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October 22, 2008 on 6:07 pm | In General

You will find a growing database of articles here, intended to supplement the information on this site. Please click on the categories below to find those  articles of interest to you.

You’ll also find the latest few entries by scrolling down this page. Enjoy!

The Financial Crisis: Tools and Resources

October 22, 2008 on 6:31 pm | In Money

It seems we can’t go anywhere, nor read/listen to any media these days without being bombarded with news about the Global Financial Crisis. While I feel that calling the current challenges such a monumental name adds to and deepens the problem, that is a post for another blog. (Like this one!)

Today’s post is about informing yourself, protecting yourself, and making yourself feel more secure and positive about your future. You are NEVER as out of control as you think.

INFORMING AND PROTECTING YOURSELF

If you are a regular reader here, you’ll know that I am a big proponent of financial education, especially for women.

Children in our society rarely get ANYTHING in the way of financial and survival training, and this is especially true for girls. As adults, this doesn’t change for most of us, as we struggle along from month to month hoping we’ll have enough to pay for the bills. Many women face either overt ‘finances are the man’s responsibility’ or subtle ‘don’t you worry about the finances, darling,’ discrimination when it comes to family finances. Even those who handle the family’s money are not given full reign in investing the money, nor full knowledge of where the money comes from.


If this is not the case for you, that’s fantastic, however I’m still willing to bet you don’t know enough about handling your money - how to invest it wisely and make it grow, to make the most of tax laws and regulations, to protect your assets from theft or financial drain in the form of fees, poor earnings or even fraud, etc.. And what about estate isses, potential divorce, employee grudges, random accidents and other potential challenges you may face?

If this ‘financial crisis’ has served to wake many people up and cause them to take a closer look at what they are doing with their money, then that effect, if not many others, is a good thing. Some basic steps you can take to inform and protect yourself, both now and for your future, include:

  • Your financial picture: Take a good look. Knowing where we really are is the first step to getting somewhere else. For years, it has been common practice for people to have their heads in the sand with respect to their spending habits. Sit down with all of your financial paperwork and get a good picture of what you’ve really got and what you really spend. Knowledge is always power (when it’s used to make things better).
  • Credit card debt: Not only are you hurting these days - your credit card companies are hurting too. They do NOT want to write off any more bad debt, and may be more amenable to your requests for lenience. If you can make payments then try calling and working something out with them. Try also speaking with a debt counselor, who can advise the best way to save your credit rating while dealing with your debt.
  • Know your rights: …AND your obligations. A meeting with a lawyer, an accountant, an insurance specialist and a financial advisor are always advised, no matter what the financial circumstances. You may want to add your local banker to that list as well. Imagine the benefits and peace of mind of having professionals on your side when you need them. They can save you money, protect you from unforeseen pitfalls, and ensure you are on the right track with your financial planning. Planning should include such things as insurance for disasters (from job loss or injury to unexpected acts of God, death of family breadwinner/s, protection against fraud or identity theft, etc.), plans for your assets should anything happen to you, and making the most of tax regulations. All of your planning should put you in a place of advantage, alleviating your current condition of living in fear and ignorance, perhaps making blunders with consequences you have yet to see.

POSITIVITY AND HOPE

One of the biggest steps you can take towards feeling empowered and hopeful is getting a financial education. This does NOT mean spending four years at business school. What it does mean is acquainting yourself with the ways of the financial world. Learning the common terms, the basics of money management and investing, and brainstorming alternative ways to create income are all a part of the financial learning curve, and you’ve got to start somewhere.

  • Local: Libraries are full of resources - just ask the librarian. He or she may not be financially savvy themselves, but can certainly direct you to the right sections. (My local library must think I’m nuts, as I have taken out probably over 200 books on finances and personal improvement over the past few years, but then who has to work at the library (them), and who has created the time and freedom to peruse the books and continue learning and improving (me)?) You may find some money management courses available through local schools or clubs. Also try your local and national business papers, and watching shows such as CNBC.
  • Online: You can find many group discussions on websites such as Yahoo!. Just search for financial forums and the like, and join up to start learning. You will also find many tools and resources at the Money/Finances section of IncreasingVelocity.com.

At first you may not understand much, but like any immersion program, your mind will begin to assimilate the information, especially if you combine learning venues. If this seems like a lot of time and trouble, just think of the alternative. NO ONE can do this for you, and your own future and peace of mind are worth the price, aren’t they?

CHANGE YOUR MIND

Aside from the complexities of how money works, there are challenges which not many people speak of in the financial education world. The two main ones involve a person’s financial mindset, and indeed they both have a fundamental effect on what we do with our money, including how much we are able to attract and create. Let’s deal with them one at a time:

1) The first challenge with mindset involves our emotions surrounding the topic of money. Although money itself is inert - just a form of exchange - the way we think about it and relate to it is definitely anything but. As you have no doubt noticed, money is one of most emotionally-charged subjects we ever face, affecting many facets of our lives. In order to improve our relationship with money, these emotions - and the limiting and conflicting beliefs which cause them - must be explored and improved upon. Many books and online resources have been created in recent years to help you do just that. Here are a few recommendations:

  • Build Your Money Muscles by Joan Sotkin: A brilliant book which gets to the heart of how we feel about money like no other I have read. This smart, eye-opening book is filled with detailed analyses and tests for exploring and improving our financial relationship, and is a must-read for this reason. Far from dry and boring, it is enlightening and fascinating, as well as effective.
  • The Breathing Prosperity blog: This resource was crated for exactly this reason - to help the founders (including myself) and readers explore and transform their/our thoughts and beliefs about money and prosperity. There is a wealth of articles here which deal with our mentality surrounding wealth, abundance and money in general - enough to keep you busy for a while. Warning: you may feel confronted, which is a good thing!
  • The Personal Development blog list: For tons of online reading, you’ll find many choices on this list. A lot of people in the personal development world include financial abundance in their definition of lifestyle and personal improvement, and you’ll find that many of these writers address financial issues, especially those relating to beliefs and behaviors.
  • Accept Your Abundance by Randy Gage: Get ready to confront your beliefs when you read this no-holds-barred, in your face dialogue. Randy is passionate about the lack of financial education in our society, and equally passionate about being honest about - and purging - the limiting beliefs we have about money. A great book by a fantastic gentleman.
  • You’re Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead by Larry Winget: Another straight-talking look at how you got where you are, and the steps you can take to change things, for now and for the future. Larry has become famous for being ‘the Pitbull of Personal Development’ and was recently featured as an expert panelist on CNBC’s The Millionaire Inside.
  • 30 Days to Wealth: My own contribution to the ‘wealth mindset’ literature, this book combines and delivers the result of years of research and trial and error. Exercises are designed to open your eyes and improve - for good - the way you think about money, enabling you to attract and create much more abundance. For those who are REALLY ready to make changes!

2) Mindset issue number two is also very common, and hurts almost everyone: the belief system we are taught in school which tells us that we must work our butts off and never get anywhere, all the while saving for a far-off retirement. How depressing, and how untrue! This mindset is so pervasive that you will find few people to discuss any alternatives with, so you must go this route on your own. There ARE better ways - ways which will help you achieve financial independence and the joy and peace of mind which come along with it. Here are some books by enlightened people who already know this. Enjoy, and prosper:

  • The Millionaire Maker series by Loral Langemeier: This smart and ambitious lady will help you think differently about earning money and achieving financial independence. She excels at helping people go from the drudgery of a job they hate to the success and true freedom of owning what she calls a ‘Cash Machine’ - a vehicle based on your own skills which can lead you to financial independence. Part of her strategy involves learning to invest in assets which produce cashflow, a key piece in the financial independence puzzle. Click here for a review of the third book in the series.
  • Rich Dad Series by Robert Kiyosaki: This series is a MUST for anyone wishing to shake up their traditional mindset and really see financial independence as a reachable goal. While they are all good, I would recommend as primers Rich Dad, Poor Dad (What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money, That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!), Rich Woman (by Kim Kiyosaki) and Success Stories (inspiring stories from real people who have changed their lives that will help you feel that you can do it too!). Also recommended is their Cashflow 101 game, created to assist with this process in a fun way. You can find groups playing the game locally by visiting their website at RichDad.com.
  • Why We Want You to be Rich by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki: Citing the failing social security pension system and the growing gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots,’ these two gentlemen, no strangers to creating abundance, express their deep concern about your chances if you continue along the standard path. They encourage you to think in terms of winning rather than not losing, and to create financial abundance instead of trying to live below your means and always feeling poor. Very inspiring and encouraging.
  • The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris: There is a lot of garbage out there promising to help you work less, especially online…this is not part of that garbage. Tim, from his extensive experience, gives you information you can use. Many people have had their lives changed for the better by the information in this book, and you would have to pay for a number of other books to get the collection of gems contained in just this one.
  • Cracking the Millionaire Code by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen: Both of these wildly successful authors and entrepreneurs are famous in their respective worlds, and their efforts combined in this book make for a powerhouse of information. Truly, this book gives the blueprint for not only achieving wealth but doing it in a way that is ‘enlightened,’ as in, good for everyone including you, your loved ones and our planet.

As Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones is famous for saying, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for two things, the people you meet and the books you read.”

This is as true in your financial life as in any other arena. Instead of being frightened, which comes from weakness, become empowered. Yes, there may be horrible things going on, but worrying and remaining powerless is no way to live, and will not create a better future for you. Learn to thrive and not just to survive. YOU CAN DO IT!

*This article is from the Women & Money blog.


10 Easy and Effective Weight Loss Habits

January 1, 2009 on 8:46 pm | In Health

weight_loss_tips


It’s a fresh new year, and millions of people are turning their minds to weight loss. Something about New Year’s Eve causes people to think that they can really change in the coming year – this time it’s going to be different.

These same people, having resolved to kick their bad eating habits or to go to the gym every day, usually find that a few weeks (or even a few days) into the new year their resolve begins to soften. The pain of sticking with a new schedule or disciplined diet is too much. Ridden with guilt and regret, they give up and find themselves in the same position on the following New Year’s Eve.

It’s time to stop the cycle of sabotage. This year, instead of going on a full-on weight loss regimen you cannot keep, or hurting yourself in the gym and then quitting in frustration, try a long-term approach.

This has all been said before, and that’s because it works. You’ll find that those who look at things this way are the ones who lose weight and keep it off – who get healthy and stay that way.

The Healthy Mindset

There are weight loss habits you can develop that are painless and easy, but first a change in mindset may be necessary. You are not weak or low on willpower; there are other forces at work, and until you unearth them you’ll find a similar pattern repeating.

If you have been on more than one diet or have found yourself yo-yo-ing from health kick to binge snacking, there are some imternal beliefs you need to work on. For whatever reason, you are undermining your own efforts at being healthy. This is a very personal matter, and your reasons are unique to you. Whether you have self-worth issues or unconscious concerns about your loved ones dealing with you changing – just to name two common issues – you need to do some thinking and uncover your own.

Consider the reasons you wish to lose weight. Why is it that on New Year’s Eve you feel you must lose weight in the coming weeks? What is it that’s so important to you? Are you hoping to get bathing suit-ready for the summer, or do you feel like a low-energy slob much of the time? By delving into your reasons for wanting to be healthier, slimmer or more fit, you can mentally amplify those reasons and remind yourself that you want to be that way for the rest of your life. Ask yourself honestly how you’ll feel if it comes to next year’s end and you’re going through the same motions again. Do you really want to repeat this cycle every year, and is it ever going to change anything? The best way to get healthy is to do it ONCE, and never look back.

Envision your ideal self – not the perfect, impossible-to-attain self – and keep that vision in your mind. Build up all the reasons you want to be healthy and strong and beautiful, and last but not least, never go on a diet. Diets mean deprivation, and how long can you deprive yourself before you revolt? Instead, think of your new habits and lifestyle as a gift to yourself, one that you adore your fine self enough to continue giving.

The Healthy Habits

You may have heard some or all of these before, but are you really doing all of them? Combined, they pack a powerful punch and will have your body changing shape without your even realizing it. In a very short time you’ll notice you have more energy and a clearer head, especially if you have been eating a lot of white flour products, sugar and salt.

1. Metabolism: Our ancestors were grazers, and our stomachs were never meant to process huge amounts of food at one time. Not only do we stretch our stomachs out by eating two or three large meals per day, but we release excess anti-stress hormones into our bloodstream as well as slowing down our metabolism and causing our bodies to store fat. Think of your metabolism like a little woodstove, and keep it stoked by consuming smaller amounts of food more often. In this way, you’ll have a consistent stream of nutrients and energy, you will never feel famished and overindulge, and the little furnace that is your metabolism will rev up, burning more of your food as well as more of your stored body-fat.

2. Muscle: Another way to rev up your metabolism is by adding lean muscle mass. You need not hit the gym for three hours every day or look like a bodybuilder. Just know that muscle, as a tissue, actually burns calories even at rest, thus if you make small, consistent efforts to increase your muscle mass, you’ll find your body-fat being burnt off without any additional focus on it.

3. Digestion: Improving your digestive system will not only result in a healthier you, it will help ease any bloating and stomach pains you currently experience. Ease up on foods such as red meats, saturated fats and low-fiber fast foods. Eat more foods high in fiber, and more raw foods, especially vegetables. This is easy to do if you take it meal by meal. Replace white bread and pasta with whole grain products, add nuts and vegetables to your meals in salads and pasta dishes, etc.. Each time you prepare or order a meal, just remember to ask yourself how you could make it a little healthier, and replace just one item so you don’t feel utterly deprived.

4. Fat: Lower the fat in your diet. One easy way to do this is to use dairy products with less fat. Dairy products contain unhealthy fat, and by using a lower fat milk in your coffee and cereal, etc., you will lower your health risks as well as allowing your body-fat to naturally decrease. Consider veggie burgers instead of regular burgers, choose white meat and fish rather than red meats, use dressings and creams more sparingly by having them on the side instead of drenching your meals. Use delicious spices and broths instead of butter, cream and other fats. This one change, consciously made meal by meal, will make an immense difference in your body composition and your energy levels.

5. Supplements: Even if we eat organic foods and consume our daily recommended amounts of vegetables and fruits, it is difficult to ensure we receive the vitamins and nutrients we need for optimum health. Many modern crops are grown in nutrient-deprived soil, and other foods contain growth hormones and other chemicals. To supplement your diet, take a quality multivitamin and also a balanced healthy oil capsule or liquid. Healthy fats such as those found in fish, hemp and flax are high in Omega fatty acids and actually aid in digestion, hair and nail growth and fat loss.

6. Carbohydrates: We need carbohydrates to live and to perform all of our bodily functions properly, not to mention to provide us with energy. Thus, cutting out carbs is not only unhealthy, it can also be dangerous. Also, when you starve your body of carbs in an attempt to lose weight, you actually create the opposite reaction: your body goes into starvation mode and hoards any food you do eat, storing it as fat. The trick is to eat healthy, high-fiber carbs instead of empty carbs such as fats, white breads and pastas, and fatty, salty snacks. Choose more foods that are natural, and have bright colors such as green vegetables. With vegetables, a practical guideline is that the more colorful it is the more vitamins and nutrients it contains. For instance, celery and mushrooms are delicious but fairly low in fiber and vitamins. Bright red and yellow peppers and dark greens such as kale and spinach, on the other hand, are packed with vitamins. Additionally, always eat protein with your meals and snacks. A pure carbohydrate meal or snack such as chips or popcorn goes quickly to your bloodstream and most of it gets turned eventually into fat. A snack or meal with protein (and fiber if possible) does just the opposite; it gets processed slowly, giving you a longer, slower release of healthy energy.

7. Calories: The ‘diet’ industry has created some huge misperceptions in the marketplace in order to sell more products. For instance, did you know that if you buy low fat cookies, you are likely to eat more because you tell yourself they’re better for you, and in fact they are not because they often contain an equal amount of replacement ‘bad stuff,’ such as sugar, salt and chemicals? Change your snacks and you can lose weight for good. In general, choose foods close to their natural state, such as fruits, nuts and vegetables. Snacks such as these instead of processed cookies, crackers and other high-fat, -sugar or –salt options will help your body flush out toxins and maintain a healthy balance of energy. Avoid hydrogenated oils and any sorts of trans-fats where possible.

8. Sugar: Sugar is a huge culprit in creating obesity and other conditions of poor health, including diabetes. While it may seem fairly harmless, sugar is in many of our foods – not just desserts – and we consume far more than we may realize. Ideas to cut back on sugar include using replacements such as Splenda, stevia or apple sauce in your cooking and baking, and the same with your coffee and tea (stevia is a naturally sweet sugar replacement). Try also having green tea or herbal teas instead of coffee or tea, and make yourself smoothies with fresh fruit and juice instead of pop.

9. Fluids: Water is life, and our bodies are over 90% water. We need to continuously replenish the fluids in our bodies in order to ensure everything functions optimally, and that we flush our bodies of toxins. Pop doesn’t count as fluids! Drink water throughout the day, and enjoy more soups, broths and herbal teas. This will contribute to your overall health as well as your shrinking waistline.

10. Exercise: While we won’t get into specifics here, you don’t have to run for an hour every day to get healthier and slimmer. While you should definitely get regular exercise - including weight work, cardiovascular work and stretching - there is more you can do. Make a habit of finding small ways to exercise. Take the stairs when possible, and park farther away from the store when shopping. Do arm curls with your grocery bags, and perform a few squats and sit-ups in front of the television at night. Every little bit counts, and you’ll also feel a lot healthier mentally when you know that you take every opportunity possible to get fresh air and give your body a treat.

Patience and Persistence

One reason it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to make changes is that we take an ‘all or nothing’ approach. If we eat at a restaurant and indulge in dessert, we feel so guilty we throw in the towel. If we skip the gym a day or two, we feel guilty and give up entirely.

For a change this year, open up your mind and relax the pressure you put on yourself. Remember that the person with healthy habits – not the obsessive dieter – wins the health race in the long run. Respect yourself and make healthy choices, most of the time. Replace a few of your unhealthy habits with better ones, and build from there. Congratulate yourself on your efforts, and love yourself just the way you are. Look to your brighter future while never chastising yourself for your past or present actions. Self-deprecating or scolding behavior only leads to less self-esteem and worse behaviour. Enjoy the present, and work towards the future you of your dreams – one meal, one day, one choice at a time.


The Benefits of Meditation

December 3, 2008 on 4:07 pm | In Mindset


In the past few years, meditating has gone from something talked about only by ‘alternative lifestyle’ proponents to a very mainstream activity, like yoga and healthy eating. The benefits of meditation have become available to the mainstream, and many millions of people are more relaxed and centered because of this. Meditation itself has never gone anywhere, of course, but the information and practice is so widely available now that even businessmen and grandmothers are getting involved.

meditation-benefits

No longer the domain of eastern mystics or enlightened yogis alone, meditation is becoming a household practice, literally.

Easy to learn, meditation requires no special accessories or equipment, involves no trainers or classes (although some introductory training or group meditations can be beneficial until you learn to relax your mind), and can be done just about anywhere. Once you learn how your own mind relaxes itself, you will be able to take a mental break by meditating any time, anywhere.

The benefits of meditation depend greatly on who is doing it, what type of meditation they are performing as well as for how long and in what environment. For instance, you could be listening to a quick-break guided meditation on the commute home from work, or entering deep relaxation at sunrise in a silent, holistic environment, and your experience will be quite different. All this aside, of course there are some universal benefits of meditation that all practitioners swear by, and these include:

  • Relaxation: Without a doubt, learning to control the chatter in our heads and slow down both our minds and bodies on a regular basis leads to relaxation. Both during the meditation itself as well as throughout the day, the practice of meditating leads to a feeling of deep relaxation which is most welcome amid the hectic pace of most lives.
  • Peace of mind: Like relaxation but different, peace of mind is a state of being, where things bother you less because you are at peace with yourself and your life. Meditation, when practiced regularly, brings a state of deep calm which affects personal interactions and decision-making; the results can be astounding.
  • Coping skills: Because of the increase in feeling centered and calm, you may find that you are better able to cope with stress, surprises and challenges. Calmness can lead to being less ‘close to the edge,’ which so many people feel these days. Meditation is a fantastic antidote for our super-stressful lives, bringing a sense of balance you may have thought you’d never regain.
  • Improved relationships: From a happier and refreshed perspective, you will find yourself dealing with everyday irritants and people pushing your ‘buttons’ in a different way. Your level of patience will increase, and you will likely find yourself more tolerant and understanding, which will lead to more peaceful and productive relationships, both personal and professional.
  • Clarity of thoughts: It’s simple – you will be gaining increasing skill in calming the chatter in your mind and the voice which runs rampant in your head. A nice result of this increasing skill is that your thoughts will become more organized and meaningful, and the meaningless chatter gets under control.
  • Goal achievement: You can use your clarity of thought while meditating to focus on some goal or goals you’d like to achieve, visualizing what it will be like to have accomplished your desire, and being open to receiving inspiration or direction as to how to proceed.*
  • Improved health: While this is difficult to document, the reasons for these claims seem to be twofold. First, by balancing our energies and focusing on activities which make us feel great, we are attracting better health and may be assisting our bodies in healing any imbalances and illness. Secondly, simply by virtue of thinking in more healthy ways, practicing meditation naturally helps us to make healthier choices in our daily lives, such as eating better and getting rid of bad habits.

These are just some of the benefits of meditation. If you ask around or do a search you’ll no doubt come up with more. However, the best way to discover the benefits of meditation is to begin to try it yourself. Enjoy!

*TIP: Some find a great way to begin meditating is to enjoy guided meditations, where a soothing voice will lead you to relaxation and help you learn how to control your scattered thoughts. Many will even help you focus on some personal goals, and can be a valuable tool for those seeking a variety of results. You can find more information about this on the Mind Power section of Live-With-Power.com. For more information on meditation, see also Meditation-Secrets.info.

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