Be Positive-Minded

Even though a lot of us are suffering financially, you should remain cheerful and upbeat. You can handle downbeat times by exercising. I took a one mile walk this morning and feel great. Financial downtimes are much easier to handle if you maintain your good health. I had my annual checkup last week and it was completely paid for by my health insurance. This is because I took the time to scrutinize my health insurance policy for anything I could have for free or for low-cost.

Also check out every single asset you have, besides your health insurance policy. Look for long-fogotten financial assets. Search around the house and analyze your financial papers. Especially comb through pants pockets and heavy coat pockets. Check under your sofa cushions too. You’d be surprised what assets you own. Don’t forget your childhood collections, like comic books, stamps and coins. They could be of value, especially if it’s gold. Don’t forget old jewelry. Gold prices are very high right now. Buyers even take dental gold.

It also helps to talk to a financial advisor. There are also debt support groups, which I will talk about in my next posting.

People have been telling me they lean on family members more. They ask others for loans, interest-free. That’s great to do. Loans between family members is good, so long there’s clear understanding how it will be paid back.

You should also keep networking, and stay in touch with websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. 

LinkedIn is for professional job networking. If you are out of work and looking for a job, it’s imperative you join LinkedIn. For long distance social networking, use Facebook. Facebook is particularly good for those with disabilities and/or live long distances from social contacts. You  must keep in touch with your friends and co-workers, so that you can get recommendations and news about jobs opening up.

Although I don’t use LinkedIn, my husband does. He gets emails when someone gets a job, or if someone gets in touch with him. For example, he actually got a message from someone in Washington State who originally wanted to hire him for a job in Seattle many, many years ago. It’s nice to see that former co-workers still keep in touch with him.

A big secret to finding a job: Go to all the holiday parties you can. You’ve got to network, network, network and get every name and business card possible.

Another way to stay positive during this downtime is to visit libraries, garage sales, and make your own items. For example, this year I’m going to make jewelry gifts for Christmas for the women. I’ll give movie gift baskets to the men in my family.

Oh, and did you know you can purchase gift cards at a discount online? I will talk about those in the next few postings.

Many merchants are offering free shipping this year, especially on December 17th, 2009. Could save you lots of time, gas and trouble, if you did all your shopping online this year.

About the gift baskets. My favorite one is to make a movie gift basket. You buy a basket and fill it with low cost movie-related items. Such things would be popcorn, movie tickets, candies, DVDs, etc. Get the cellophane wrap paper form a craft store. What person wouldn’t like that?

For writers, it’s a good time to write and reflect and READ, during the holidays. It’s also a good time to make plans for the coming new year. For me, I’m hoping to finish my book proposal very soon. I have ideas for a second book already. I’m also currently reading the book The Lost City of Z by David Grann. It’s a fascinating read.

The best advice I can give anyone for the holiday season: Avoid using credit cards for gift buying!

What Are Your Passions?

I have always liked the word “passion”.

It means you are very interested, very devoted, to anything that’s is of deep interest to you. If you do at least one thing that brings joy to you, it means you find life worthwhile.

I’m going to list several little things that are meaningful TO ME in a minute. This is a good homework assignment for those who are depressed, or have not found a niche in life, or haven’t found something to be interested in. If you come and tell me there’s nothing you’re interested in, then it’s time you did the exercise. 

Just list anything and everything that is of interest to you, no matter how trivial or trite it may seem to others. The world needs people that are interested in everything.

Okay, here’s my passion list. It’s only a partial list. Some of the things in it may surprise you. I hope it gives you an idea what to write down for your own personal exercise.

Drums, drum players, drum performances. (I was a snare drum player earlier in life. I try to attend drum performances wherever possible.) Writing, reading, travelling, learning about foreign cultures. Hearing loss issues, mental health issues. Nature, national parks, waterfalls, professional counseling and guidance issues, teenagers, young adults issues. Alzheimer’s, breast cancer issues. Couples and marriage issues. Babies and little children. Crafts, crocheting, scrapbooking, photography, beading. Holidays, cooking, weather, astronomy. National news, global news, gossip. Jokes, sign languages, jewelry, hummingbirds. Deserts, cactus, wildflowers, mountains, water in any form. Certain TV shows, videos, computers, software programs. Color psychology.  Amazon, Trader Joe’s, See’s Candies. Books of all kinds. Tai Chi, walking, gardening. Good health practices, medical news, technology. Lutheran news, my husband, my daughters, good friends and family. Ancient discoveries, such as human cultures and dinosaurs and natural history. Cats, dogs, fish, museums. Camping and fishing and health food restaurants. Budgeting, finances, discipline, education and keeping up with new knowledge. Volunteering to help others, making gift baskets, garage sales. Seeing Rome, Istanbul, Syndey, London and New York City.

Sit down and make a list of what’s important to you. Some people will say to make a list of the things you want done, or seen before you pass on. Whatever it is, you need to find things that bring up passion or deep interest in your life.

I would say the average person should have at least three deep interests in life. Try to identify what they are.

For if you don’t have passion, then you haven’t identified your niche or niches in life. When you do figure them out, then that is the path you should take in life. It’s as easy as that. Even if you aren’t able to do them for real yet, you can still plan, hope and study about your passions.

Passion goes hand in hand with inspiration. 

For writers, these two ingredients are essential for successful writing.

So, everyone, go and find your passions. That’s what makes life exciting.

A North Wind

I went for a one mile walk this morning. There’s a north wind pushing at my back. Beautiful clouds drifting by in a light blue sky. Birds sitting on telephone wires staring down at me. Men were out, cutting grass and driving trucks. The weather had turned cold, so I made sure to wear a sweatshirt and heavy pants. The walk did me a lot of good. As a counselor, I can tell you quite firmly that a walk will upgrade your mood level and make you feel good all over. It helped eliminate my mild right knee pain a great deal. 

I couldn’t help but feel that the wind was a messenger for me. It was telling me to move along, to get things done, especially the book proposal. 

Okay, I said I’d talk about NFCC. Let me say here first of all, the best way to control your destiny is by controlling your finances. I’ve always said that you should control your finances. Finances should not control you. 

NFCC stands for National Foundation For Credit Counseling. I’ve had people ask me for referrals to that organization in the past. CCC is also connected with it.

It’s a good place to go if you feel you need help in budgeting and handling money problems. They can give you tips on how to budget, save and pay off credit card bills. 

And the nice thing is that they charge very little or just a reasonable bill for services. It’s a non-profit organization by the way.

They also help with bankruptcy, housing problems, and credit card problems. 

There are several offices throughout the country. For more information, click on this link: www.nfcc.org

A north wind at your back — it’s a good thing.

Forever And A Day

Well, the weather is lovely, I feel good, and looking forward to Halloween, which is this coming Saturday. I feel like I can live forever and a day.

I know I haven’t mentioned about NFCC yet, but plan to post about this later this week.

Yesterday we took our younger daughter shopping for Halloween. We were able to find her an old wizard outfit, complete with glowing staff and wig/beard. She also has her beautiful Sorting Hat. I’ll enjoy Halloween this year, because it’s on a weekend. We will celebrate living in our house 10 years on Halloween as well. 

Maybe I’ll whip up a few treats and invite a few friends then to celebrate all this.

Work is coming along nicely on my book proposal. I am shooting for the end of December to return it back to the editor. Oh, and I already have a second book in mind. 

I am still helping out with research at the House Ear Institute. My doctor has given me consent to go in for an MRI scan, to help out with lipreading studies. 

You know, October goes by way too fast. I wish we could stay in October for forever and a day. The fall foliage colors don’t last very long either. 

The fleeting fall foliage colors and the quick month of October reminds me how quickly we must value time. Always quickly do what you want to do NOW, because none of us really know how much time we have on earth.

I would like to wish everyone a safe and healthy Halloween.

Back At The Post

Well, finally managed to get back to the blogging. This week has been very busy for me.

I promised I would discuss financial resources that people can access. One is health reimbursement accounts which people don’t seem to understand, and which can bring in money for you. Secondly, there are non-profit financial counseling organizations that can help you stay afloat financially.

I investigated two financial organizations. One is called Consumer Credit Counseling, otherwise known as CCC. They have been around for years. People have often asked me for this referral, and so I will talk about it.

Generally, this organization helps people pay off their debts. What you do is make an appointment and they will go over your financial affairs and make recommendations what to do, especially if you have heavy debts. 

I was told the organization will help those pay off their debts in five years or less. What they do is lower your credit rates drastically and then they distribute your income to the various places that you owe money to. This is strictly optional to be in. Of course it goes without saying they will close all your credit lines while you are paying them off. The organization will tell you if they think you need to be in the program (DSP, debt solver program) or not. While there, they are able to tell you your present credit rating score. 

It’s worth going in and talking to them, because they may have information and tips that you did not know about, and which could help you financially. In my next posting, I will talk more about this organization and give the link for it as well.

By the way, did you know that 800 is the highest you can get, and only 13% of USA consumers have that high score?

The second organization is NFCC, and I will talk about this one shortly.

Will be back in a few days.