Developing and maintaining good habits

Hello once again gals and guys.  I have a theory that a better, stronger society is only possible by having less losers.  The best way to accomplish that is by teaching each individual how to be self reliant.  The best way to do that is by making yourself smarter and stronger.  Smarter by educating yourself and stronger by proper dieting and exercising.  Stagnation is death.  Objects that stay in motion remain in motion.  Or at least I think it's one of the laws of physics.  I heard it on a commercial a long time ago once.  You aren't going to accomplish anything if you just remain on the couch watching television or playing video games.  Those things can't be all that you ever do.  Falling into predictable habits and becoming one dimensional leads to stagnation which leads to death.  Animals in the wild who fail to adapt will perish  100% percent of the time.  Even in most 3rd world countries citizens who fail to adapt most often perish.  The same principal applies to most inner city neighborhoods.  While most of your situations may not be as dire it's still imperative that you break the chains of monotony.  I know you may get tired of me saying this but diet and exercise is very key to becoming a better human being.  By becoming more self reliant we become less dependent on the government and others around us and hopefully teach others how to become more self reliant.  Each one teach one and so on and on.  Unfortunately you can't teach motivation, I think you are either born with it or not.  I could be wrong and please feel free to correct me if you have a different opinion.  But for those of you who are motivated just start being awesome at everything you do.  Work, school, sports etc.  Stop hanging around with people who don't want to get better because they will not support you.  They may even make fun of you.  The high road is often the road less traveled.  Don't lose hope if desired results aren't immediate and others don't seem to notice even when you do.  This leads me to my next point.  Don't allow other people to dictate you happiness.  Don't ever give another person that much power over you.  There are enough things that are out of our control without having to worry about if other people approve of what we're doing or if they really like us.
Have a great week people.

Greetings everyone.  I know that's it's been a while since my last post and I honestly don't have an excuse other than my life being a total bore.  Who wants to hear about creating a budget and sticking with it?  I have made strides financially and in my personal life.  However I will give you a quick recap.  I gained a roommate, lost a roommate and gained another roommate.   Sheba had another surgery back in September and she came through with flying colors.  And there are no signs of tumors reappearing(fingers crossed).  I do love that dog :-)
I recently turned 40, hello middle age.  My kid sister and mom put on a birthday party where some of my closest friends and family attended.  There were plenty of gifts and the cake was delicious as well.  But sticking with the plan I put into effect more than three years ago I have managed to gain some form of financial security.  It wasn't easy and sacrifices were made but in the end it was all worth it.  I'm nowhere near where I want to be but I'm closer.  And before I forget, I started a podcast with a friend of mine from work.  So far we have done four podcast with one scheduled for tomorrow.  To be totally honest we don't have many listeners and we don't seem to be developing a following but in truth I'm having fun.  It's cool to have someone that I can bounce my ideas off of and vice versa.  It occurred to me that I could use my blog as a platform to promote my podcast and vice versa.  Don't worry I'm not going to shamelessly plug our talking life podcast talkinglife@facebook.com.
I couldn't help but notice that in my absence I had more than a 1,000 views.  That's more than I would have thought possible.  If I this correctly my blog and podcast will perfectly compliment each other.  I can further delve into the topics that are brought up on either platform.  The Talking Life Podcast is still in it's infant stages and we don't know exactly what we're going to be but that's where you the listeners come in.  Let us know what you think, what topics you want discussed.  My writer's rust is evident as I write this article but that's what happens to your skills when you don't practice them.  I really want to make a positive impact in the world and I have teamed up with someone that has the same aspirations.  No matter how hard I try we try we can't do it without you.  My life has taken so many positives turns in the last couple of years.  I've learned many lessons.  Lessons that I'm very grateful to have.  lessons I can't wait to share.  Well it'a late and I have to get up super early tomorrow.  It's great to be back peeps.

Talk to you later.

Stay cool and hydrated this summer

Hydration is Sexy


Summer time is upon us and with that comes extremely hot weather. If you have to go outside there are 3 things to remember.

1. Wear a hot to keep your head shaded.
2. Don't engage in activities that are to strenuous.
3. And most importantly remember to drink lots of water. Keep a full bottle of water with you.

If you have a elderly neighbor who lives alone be sure to check on them from time to time.

Time to get financially fit

Hello everyone. I hope that life has been treating you well and if not just hang in there. Well I'm very pleased to announce I finally have a new, reliable vehicle-2005 Ford Ranger. Now with my transportation issue solved I can move on to other matters like a new couch for my living room, curtains for every room etc. I'm not bragging in the least but just trying to tell you that there are betters ways to obtain the material things that you want without having to go into debt. It's like Dave Ramsey said, "We spend money we don't have on things we don't need to impress people we don't like."
He also said that debt is dumb and cash is king. Amen to that brother. I could have gone into debt and purchased a vehicle for twice the amount it was worth but didn't because I remained true to myself and stayed the course. And my steadfastness paid off, much sooner than I expected. Patience and discipline go hand and hand when it comes to financial planning. Before you come up with a plan you have to change your whole way of thinking and in turn you more than likely have to change your life style. Probably the most important thing you need to do is reassess your life from top to bottom. Learn the differences between wants and needs. Kill the unnecessary expenses like eating out everyday, buying too many shoes or going to the bars. Even if you have the extra money to do these things it doesn't mean that you should. For example if you make $40,000 a year then you should budget your life like your making $24,000 because you never know when the bottom will fall out-a blown car engine, busted hot-water heater, a hole in the roof and so on. It's also imperative that you avoid the lure of the payday or car title loans. They aren't a long term solution, their not even a short term solution. And once they have their hooks in you it's extremely difficult to break away. It's so ridiculous when someone tells me that they are still paying on a $800 loan they took out two years ago at 30%. That is the very definition of throwing away money :-( I can talk about this because I have been through it. I acted irresponsibly and made stupid financial decisions and paid for them. And there was nobody to blame but myself. So I guess the very first thing you should do is own up to your mistakes and take on the responsibility of repaying the debt and repairing your credit. It won't be easy, it
never is but you can do it. I hope that I can
inspire at least one person to start making better financial and life decisions.

Greetings!

Greetings Readers
I'm taking a break from my writing to fill you in on my life. It's already the fourth month of 2012 and time is just flying by, that happens when you get older. I remember when I was very young and always wishing I was older. Now that I'm older I don't see what the big deal is. Oh well, live and learn. Ok, my car is broken and I have to make a major life decision of ditching it or spending $300 or more to have it fixed. The problem is my car is 24 years old and it's not going to get better. The real problem is that I won't be able to replace it anytime soon. I don't want to fool with a car payment and I don't want to keep throwing money into a vehicle that's falling apart. Besides that little problem my life is peachy. I'm accomplishing a lot, improving at my writing and working out at least 3 days a week. I've only had insufficient funds in my banking account once this year and that was my fault because I actually had the money. I'm not a stupid person but I do suffer stupid moments. Things are going well on my job, I work with some clowns. Sheba, my pet dog had another surgery to remove a another lump. The lump was cancerous but the Doctor said that it doesn't necessarily means that she has cancer but if she develops anymore lumps to remove them immediately. So I remain vigilant and so far there hasn't been anymore lumps. I find myself sleeping less now that the weather is improving which means I will get more accomplished-I hope. I had a lovely time with my mom this weekend and it seems I will be spending some time working in her garden this weekend. I don't have anything inspiration to write but I just wanted to touch base with you loyal reader and let you know that I'm still here. Oh my god how I love auto correct and spell check! I don't even know if I will or should post this blog because it's way more personal than I intended it to be but no point in letting a somewhat decent entry go to waste. This is really a warm up for the blog to come later, I hope :-)
Talk to you guys and gals soon.

$$ Be Smart $$

Blog

I know three nights ago I proclaimed that I would post on this blog no less than ten times a day.  Clearly it was wishful thinking on my part and I'm fairly sure the caffeine played a role.  The fact that I have posted two days in a week could be considered a small victory.  How about I just aim for something much more manageable like one blog per week.  I assume that for those of you whom blog, the subjects that you write about resonates with you on some level.  And because it does you do your best to get your point across to your readers.  Can we all agree on that?  Ok let's move forward.  At least that's how I do things.  Today I want to talk to each of you about the growing problem this world faces, and it's the growing Stupidity Problem.  There's such a board range of stupidity  but I would like to talk about stupidity when it comes to our finances and life choices.  Everyday more and Americans make stupid decision about their finances, diet and education.  Our stupidity as a whole is a big reason that America is in the giant financial debt hole.  What's worst is that most of the Stupids-that's what I will refer to them as from now on- believe the government should bail them out.  I say why reward them for being stupid in the first place.  If you were only making $30,000 a year then you had to know there was no way you could afford a $200,000 home. Some of the Stupids weren't even making $30,000.  The best lessons are the hardest learned and most of us still glutton for punishment by unnecessary purchases like new cars, clothes and dinning out.  Somehow we managed to justify those purchases by telling ourselves we deserve it.  Or convince ourselves  that they need it, Stupid.  

The main thing that I have noticed is that most people don't understand how money really works.  Its one thing to walk around with money in your pocket but unless you're about to spend all of that money at the grocery store, etc it isn't earning you any additional money.  A long time ago banks used to pay out interest for allowing them to keep our money but now its the exact opposite.  With the economy in its current state its difficult to find any high-interest baring accounts but there are some out there if your willing to do the research.  I don't believe that walking around with all of your money in your pocket is very smart.  Because at the very least a tiny bit of interest is better than none at all.  Now back to my point about purchasing things that aren't necessary-and I'm really just generalizing here.  Ladies, you aren't going to die if you don't buy those $125 pair of six inch hills.  Guys you really, really don't have to spend $60 on every new video game that comes out, especially if the bills are piling up.  But I'm nothing telling you guys anything that you don't already know.  But just because you can doesn't always mean you should.  Even if you can afford that new ride you've had your eye on for a whole doesn't mean you need to go into debt to purchase it.  Especially if you already have a vehicle that works just fine.  

While I have done no real research to back up this claim I believe that mental wellness and physical health go hand and hand.  A healthy mind equals a healthy body and vice versa.  So if you eat like garbage you will most likely feel like garbage.  And when you feel like garbage you don't always make your best decisions or do your best work.  Getting plenty of rest is vital to any operation.  You don't see doctors performing surgery after going on a bender.  Track and field participants don't party all night before a meet.  Nobody performs at their best when they haven't had the proper rest.  So just be sure to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and cut out the sugars, starch and fats.  And a little physical activity wouldn't kill you either- a short walk after a med to light dinner.  A apple or banana for desert as as supposed to a banana split.  You see what I did just now?  I grouped in diet with physical health.  It wasn't hard because the two go hand and hand. 

Continuing to make the wrong choices makes your stupid.  You can get mad at me all you want but it doesn't change the facts. This is something that I do know for certain and have researched, so to speak.  Educated people can be stupid as well.  After all they tend to accumulate a higher amount of debt than the uneducated.  Why?  Because they have higher paying jobs which means they tend to spend more on homes and vehicles.  Not even they fully understand how money works and it's not entirely their faults.  I blame it on the Money Changers who intentionally make the concept of money so complicated that most of us become so frustrated that we give up trying to learn.  But that is another blog for another time. Using myself for example, the more I learn about money the more I realize that I don't know hardly anything about money.  Please allow me to get back to the subject at hand which is education and lifestyle choices.  You may not believe it but those two really do go hand and hand.  The more you know the the further you can possibly go.  Or at least that's the working theory.  The parents should teach their children about the value of money at an early age.  And what's taught at home should be layered upon in the schools by the teachers.  Instead of home economics they should have classes that focus on financial planning/money management.  Most of these kids honestly get it, they understand the simple concept of money-you work, you get paid etc.  Unfortunately too many of our young men and women come into the real world armed with no knowledge of how money works or the importance of a good credit score.  These are almost always the ones who find themselves living from paycheck to paycheck or on the welfare system.  I understand that everyone can't be millionaires but we should all have a small degree of financial independence.  That should be the real American dream.  Not everyone is meant to own a home and most people shouldn't because it entails more responsibility than they are ready for.  And everyone can't drive a fancy car or wear the latest and hottest thing that fashion has to offer.  Remember that it's the advertiser's job to sell you on whatever it is they want you to buy.  When you see that guy or girl with the nice car, motorcycle and big house don't be jealous or envious because you don't know what they had to do or sacrifice.  For all you know they could be living from paycheck to paycheck just like you.  But if your smart you don't have to live paycheck to paycheck.  So education is supposed to lead to better lifestyle choices.  Let me add one more thing.  If you're going to the clubs every night and spending money on booze you probably aren't saving very much.  And if your already stupid, booze makes you even more so.  Nobody ever became smarter after they drank.  In the end I guess what I'm trying to say is be smart.  Be smart in all phases of your life.  Be smart with you finances and your health.  And if your already smart than be smarter. 

 

why I love college football

If you didn't see the Alabama, LSU football game shame on you. Les Miles, the crafty, brash and sometimes zany head coach of the #1 ranked LSU Tigers led his team into Tuscolusa where a powerful Crimson Tide team led by the reserved genius Nick Saban eagerly awaited. Everyone knew the importance of this game and how much would be riding on the outcome. The National Champion picture had began to take shape as the true contenders had begun to separate from the pack. This game would go a long way in determining whom the front runners would be. The stadium's atmosphere was electric as all the anticipation that built up during the week had reach it's limit. #1 vs #2, Miles vs Saban, the former apprentice vs his former master. Nobody had to tell each coach or their respective teams how important this game would be. The loser could very possibly find themselves out of the National Championship race. The fact that both teams where in this position at this point in the season is a testament to the strength of their programs-surviving their brutal SEC schedules. On paper both teams appeared evenly matched, stout defenses and powerful running games. Bama appeared to have a slight edge in the running department behind the nifty running of Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. Given the home field advantage I thought that Alabama would win but three missed field goals in the first half would be too much to overcome.

Despite their loss Alabama only fell to the number 3 spot in the BCS which means they could very well get another shot at LSU but we'll just have to wait and see as nothing is set in stone. There are still tons of games to be played and besides I'm not in love with either team's QB situation. Which brings me to the remaining top 10 teams with the exception of Virginia Tech. Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Boise St, Stanford, Clemson, Oregon and Arkansas all have QBs that seem to get it done on a weekly basis without the benefit of a lights out defense. I couldn't help but think just how much more awesome Bama or LSU would be if they had such outstanding QB's under center. Imagine if your a Bama or LSU defensive coordinator and you have the luxury of complimenting a offense that's puts up 30 plus points a game. No team in the country would stand a chance. If AJ McCarron develops like he should I think that we will see just that in the next two years. It would be a huge disrespect to the Big 10, Big 12 and Pac 14 to say that the SEC is the best conference in football but five consecutive BCS tiles don't lie. But!!! I must say as intriguing as a Alabama, LSU rematch is I would much rather see the SEC champion face a undefeated Oklahoma St team if nothing more than to see a high powered offense against a dynamic defense. A small part of me wants to see Boise St(rolling my eyes) sneak into the title game and either give credence- to the notion that they don't belong- or shock the world and win it all. Sorry Boise but you have to add better teams to your schedule to be taken seriously. I think that since you went to Blacksburg in 2010 and Athens in 2011 that those teams should come to you in 2012. Beat them both at home, throw in a USC or Texas at mid-season and then and only then can you honestly think about playing for the BCS title.

With all that being said LSU AND Alabama still have to win their remainin games. Like I said before I don't trust either teams QBs- especially LSU's.