Several years ago I was in a personal development workshop lead by Brian Tracy. Brian asked everyone in the room to raise their hands if they were self-employed (as opposed to be an employee). Most people in the room did not raise their hand. Brian challenged the room to say everyone was in fact in business for themselves as the president of their own personal services company.
As we recently celebrated July 4th, and we all celebrated our country’s independence, lets take time to appreciate our own. Our own independence begins in our mind and is a belief and mindset. If you are seeking financial freedom, then you must begin the process internally first. How do you picture yourself in relation to being financially free? What does your life look like? How much money do you have in the bank and invested? What target income is needed? What debt must first be eliminated? What type of cash flow is required? All of these questions will need answers. Take some time over the wee to create further clarity.
The Article Below is written by author Brad DeHaven. Brad’s bestselling book The Currency of The Future is available at Barnes and Nobles and Amazon.
Success Lies on The Other Side of Failure
Success is there for the taking, but its treasure is often guarded by
rugged terrain riddled by the pitfalls of failure and adversity. Though
it’s path seems intimidating, the way is opened to those that are
determined enough to persevere after others have turned back. It is what
we do after we fail, lose, and get knocked down that counts. If we want to
achieve more than the average person achieves, then we must persist longer
than the average person is willing to persist. Where others are not
wiling to go is where we will find the greatest treasures of all.
” Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the
bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to
win when the match is even.”
- Mahammad Ali
I just read an article regarding Kimberly-Clark. They make Kleenex, Huggies, and a whole host of consumer products. They said that they would raise prices in third quarter as much as 6-8% on their products too offset higher raw material and energy costs. This is happening accross the board. Point here is, the wave of increases happening from the manufacturers has NOT hot the consumers yet. Be ready. If you do not have a budget now is the time to create one. This storm is long from over.
Maintaining a car is enevitable. Few plan for it. A car should be treated like our own health. otatWith preventive care. We should schedule and budget oil changes, tire rotation, tire replacement, battery replacement, etc. That all being said having a good trustworthy mechanic can make you or literally break the bank. Take the time to find someone who is good, fair and honest. Aks for referrals and fins someone who has had experience with your make and model. A car and maintenance is one of the larger expenses we incur an one that is not usually planned or budgeted properly. Applying these principles will save you thousands.
By Jolie Biernacki
You’ve probably heard the saying before—health is wealth. Maybe it was in a fortune cookie, or perhaps it was something that an eccentric relative used to say at family get-togethers after a few too many visits to the punch bowl. Whatever the case, the fact remains that most Americans today are not living balanced lives, and that, in turn, is affecting their health. Living stressed lives, not scheduling regular medical check ups, and ignoring chronic conditions could prove costly in later years. With Baby Boomers comprising a large portion of the population, they need only look to their parents to see what may lie in wait for them if they don’t change their habits quickly.
Of course, if you have a major health concern during your working years, you may have good insurance and/or a benefits program to fall back on, which can deflect some of the immediate economic sting. However, for those in their twilight years, the prospect of experiencing a major trauma can be even more frightful, financially speaking.
According to a 2003 study done by Ohio Sate University, healthy senior citizens are more likely to retain their wealth in retirement than those who develop health problems. Those who develop new and serious health problems later in life will feel the financial repercussions—whether it is due to a major catastrophe that claims a large portion of their savings (since Medicare typically only pays about half of medical costs), or because of a chronic illness such as diabetes that will diminish wealth incrementally for the rest of their lives.
What can you do to avoid the pitfalls of health-related debt? Make lifestyle changes now, and plan your retirement with health costs in mind.
Making small changes in your daily lifestyle can help move you in the right direction. Fitness is one of the more effective ways to change your health-related course in life, and no, you don’t have to be an athlete to be fit! Moderate exercise such as walking for 30 minutes a day can improve your health and may lower your risk for heart attacks, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Some people opt to join health clubs or community centers, go hiking, or sign up for dance classes to keep exercise interesting. If you don’t have the means or access to any of those, taking stairs instead of elevators, parking at the far end of the lot, and walking or riding your bike when doing errands are also great ways to “sneak in” exercise.
(Of course, consult your physician before beginning any new program.)
I have read in several places that the average American spends more time planing a 7 day vacation then they spend planning their own retirement. To me this is scary. It makes you wonder, why is that the case? People today are just not long term thinkers. They are living for today. Sure, the vacation is in the future but it is not that far away. It seems like there will always be time to save. Take some time out today and this week to schedule time to review your retirement plan. Compounding interest can only work for you if you give it enough time. Though your next get away will be fun, remember the reality of your future will be waiting for you on your return.
Our ability to earn income, manage, and invest that income directs our overall lifestyle. If this is the case, why is it that our education system today spends all of its time preparing us for how to earn that money by working or serving someone else, and little to no time on how to create a business and manage our own money? It can be equated to raising children, most people model their parents when it comes to raising their kids. Even in cases where they decide what things done to them they will never do. In theory this seems like a good idea. However, what are the principles and tactics used? Financial creation and management is a little bit easier to gauge just how effective you have been. How much is your net worth? Robert Kiyosaki refers to our net worth as our financial report card. What grade are you getting? Some people feel that this is an area they have no control, but this is untrue. There are principles when it comes to money management. These principles are based on proven habits, methods, and strategies. If you were diagnosed with a serious disease tomorrow you knew little about, what might you do? Most likely you would become a voracious reader and hunt all knowledge on your diagnosis. Why not take the same action with your finances? If you find yourself physically ill, wisdom is you ailment.
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