselves that many of us hang onto is the belief that we're not worthy, deserving, or good enough for abundance. It would certainly be WISE to change that belief, now wouldn't it?



Being Wise is knowing that we can always know more. We can always learn, we can always grow! Thank goodness, right? It would be a terrible predicament for most of us to have to be stuck at the current situation we find ourselves in right now...so be wise, my friend...grow, learn, and keep striving!
BE WISE!



*Not a word for word quote, just remembering the conversation.

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Healthy...Wealthy...PART II

I think I've come clearly on my stance that having "money" isn't a bad thing, in fact it is a necessary thing. The fact that people have insufficient money to meet their needs is really a culprit to the societal distaste with money. However, there are two more issues that I find important on a strive to be wealthy.

One: We need to know what to do with Money.

Two: We need to act in accordance with someone who is appreciative of money.

The first part might seem obvious, but it is the reason why so many people, whether they earn a large income or a small income find it difficult to make ends meet. Ever wonder how someone who wins the lottery, or athletes and movie stars who earn millions of dollars a year don't know how to stay afloat, let alone prosper, with the money in their lives? How is it that people like this can end up bankrupt or in poverty when their paychecks have 6 and 7 figures in them? How many of us think that when we earn an extra $10,000 or $20,000 or more annually that all our money problems will be gone?

It is because the root of our thinking about money is not in proper perspective. If you took a child to the ice cream shop and she ordered a single scoop on a cone, came walking out of the store...the BAM...dropped the ice cream, would you take her back in to get another scoop? Probably...then, all of a sudden, as you're waiting in line for the second time, she sees a picture of their daily special: A triple extra large scooper! "Wow!" She exclaims..."Can I have that one?" As a caring adult who does not want that child to be set up to fail, would you say YES? Of course you wouldn't! She couldn't handle one scoop, why would you have her take a triple scooper??

That is how it is with money in our lives. If you don't know what to do with money, you will in no ways have more. If by some chance you do fall into a lot of money or a windfall, you will likely loose it very quickly unless you understand how to play the money game.

A lot of people I deal with say this to me, "I don't know anything about money." My response is to slap them from the back of the head - but I refrain myself from doing just that - instead I say, "Isn't it about time you learn?"

Taking the time to educate ourselves on how money works is imperative to gaining wealth and abudance in our lives. Only by doing so we will be able to show the universe we can handle the triple scooper of money and therefore we will get more. But this time, when we get more, because we know what to do with it, the money will stay with us, rather than vanish like we are usually used to.

Great, so now you understand that and you will do everything in your power to understand how money works...mortgages, loans, credit cards, investments, insurance, savings, etc. You will learn it all...but until you begin to bless that which you want, you will also get none. You cannot attract to you that which you despise. It cannot come into harmony with your being.

What do I mean by this exactly? Well, when you see something you really like, but do not yet own (a BMW, a PRADA purse, a HUGE SAVINGS ACCOUNT, etc.) do you say, good for you, bless you for having what you have, or do you disgruntedly say to yourself, 'greedy bastard', 'you think you're all that, don't you?', etc.?

I had a friend by me one day and as we were flipping through a magazine we saw a full page ad for Louis Vuitton. I commented that the purse in the picture was probably a couple of thousand of dollars and my friend said, "That's just foolish. That's when people just get too good for the money." I about lost my breath and said, "What do you mean?" she basically explained, that people with that kind of money just act like they're better than everyone else and that it is wrong to buy things like that.

My first thought there was, 'You poor thing!' Literally and figuratively. Why would people be "TOO GOOD" for money? Do you realize wealthy people really don't talk about money? It's broke and middle class people that discuss money. They talk about how they cannot afford things, or how expensive things are, etc. Rich people talk about what they want to do with their lives and how great things are. Big difference, right?

If you are on a quest to wealthy, as you should be, bless that which you want. Next time you see nice things send out blessings to that person, tell yourself you can afford things like that, don't you dare reject it, curse it, or say it is out of your reach. Until that changes, nothing else will change financially for you.

P.S. Don't you think the name "Wealthy" would sound so pretty? I heard it once and I think it's fabulous. Imagine your child in trouble and you yell out "WEALLLLTTTTHHHTYYY!" Ha! It cannot get any better than that, huh?

ON TO WEALTH

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Healthy...Wealthy...

So, after my post on being healthy, I actually received a few comments from friends and fellow bloggers. It is great to hear when something you feel so strongly about gets received well, but even if it doesn't, at the end of the day you have to know that you cannot please everyone all the time. So, let's see how my post about being wealthy will be received.

The topic of money is very important to me. In fact, I feel it is one of the most neglected topics in the average American family today. Almost like it is taboo or something. We feel much more comfortable talking about any other topic, but when the word "money" comes in to the picture, most people squirm. The reason why, is because most people don't have any.

One of the strongest points that gets brought up by middle income and below people is that "Money changes people." Really? Some green pieces of paper are really going to change a person at their core? No. Do you want to know what changes people? When I tell you, I don't think you're going to be able to handle it. The truth is, the thing that REALLY changes someone is the LACK of money. Have you ever met someone who is broke really fired up about life? If you answer yes to that question, then you haven't seen them at home when it is just them and their self they have to face.

There is a family that we are acquainted with who are lovely people. They have kids and seem to live a happy go lucky life. Not too long ago, I know they began running into financial difficulty and it seemed like night vs. day in their personalities. These people who seemed normally congenial would snap at the slightest provocation. They were upset at EVERYTHING, and that is not an exaggeration. Any new idea presented to them was wrong, or not good enough. Suffice it to say, that being around them began to feel draining. Their apparent discontent with life was all too evident, and when they confessed their money challenges, it all became very clear.

See when there is not enough money in a household to allow the continuation of life's circle to rotate, then one thing creeps in slowly and seems to make itself an unwelcome lengthy visitor. Of course, I'm talking about "Stress". Where stress lives, harmony cannot live also. In fact, the more time that passes when someone has financial challenges, the less and less one keeps of himself. All the burden and the anger and the frustration gradually wears down on you as a person, until one day you are a shell and cannot recognize the person in the mirror.

So, take a long hard look at yourself when you say money changes people, because you need to rephrase that statement into the "lack" of money changes people.

Think of yourself abundantly. If you had millions of dollars drop into your lap right now, what kind of great things could you do? You know you would do amazing things with it. Of course you would give yourself a great lifestyle, and so you should. However, if $$ flowed to you abundantly (as it is designed to do) then you would easily see opportunities for it to do wonders for those you cared about.

Not too long ago a lady who works in our office part time had a family experience where someone needed some cash to get them on a plane home. She said she felt completely hollow because she couldn't offer the few hundred dollars to help. This lady is an excellent person, in fact one of the biggest hearts I know. But that all doesn't matter when the cash is what is needed. That situation gave her a strong resolve to become the go to person in her family's life and do what it takes to improve her quality of life.

There is much more that needs to be said about this topic. Rather than ranting on for ever on this post I will save my second part of this topic for my next posting. Between now and then it is my hope that you think about this topic, and think about the way you feel about it. Let money be a source of contentment for you, not a topic of stress and frustration. Begin to feel it's importance in your life and begin to feel that you are worthy of and expected to be wealthy. It really is your duty to do so!

"I say that you ought to get rich, and it is our duty to get rich. How many of my pious brethren say to me, “Do you, a Christian minister, spend your time going up and down the country advising young people to get rich, to get money?” “Yes, of course I do.” They say, “Isn’t that awful! Why don’t you preach the gospel instead of preaching about man’s making money?”

“Because to make money honestly is to preach the gospel.” That is the reason. The men who get rich may be the most honest men you find in the community. “Oh,” but says some young man here to-night, “ I have been told all my life that if a person has money he is very dishonest and dishonorable and mean and contemptible.”

"My friend, that is the reason why you have none, because you have that idea of people. The foundation of your faith is altogether false. Let me say here clearly, ..., ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men of America are honest. That is why they are rich. That is why they carry on great enterprises and find plenty of people to work with them. It is because they are honest men."

~~RUSSELL CONWELL...from ACRES OF DIAMONDS

TO YOUR WEALTH!

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Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise

On this beautiful day of OCTOBER (can you believe it?), the saying: "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, & wise" came to my mind. I have NO idea why, but alas, it did. So I pondered the thought. Those are really three things we all want to have an abundance of in our lives, yet many of us lack even the fundamentals for such a basis. Why? What can we do to change?

I'll put my thoughts on here, and you can decide what you think.

Since I could post a novel about all three subjects, I'll post about each one separately on different days, but I will absolutely begin today with the discussion on being "Healthy" (especially in America).

We've all heard the stats on the percentages of Americans who are overweight. Mostly everyone you know chows down on junk food like potato chips, pizza, or burgers. We consume red meat as if it were a primary staple and soda is the "new" H20 in our culture. Then, the flip side comes in when we all complain about the weight we want to loose and how we're often tired.

Over $30 Billion is spent PER YEAR on weight loss products alone in the U.S. Anything from diet pills, books on weight loss, and gym memberships. That is a HUGE industry (no pun intended). Think of the economic boost we get because people are fat. The irony comes in when we spend all that time researching, then all that money on purchasing products to help us loose weight so we can feel better about ourselves, yet we eat a triple portion lunch, slug down a 32 or 44 oz coke, and splurge for desert. To make matters worse, after a long, grueling day of work (aka playing on the Internet all day) we come home, plop in front of the big black box and watch shows for the rest of the night.

"Oh but you don't understand! I have a thyroid problem!"

"You're just insensitive."

"Easy for you to say, everything I eat goes to my hips!"

ETC. ETC. ETC....

The excuses begin to pile on. I can speak this directly, because I am speaking from personal experience. Growing up I was always thin. I did eat whatever I wanted in any quantity I wanted and I looked great. It was a gift...or was it? Then I got married. Since I didn't gain the freshman 15 in college, I made up for it during my first few years of marital bliss. I gained about 45 pounds. Sure, I noticed the weight creeping on. Occasionally I acted like I cared and went to the gym now and again for a 20 minute walk on the treadmill and 30 minutes of weight training, just in time to come home to spaghetti and meatballs and brownies and ice cream. The weight was slow to come on, but boy did it STAY on!

One day as I was changing my husband pointed out a new addition to my body. A new STRETCH MARK! Oh, no no no no...this will not do! Absolutely unacceptable! So that was the starting point to losing the weight, right? Wrong! It would be another 18 months before I really committed to doing something about it. When I finally had ENOUGH, I made a change.

The biggest change was to take away any and all excuse. I got rid of them all! EVERYTHING was my responsibility and I was going to make sure that I would lose all that I attached.

First thing I did was monitor my self talk. I stopped saying things that were contrary to my goals. I.E. : "I'm always hungry," "Everything I eat sticks to me," "I wish I could be skinny again," etc. I replaced those thoughts with, "No matter what I eat, not a pound sticks to me," "I really LOVE exercising, " or "I feel so good about myself."

Second thing I did was really feel good about who I am, and loved myself from where I stood. I am me, no matter what the scale says, I will always be me and if I don't feel good about who I am, no one else ever could. I knew that the way I looked at the time was the sole result of the way I internally felt, so I began to reshape my view of who I was from the inside and began to love myself all over again, just the way I was.

Third: Here comes the fun part. I exercised! I went to the gym EVERY DAY! I ran or did the elliptical until I burned 300-400 calories and then I would focus on one area of muscle to train on for the day (like abs, legs, arms, etc.) My time at the gym ranged from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The more I went, the more I loved going. When the weather warmed up, I started jogging outside and going for random walks around my office building here and there. Those random bursts of exercise really add up.

Finally: I ate less! OH THE HORROR! How dare I say I eliminated the one activity that brings most people their only life-ly pleasure. Yes! I counted my calories and I was obsessed with it! I knew that the only reason we gain weight and become unhealthy is because we consume more calories than we burn! So, if I burn about 2000 gross calories per day, and I only ate about 1300, then I would be burning about 700 net calories per day. About 4900 calories per week. If I loose 3500 calories, I lose a pound...so ta daaaa...I now had a formula.

It was tough. It was mentally draining. However, at the end of the day I knew what I wanted. I wanted "ME" back again. I was at 165 pounds and my goal was to reach 130. I made all the way down to 138 and now it's just a dog fight. Now I'm still working on my conditioning and telling myself the things that would be suitable for my mind to take in so that it can AID me in my goal rather than HINDER me.

I feel much better, I look much better, and I love myself again. That's why the results show what they do. The nasty stretch mark visitor went away also, thank goodness! So if you have a goal to be healthy, just make it happen. How much longer do we need to wait or how many other reasons do we need to hear about why we need to start? Let's do it for ourselves!

My strongest resource was: http://www.caloriecount.about.com/ it is a great site, I set up an account and managed my calorie intake. The trick is to be faithful to your calorie intake. Monitor it every day. If you say you are too busy you are lying and simply avoiding. Do it! The more you monitor how many calories you take in daily, the more you'll see how much "extra" you stuff into your body. It will motivate you.

ON TO YOUR JOURNEY OF HEALTH!

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