SweetWICK

Moving On

2010-03-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time.

I started this blog almost a year ago with NO IDEA how to blog or what to do with a blog. Now I have an inkling of an idea and am still very much enjoying the learning process.

I have moved on from SweetWICK to a new blog and decided to make a complete shift and create a new identity. My blog will be more personal in nature with more stories about my earthly journey (that sounded deep, but I'm looking forward to an awesome path coming up!)

If you enjoyed musing through my rants on this blog please visit my new blog and let me know you stopped by!

INeedACanoe

Why would I choose that as a blog name? If you know me personally, you will know why...if you don't know the story, yet, in you will soon.

See ya in the water!

It's been a while...

2010-03-09T12:34:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's been a little time since I've posted.

That is because I'm working on an exciting project!

Stay tuned for info!

Snow Days

2010-03-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

Seems like everyone across the country was aware that we had some heavy snow here in the North East. I still have my bank account in Utah and I was calling in to verify some info when the lady on the other end even asked me how we were holding up with the weather. Too funny! Here's the truth:

Everyone and their dog seemed to be complaining about the snow as it began to fall. Then everything shut down so most people didn't have to go in to work the next day. When they were off work everyone loved the snow!

So this phenomenon got me thinking. First we are complainers. We whine about how extremely dramatic and difficult our life will be because of a few flakes, but then we are on cloud 9 when we get to stay home in bed all day. So what did we do with that new free time?

Having just moved from Utah, the snow didn't seem to bother us. We drove slowly and cautiously of course, but snow is snow and you learn to manuver around it as needed. So our days went pretty much as usual, since we make our own schedule anyway. However, I think about all the complainers and their gift of a day to with it whatsoever they pleased, and I wonder how most spent their time.

Is your life any better for having had complete control over your day or are you in exactly the same position you would have been had you been tied up at your job? This taught me a lesson to steer clear from complaining and being in a position where I vocalized discontent but did nothing about it. It taught me that if I get a moment that was supposed to be filled with responsibility now freed up to do with as I pleased to take that moment and make something happen...ANYTHING...but to stay away from stagnation.

Does this mean everyone should have been industriously working on some project or another? No, surely time with the kids rolling around on the floor, or walking the dog in the park, or simply making a home cooked meal for once are all valid options. Let's just not be content to sit in front of the tube and allow our brains to mush up just because we can. It's time to learn to control our body and not let it control us. Beginning by not complaining would be a great way to go.

Being On Time

2010-02-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a message we know all too well, yet practice way too little. Well, for the most part anyway. What does it mean to be on time? Well if you were to ask legendary coach Vince Lombardi he would introduce you to what we know of today as: Lombardi time which states:

"Show up for every important business meeting 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled meeting time."

Obviously if you show up with fifteen minutes to spare you would be able to collect your breath and get situated for whatever your endeavor might be. We've also, however, grown up in a culture where we spread the message of being "fashionably late" - a time frame I've noticed means a lot of different things to many different people.

So what's really the point of being on time? If nothing else, it reduces stress.

Hubby and I were on our way to an important meeting a couple of days ago. If you are familiar with the differences between Utah Highways (where we just came from) and New Jersey Highways (where we live now), you would agree that they are night and day. While Utah is built on a measurable grid system with two main highways, it's really difficult to get lost. However NJ has about 100 highways and they all like to loop around ten times before spitting you out on a straight road. Fun stuff for sure.

So as we have began to become familiar with these roads we decided to leave an HOUR early for our appointment to make sure we'd be "on time". Glad we did. We drive a sporty red Acura that has a double muffler (we bought it that way and have yet to change it back), so it's loud! As we navigated through the potholed streets confusing the hell out of our GPS system we saw flashing lights behind us. You got it, we were getting pulled over.

We actually got pulled over right in front of our destination and we had about thirty minutes to spare. Apparently they were looking for a car that matched our description and we had to wait in the parking lot until they boss-man came to verify that we weren't indeed running away from the law. After a time the officer tapped our window and motioned to us that we were free to go. Great, no problem. We entered our building and still had 15 minutes to catch our breath. Vince would be proud!

Had we left later or tried to make our appointment just at the right time, we would have been stressed out by the encounter and our meeting could have gone poorly. But we weren't stressed, just a little amused at the whole thing. All because we gave ourselves plenty of time.

This is an easy habit to implement. Get up a little earlier, get ready the night before, so that as you travel to work, school, or casual events, you can go in a positive attitude that will surely affect the rest of your day.

Great Expectations

2010-02-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

As I was finishing up my previous post about setting goals and achieving milestones, one thought came to me which I felt merits an entire post for the message to be delivered correctly. How many times do we set goals that are too easily achieved, which by reaching those set milestones we aren't even motivated because it was simply too easy of a task? This happens a lot because we have fear of not being able to accomplish greater things.

The real tragedy is that the only thing holding us back from doing greater tasks is the little tiny insignificant inner voice that says, "You're not good enough," or "You could never do that," or "What will everyone think of you," etc, etc. It's that one nasty jerk that sits on one side of your shoulders that usually overpowers the awesome coach on the other side of your shoulders and moves you in the direction of playing it "safe" by staying small.

Now, goals should be realistic. If you haven't been off your couch in years than it should be safe to say that you probably won't be running a marathon in less than 3 hours by the end of the week. But don't set a small goal of being able to walk around the block once without stopping by the end of the year. See the difference?

One of my mentors explained to me that goals should be stretchingly realistic. They need to be believable enough for you that you can actually visualize yourself in the attainment of your goal, yet just far enough out of reach that you will truly have to grow and learn and put yourself just on the outside of your comfort zone to accomplish it. Only with those kind of stretches will we be able to turn into the kind of people we want to be. Only then can we truly begin to see the potential that really lies deep within us.

So dream, but dream big. Make your goals important enough to you that you are willing to stretch and learn and grow. Make them sit at a level of life that you have yet to touch and by moving in that direction you know you will become closer to the image of the self that is truly who you are.

Accomplishing Goals

2010-02-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

Lot's of focus on goals lately! That which you focus upon expands, and I want expansion to happen in my life abundantley. So one good place to begin was my bucket list. I've noticed it was getting a bit neglected and decided to tackle one of the items on that list. I've chosen to set the goal to learn how to do a "split" again. Of course I'm an over-achiever and psycho, so it's not going to be enough for me to just to a split in one direction. Oh no no, I want to hit the goal of being able to do a split with either leg in front and both my legs to the side. This will be a painful and lengthy process, as it has been at least 15 years since I've been able to do one!

Why is this even relevant to anything in my life? Will doing a split enable me to be better at closing business deals? Will it give me the ability to enhance my writing skills? Will a silly split give me the confidence to become a better leader and servant? The answer to all these questions and any relevant questions is a resounding YES! How is that so, you ask? Here's the answer:

Life is about accomplishments. It's about not staying stagnant. You start small and believable. You build up your faith muscles (you know, the ones that have been in hybernation for the last hundred years?) and become a giant of mental strength. One goal is as important as any other goal. So this goal in and of itself isn't the key. The key is that I have a goal and I am working toward accomplishing it. I will post a picture of myself doing these splits once I am able to perform this olympic triumph to measure my accomplishment.

What goals are you going to begin tackling from your bucket list? Don't have a list, yet? Get crackin' and make that happen asap. Then, once you have items written out don't just stuff the list in the bottom sock drawer, create those things in your life so that you can live that kind of reality. Become a delibrate creator and move in the direction of your dreams.

Ten Reasons to Set Goals

2010-02-21T22:15:00.000-08:00

Many people read about setting goals and are intrigued by the concept, however, they never get around to actually sitting down and thinking a few up to write down. It is of critical importance that we set goals in our lives, and here are ten reasons why:

1. YOU NOW KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING
Seems obvious, but without a destination you will simply run around in circles and end up nowhere, which is the same place from which we start.

2. YOU GET TO DREAM
When you place yourself in a position to actually sit down and contemplate upon the things and events you want in your life, you become giddy with excitement and you look forward to your experiences in life. The simple exercise of writing down goals gives you permission to let your inner child out and dream again.

3. YOU WILL BUILD AN INTERNAL MOTIVATOR
For the times you just "don't feel like it" you will get an inner boost of energy if you have goals toward which you are actively working.

4. YOU WILL BE STRONG AGAINST THE NAY-SAYERS
The people that tell you that you are crazy for dreaming so big do so only because they have no goals of their own. When you know what you want and hold on to that firmly, it won't matter what others say about you anymore.

5. YOU WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF
How can you stop your confidence from increasing if you have such a strong reason to persist in life?

6. YOU WILL BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND YOUR TRUE PURPOSE
By setting aside your goal setting times, you will begin to learn about who you really are and all the things of which you are capable. You will begin to be amazed at yourself and will come to love yourself more. Only by doing that can you reach out and help the world.

7. YOU WILL CLIMB TO HIGHER LEVELS OF LIFE
Each goal you set will motivate you to continually pursue all that is good in your life as you see yourself hitting milestones for each event. As you hit a small goal here and there, after time you will look back and be amazed at all you accomplished cumulatively.

8. YOU WILL DEVELOP YOUR "GOOD HABBITS" MUSCLES
As you learn to set goals on a regular basis, it will instill in you the desire to do other great things (such as exercise, read, serve, etc.) With each goal setting session you increase your muscles of discipline, desire, and determination.

9. YOU WILL LOVE LIFE
Being constantly in the pursuit of all that is good is what makes us as humans tick. Having goals will keep you moving rather than staying stagnant. Even if you just compete with yourself in getting better and growing your skills and abilities, you will enjoy more energy and vitality from the act of having goals and living by them.

10. YOU WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO STAND FOR
The familiar saying of "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything" rings more true today than ever. By having goals you will have a crusade. No matter where the wind is blowing you will stand firm on your path because you know the destination. Having goals gives you a purpose and you now have something to stand firmly behind.

5 Reasons to Quit Your Job and Start a Business

2010-02-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Find my article on HubPages here.

Following Your Passion

2010-02-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Recently I changed the poll question on this blog to:

If you were given $100 Million would you still work at your current job/business?

The majority answer so far is "NO" and it stays within the SURPRISE category in my brain. Really? If you would really truly quit doing what you are doing now if you had enough cash flow to take care of your necessities then why oh why are you still doing it now?

I understand, we can't all just up and quit from our jobs right now and be able to make it through a month's worth of bills, right? Wrong! Other than the obvious fact that we should have emergency funds set aside so we can support ourselves (another post for another time), we live in a time of freedom and creativity. Especially if you live in the United States, you can earn money LEGALLY without having to be in a J-O-B on a daily basis. Especially with what people are making nowadays. Take a look at this:

The average income in the US was: $46,326.

Click hereto view the rest of the statistics.

That is an average of just under $3,861 per month. I am venturing to guess that most of you who read this blog who earn in that proximity or even less are some of you who are voting "no" as an answer to my poll. So if you earn less than $1,000 per week, and are hating life during the hours of 8:00AM - 5:00PM, I hope there is heavy consideration from you in regards to ideas of how to break free from the rat race.

How to replace $1,000 / week in the USA? Sell stuff, start a business, join a business, become self employed. Don't have a lot of money to start a business? You shouldn't have to. If you're looking to make an average wage, yet not have to report to anyone the thing you need most is a desire to succeed and a drive and motivation to work in spite of whatever your mood may be for the day.

We'll begin discussing business ideas and money making creativities in the posts to come, but if you're not happy than for the love of all that's good...MAKE A CHANGE!

Dreaming

2010-02-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

Do you catch yourself staying up late into the night with thoughts about your future and all the great things you'll accomplish? Do you find yourself looking out of windows and being labeled a day dreamer because your mind is racing a mile a minute thinking of all you plan to do with yourself? Before you go on thinking that this is a habit you need to correct, you should smile inwardly knowing that you are among a very small percentage of people that have something to day dream about.

Most of the time we are told in school to focus on the lesson, or at the dinner table to slow down and stay in tune with the family conversation. There is definitely a time and place for all those instances, but when you have a burning desire festering up deep within you; good luck squashing that. In fact, you should keep on that route so your fires continue to spread and like wild fire manifest incredible things in your life.

In Napoleon Hill's Book "Think and Grow Rich" he talks about developing a WHITE HEAT BURNING DESIRE for the thing you want. Many of us fall short right there. We've self developed, we've set goals, we've even found mentors and coaches that will help us keep on track of our path. However, we stop at the point where we become consumed with such things. We get caught up in the day to day rituals of everyday life and we soon find other things to occupy the space in our minds.

Whatever your goal may be, grow it, breed it, make it larger than you are. In times of no motivation and idleness, that desire can fuel you toward the action you need to take to move forward and make massive progress.

Money Mindset

2010-02-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Money is not important.

Money isn't everthing.

Blah... Blah... Blah...

You've heard people say things like this plenty of times, haven't you? You might have even had these words slip from your tongue a time or two in the past as well. Do Not Fret. It's okay, take a deep breath and let's start over.

The rationalization for saying things like the statements above comes from lack of money. It is pretty evident that people who are financial wealthy do not go around saying things like, "Money doesn't buy happiness." You can be assured that words such as those come out of the mouths of those labeled BROKE!

Imagine saying to your spouse "You aren't important" or "You aren't everything" or any other similar combo. How long do you think it would be before you would start having troubles in your marriage? It is very easy to see that example, however, with money people seem to push that out of their head as they justify why they have none.

Recently we met with a family member to say good bye before our big move next week. She is older and always always always is reprimanding us for not being spiritual enough. What she means by that is that we focus too much on money (well, first of all we are in the money business) and that talking about retiring young and being financially wealthy aren't heavenly attributes. Every now and then she throws in a tease about having made our millions, yet.

This experience each time we meet doesn't really bother me much at all anymore. I understand that we all have different views and opinions and we are all entitled to them equally. But the interesting thing that happened recently made me smirk in response to how contradictory humans can be in regards to money.

Her husband lost his work. Guess what that means? Yep, no more MONEY coming in. Guess how spiritual she's feeling right now? Well, let's just say there's too much stress right now to worry about how to help the poor somewhere else. Her prayers are filled with suplications of providence instead of other spiritual matters. She just doesn't know what she's going to do. How terrible is that situation? She's 73 years old!

Don't worry about her, she will be cared for by family and those who love her. But can you see my point in this post? Money is important and it is good. It is a tool that can bring options to your life, your family's life and the life of many many many other beings on this planet. Can we control what others do with their money? No. We can only control ourselves, and it is our duty to be good stewards of the money we are given and to multiply it. It is not enough to bury it in the ground for later, either.

Next time someone tells you money isn't important, you automatically know in your head that they don't have any. Until they change the way they feel about it, more won't be coming into their pocket any time soon either.

Make the choice to treat money with respect and appreciate it for the tool that it can be for us in our lives. Only after such a mental shift, can more of it pour into our life.

Customer Service

2010-02-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

Customer Service? What on earth does that have to do with Money or Mental Health? Uhhh, only EVERYTHING. Raise your hand (go ahead, even if you're alone at your computer) if you've ever been mistreated by someone at any kind of corporation or retail establishment. Now, keep your hand up if the mistreatment was for no apparent reason? Yeah, I thought so. Too bad, isn't it?

Recently I dealt with a very sensitive transaction involving a funeral home. You would think that someone working at a funeral home would be sensitive, caring, and definitely compassionate. Would it surprise you if I told you that the manner in which I was treated was completely apalling? That during the entire day of phone calls and office visits I felt as if I was the one bothering them? Turns out, the issue I was having was squashed when the contract was pulled out and clearly displayed the solution to our situation. It was a simple and quick fix, yet I was given a run around all day.

Recently I met with someone who told me about a poster hanging up at her office. The title of the poster is:

10 Commandments of Customer Service

Among such "commandments" were ideas such as:

The Customer does us a favor when he calls, we do not do them a favor when we serve them.

and

The Customer is the most important person in any business.

As she was recounting this list to me, she snickered and laughed while explaining how much "hogwash" the statements felt like to her. It truly saddened me. Why is it a joke to serve the customer? Why do some people act as if they are bothered by service. See, the thing about customer service is that it is the ONLY reason you have a business at all.

Customers pay for your paychecks, not your bosses. So when you are dealing with people, give them an attitude of gratitude. They are paying your mortgage, your gas, the food you put on the table for your kids. It's the customers! When you begin feeling that toward them, it becomes easier and easier to show a cordial attitude toward them in your service.

What if you absolutely hate your job and are completely miserable in it? Then start looking for something more suitable to your personality, but don't diss the customer of your current place of employment in the mean time. Be respectbale and remember the golden rule:

Treat others as you would wanted to be treated.

This will go a long way for us in life.

Have More Faith than Fear

2010-02-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

I recently created a mission statement. You can view it in the MISSION STATEMENT link above. As I think about the statement daily, the more I want to live up to fully and joyfully. I'm glad it moves me in such a way, because otherwise it couldn't be considered a mission.

On top of a mission though, there needs to be a motto. Something that you can pull out of your subconscious pocket and rely on to kick start you back into your daily focus of accomplishing the grandeur that is your mission. I've decided to use this phrase as my motto:

"Have more FAITH than FEAR."

It really is self explanatory. So many times we allow fear to cripple us. By letting ourselves fall into the whole of fear, we are telling the Universe that we have no trust in the powers instilled in us and all around us. FAITH is probably one of the most powerful emotions and weapons, and whenever fear creeps in, using our faith we need to tell it where to go.

So often in our life we've allowed ourselves to succumb to fear that it's almost natural to shirk away from change or a challenge. Tweaking this one aspect of our mental life can certainly propel us into heights only before imagined. Faith is what we're composed of, and it's time to pull it out and kick our potential in gear.

Whenever you are faced with something uncomfortable this week, pull out your shield of faith and plow through the fear. All you have to loose is the worry and all you have to gain is everything you've ever wanted.

Three Ways to Put $100 in Your Pocket Each Month

2010-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

Always up for some extra cash? Here are three sure fire ways to add an extra bill into your purse each month.

1. Bring lunch to work.

Oh no I didn't just pull out the ol' bring your lunch to work idea, did I? Uh, yeah, you bet I did. I go into our office EVERY day (not exaggerating at all) with my lunch from home. I don't need to get too creative; usually a sandwich, a soup, sometimes fruit and such. At the most, I spend approximately $12-$14 per week on lunches. Compare that to people I see stopping at McDonald's or Starbucks in the morning, then spending $6-$7 per DAY on lunches and maybe a buck or two in the vending machines! Let's just call their average $38 per week.

$38 * 52 weeks = $1976 per year
$1976 / 12 months = $164 per month

Compared to:

$14 * 52 weeks = $728 per year
$728 / 12 months = $60.67

Savings of $103.33 PER MONTH in YOUR pocket!! You're on a roll!

2. Pay for gas and groceries with a debit card and take out $5.00 - $10.00 extra dollars in cash.

Wait a minute, I'm supposed to be telling you how to put money in your pocket not take it out, right? Well, here's the thing. Let's say you're like the average American who fills up once per week and shops once per week. That's two trips where you're pulling out a total of about $20 extra each time. You then take that $20 and put it into a "secret stash" at home. You don't really feel that extra $10 coming out each time and at the end of the month you have extra cash you would have invariably spent on foolishness (like lunches, maybe?).

$20 * 52 weeks = $1040
$1040 / 12 months = $86.67

There's an extra $86.67 you would have normally seen do a magical disappearing act come back into your life! You rock! (P.S. each month deposit that cash into a savings or money market account to keep you away from the temptation to spend it!)

3. Claim more on your taxes

Now before you rush out to your HR department, please consult a tax advisor or the irs.gov website.

This seems crazy to me: People get all fired up about getting a tax "REFUND" each year. Some people I meet with actually think that the government is giving them free money. There is a reason it is called a REFUND. It is simply because you OVERPAID the government taxes and they are required to return to you what you overpaid.

Guess what is happening during the entire year as you keep giving away your extra money to the government? They are earning INTEREST on your money. By claiming more you will actually be able to get more of that money on a monthly basis and therefore earn interest on YOUR OWN MONEY! Instead of giving the government a LOAN and not requiring them to pay you interest when they give it back to you each year!

Some people tell me that they like getting a refund because it's almost like a forced savings account. Well, if you don't like "thinking" too much then just set up an automatic withdrawal straight from your checking account for the extra you would normally have needlessly given to taxes into a mutual fund. Some banks are even able to coordinate your direct deposit to withdraw and distribute funds before you even see it in your account. Therefore you wouldn't have to "think" about putting your money away and you'd be instantly earning interest on your own cash to boot.

Plus, at the end of each year, you're paying off a ton of bills with the refund money. Bills that you likely wouldn't have accrued had you had enough money to pay for it up front (Saving you interest dollars also!). Lots of people use that money to go shopping or take a trip. You'd be more careful about mindlessly blowing your money if you understood how hard you've worked for it rather than thinking it's a free check from some random source.

Savings: AT LEAST $100 per month.

Do all three and then voila....$300 or more EXTRA in your budget each month. Money is simple, just learn the rules. Whether you are playing on the right side or not, the game continues to go on!

Fortune Cookie Wisdom

2010-01-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

I love Fortune Cookies! After eating a delicious meal, I go immediately toward my cookie and eagerly await my good fortune inside. Of course, you cannot read your fortune until your meal is finished or else the fortune becomes invalid. There is some superstitious wisdom for you.

It is interesting how each fortune can be applied to you and your situation. We've been getting ones that say, "You will make a big change in your future" or "You are capable of great things with your new venture" and each time I get one of those I round my mouth into an O and look at my husband as if the cookie was a psychic giving me the next winning lottery numbers. I get all excited about the possibilities! All this from a cookie.

We are so moldable in our minds. Imagine, if a cookie can get me excited about my future, what do you think is happening everytime I hear, "You're crazy for moving so far!" to "You're going to do so well!"? You hear these comments from people all day every day! The craziest part is that we take them in and allow them to program the way we think!

Imagine your brain is a computer. For a computer to have codes put in it, you must type the instructions on a keyboard. Now, imagine our amazing brain computers with which we were gifted. We have the potential and capacity to do incredibly huge things! However, most of us take this keyboard and turn it around and allow others to type in instructions for us. Anything they want to tell us, we just give them free reign to type the words and hit enter. Once they do, it becomes a program in our mind.

The key is to take back that power. The keyboard is yours! If others want to type in mental programs, let them type those in on their OWN keyboards, because we were all equally equipped with one. So, instead of letting fortunes, good-willing friends, or outside influences decide what gets typed into our brains, take control. Type the stuff you want to see happen. When someone else starts attemtpting to type in a command, simply say "thank you for sharing, moving right along" and type in your own program.

You were meant to be awesome, so it's time to prove it!

Moving on a Budget

2010-01-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

"Most people don't plan to fail, they just fail to plan."

Heard that one before? Probably because it's true. That's what makes a cliche' a chliche'. There's your fortune cookie wisdom of the day.

Moving can be expensive, it can be strenous, and stressful. However, it DOESN'T HAVE TO BE. In fact, I down right believe it shouldn't be. What's the missing factor? You got it...PLANNING.

I've seen situations where people are moving and on their very moving day they are packing up boxes and such. That is insane! This is why moving can get expensive...if you do not plan and prepare in advance you take more trips than you need or rent a truck bigger (therefore more money) than you need. Other things that people do that make moving more stressful is not have all of their important paperwork handy. If you are in a rush to pack then you put away your documents you will need for your movef (mortgage papers, licensing documents, etc.) The list virtually goes on and one.

The thing about this piece of information is that it isn't mind boggling. It's simple. Plain and simple. No frills about it, however, it is POTENT. Planning will take all the stress out of a move and put a lot more money in your pocket. When you plan, you have time to research and repair, which can be mind-saving later on.

At the end of the day things will still go wrong and you may feel stress bubbles start to well up, but at least you've minimized it drastically by being prepared. Chalk one up to the boyscouts for that lesson! Time goes by fast either way, so why not do things daily to get ahead.

P.S. Notice that planning makes many more things manageable...not just a move!

Moving Preparations

2010-01-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

Wow! A move can take a lot of time and energy to plan and execute. However, each minute is pretty exciting. Honestly, I really consider myself an expert at moving. My husband and I have moved about a dozen times in the 7 years we've been married, and I went to 7 different schools from Kindergarten through High School. Needless to say we've got most of it down pat.

One of the things I was concerned about in this out of state move is the amount of personal items that would be able to come along with us. As always the longer you spend in one place, the more you end up accumulating. Most of your accumulations are needless in terms of material value, but boy do we put an emotional price tag on those things.

Every time we move, I make it through our closets, shelves, garages, drawers, and any other crevice where space used to reside. In each of those places I go over all of the things I've stashed there for some unforetold future moment. The part I'm most proud of is that I actually do part ways with most things. I mean, really, who wants to lift and move things that aren't necessary?

This time, we're moving with as little as we can and we're just planning on building up our belongings from scratch when we arrive to the east coast. That is a venture I'm truly looking forward to. Who wants a fresh start with all your old stuff? However, for the must-take items I found a solution to a huge space dilema...the almighty SPACE BAG! No one is paying me to say this about the product, so this tidbit is my own two sense.

I went to Walmart and found them for sale and because of them I will be able to fit about 75% more clothing and bedding items that I would not be able to have taken with me given the limited space in an automobile. Not to mention once we're home, the pillows and blankets and clothing items not in use will take up minimal space once I put them in these storage containers.

So it is with a full hearted approval that I recommend these bags in your move. Even if you're just moving across town. When you move, you want to take the least amount of items with you and this is a great way to go.

More on our moving experience to come...

What's the Change?

2010-01-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Writing is as theraputic for the writer as it is for the reader. My last post consisted of how to deal with change and as I applied the three steps I wrote about, I felt better about the change happening in my life.

What change could this be? I'm moving cross-country! My husband and I have an opportunity to move back to my home state of New Jersey...yes The Garden State! This won't be the first time I've moved out of state, and in fact this long distance move is taking me back to the familiar. so it shouldn't have been so scary, but for some reason, the thought almost petrified me at first.

Maybe it's because I'm older or maybe jus because it still lies in the unknown, but I worked on myself in order to feel good about what we are doing...and now: I feel great, fired up and very excited. Although everyone we've told so far just crinkles their nose and says , new Jersey?" as if I just told them I was dying my hair purple.

Yes world, we are moving to New freakin' Jersey...and since that is where my hometown is, I couldn't be prouder!

Embrace Change

2010-01-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

change can sometimes be a fiery ball of excitement, but the older you get and the more drastic the change, the scarier it can seem. The truth in life is that change is necessary when it comes to progress. In fact, even when you think you're staying the same you are still changing. If you are a couch potato, then you are changing by becoming less sensitive to emotions and people, little by little removing yourself from your ability to socialize and expand. So no matter what you do, you change.

When it comes to life, I am a huge fan of and I have a lot of faith in our ability to choose our path. So why not choose our change, instead of just sitting around and waiting for change to happen to us?

Even though doing things differently can be a daunting task, with preparation even the largest hurdles can be overcome.

How to change with grace? Here are three tips:

1. Set a goal for the result of the change. (Many people set the item of change as the goal in and of itself. For example, buying a house, moving, going on a diet, etc. Those are usually the methods by which the change will occur, they are not the end all. By having a results goal, you'll feel the change to be a natural progression.)

2. Think positively about your new endeavor. (This may seem obvious from the outside looking in, but many time we fill ourselves with dread about all the things that can go wrong. The truth is, many of the things we worry about won't come true, so the fear we self-instill is needless. Look only in the direction of the good things that will come.)

3. Give yourself the peace of knowing that this will not be the last time you will make a change in your life. (What? I'm gonna have to go through this all over again and that's supposed to give me peace? Yes. Simply because you become aware that change truly is a way of life. You understand that you will always move in new directions and that just becomes a normal ocurrence. You realize that the more NEW you have in your life the more closely you will come to resemble the YOU that lives inside your mass.

What changes will you make today? I challenge you to go for it!

Your Bucket List

2010-01-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Have you created your personal life's bucket list, yet? It's not as easy as it sounds, but definitely worth the effort. It took some thinking but I finally created my bucket list a few months ago. I thought as soon as I put those words down on paper I could go to work happily chopping away at the the tasks on that list as if it were a lengthy to do list for a Sunday afternoon. Boy, was I wrong!

I have been studying that list and am realizing that it is slow going. There are things I've crossed off (3 out of 100 to be exact) but there are many many items on that list that will require some planning and creativity to pull off. Lots of world vacations and meeting famous people just to name a few. But that's the purpose of a list like that. To stretch yourself and do things you wouldn't normally be put in front of by just lounging around and watching re-runs.

One of the fun parts about a bucket list is that you really don't have to do the tasks in any certain order. Just go after each item one by one until your life will become a habit of continual goal pursuit. What an adventure life can be if we decide to mold our days rather than just be left prey to the conveniences of our surroundings.

There is a whole world to explore and only a few short years to do so. My days are invested with thoughts on these goals and I can't help but wonder what wonderful opportunities can come my way because I live my life with a purpose. So much to do, but there is plenty of time if we take action now and not wait for more convenient moments (Ha!). Goals are great, especially when you mean them!

Stephenie Meyer

2010-01-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am fascinated by this woman. Yes, we all love Twighlight. What's not to love? Average girl next door falls in love with a gorgeous powerful vampire who loves her in return with a power fierce enough to fight off legions of rival vampires and werewolves. It's great and the success of her story has been impressive.

Here's why I think Mrs. Meyer is one of the cool people:

Think about it. She was a stay at home mom just living her life going about her daily business. Raising three wee ones while her hubby worked outside the home. She had a dream. It was a neat story. How many of us have cool dreams? How many of us write them down and then proceed to make full length books out of them? Yeah, she took action and that's what sets her apart right away.

She found something about which to be passionate and decided to pursue it to the end. Once she had her finished product she decided to push through the rejection in finding an agent and then landed one out of all the queries she sent in. Stephenie didn't stop there! She kept pulling out of her mind a story that would unfold in complexities and intrigues enough to create such a fan base all over the world that seems mind boggling.

Interviews with her to this day reveal her sweet nature and humble personality. Don't misunderstand, her confidence is high, however, she proves that you can be confident and reachable all at the same time. She has critics galore and yet one thing I notice is that she lives her life. Now her husband is retired and they raise their kiddos together.

See, this story wouldn't be here if she didn't decide to do something about her dream. She took out a pen and began to jot it down. How many times have we had ideas and just let them slip? Can't be a hater on her for being so successful when she did the one thing most people neglect to do...MOVE FORWARD. Stephenie Meyer is creative and her stories are great. So, yeah, she is one of the COOL PEOPLE!

The Science of Getting Rich - Book Review

2010-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

Here begins my weekly review of books. My goal is to plow through 50 books this year alternating between fiction and non-fiction (got to diversify, you know?). The first book of the year is a re-read of a classic that is PRICELESS in its content.

THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH by Wallace Wattles

Some great points to the book itself before the review:

You can get a copy of it for free HERE. Yes, FREE! Absolutely no strings attached FREE. It is amazing that a book with this caliber can be yours for nothing, thereby giving you no excuse not to have its knowledge.

This book inspired the making of "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. Yeppers, this is the very one. Must be some good stuff inside to inspire such a phenomenon. Just you keep reading.

Okay, so for the review. This book gets 5 out of 5 stars. It is not a book about lucre or wealth in terms of just acquiring money to rub all over yourself. The central message to this book is about become as abundant as you possibly can be. It's about growing to your fullest potential. It's about staying close to God because he is the source of all that is in your life. Needless to say this book is a deep reflection on the capabilities we have as human beings.

The part that struck me the most was the chunk of section on GRATITUDE. I cannot even express to you how powerful it was for me to revisit that part of the book. The author talks about being grateful as the single most important factor of our life as we try to increase our self worth. To always recognize God's hand in our world and to stay close to him while traveling on our journeys. The way we stay close is by continually expressing, deep, from the heart, earnest, and loving gratitude. Say THANK YOU a lot...and mean it.

Many people out there think that the law of attraction and such is a mystical magical potion that will give you all you want just by sitting there and thinking of stuff. The point that this book explains is that you have to give more in use value than you receive in cash value. Translation: Get into action! Deliver on your promises and then some. Give of yourself to every extent that you can. In return it will come back to you tenfold or more. The law of attraction is a law of action. He who sows harvests MUST reap...that is the law.

Here is a video that will give you a quick summary of the book and it's main points. Enjoy and pick it up! It's free, a quick read, and incredibly valuable!

Embarrassing Moments

2010-01-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

We have all been mortified at one time or another. However, I really don't understand the feeling of being embarrassed. We all go through stuff that makes us blush, so why then do we feel weird when something like that happens to us? Probably because others laugh, huh? It's true, you fall, we'll laugh. You say something air-headed, we'll laugh...and of course it is so vice versa. But that's the beauty of it.

Yesterday I was climbing up a set of stairs and BAM I miscalculated the distance between my foot and the step and tripped. I almost wiped out had it not been for the cat-like reflexes of my right hand landing on the stair in front of me to provide steady support. So I'm okay, maybe I screamed a little while my hubby just looked at me shaking his head as he laughed.

What was the first thing I did as I recovered from the incident? (Well, I actually prolonged the motion because I kinda didn't want it to be the first thing I did, but you guessed it...) I looked around to see if anyone else saw. What in the world is up with that? Who cares first of all? Secondly, I'm sure if anyone did see (which nobody did, by the way *wink) they would have been in the same position themselves at least at ONE point in their lives.

How nuts is it that we care so much about what others think. Hey, if I do something silly, people will laugh. I for one am okay with that. I love it! Anything I can do to make someone chuckle is fine by me...even if it means me being a little bit of a fool sometimes. I guess the trick will be in not overdoing it...ha! Good luck with that one!

Here's to silliness and laughing at each other!

Laughter for the Soul

2010-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

A duck walked into a bar with one shoe on. The bar tender looked down at the duck's feet and said, "Hey! You lost a shoe!" The duck looked back at the bartender perplexed and replied, "Noooo, I FOUND a shoe!"

Okay, so maybe you thought that joke was funny, maybe not...but I hope you at least chuckled. Laughter is probably among the best things you can do to increase the state of joy, peace, and completeness in your life.

"We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues.

People who believe in the benefits of laughter say it can be like a mild workout -- and may offer some of the same advantages as a workout." ~ WebMD.com

Laughter is a way to get us to consciously change our focus from something negative to something positive. There truly is no greater gift upon our control than that! How do you laugh when you're not in the mood, though? Simple...JUST DO IT!

Just laugh. Try it now. Who cares if you look silly, just do it! Laugh out loud from the belly. After about 10 seconds you already have endorphins flowing through you like a mad river and you're feeling much better. The thing that makes laughter so powerful is that it is impossible for a negative thought to sit in your mind at the exact same moment as a positive thought. The same goes vice versa. So laugh when you're mad...you'll have to stop being mad by default.

If you're having a tough time with this, makybe this video can get you going:

BUDGETING 101

2010-01-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

About five years ago I was hired to teach a public education class on the Basics of Family Finance. I would be the only teacher on that subject amidst the dozens of choices the community had available. The coordinator and I were very excited about this prospect and felt that we could do a significant amount of good to the families who attended.

Come registration time we were hopeful and projected a smaller class size since it would be a new topic available from which to choose. When registration finally closed, both the coordinator and I were completely shocked at the ZERO registrations. There were a few inquiries and that was that. No one wanted to invest time and money for a few week course on getting your finances in order.

So, today (in a different state) five years later when I received my community education catalog in the mail, I was surprised to find that there were multiple finance classes available. Everything from balancing a checkbook to investing in real estate. It was a double edge for me. On one hand I was elated to see more interest in personal money matters, on the other hand I wished that our culture was as preocupied with finance five years ago so that families wouldn't be in the mess they are in today.

Alas, it is what it is, and hindsight is always 20/20. My insightful hubby said to me, "You were just ahead of the times." That of course helped.

So now that people care much more deeply about their pocket book and are always looking for ways to stretch out our mighty dollar, I wanted to post regarding the basics of budgeting. STOP....DON'T CLICK AWAY just yet. I know what most of you are thinking...oh, I've got the basics down, I need to go further! The challenge with that is that the basics are usually all most of us need to get ahead, yet we neglect them for their mundane qualities.

Get the basics down and you will do fine with the bigger issues that come your way.

So what are the basics exactly? I will sum it up in one sentence. This sentence is so powerful that if taken to heart you can actually transform your financial self within a year max! Most of us would love a slight improvement let alone a complete transformation, but knowing this one phrase and applying it will make all the difference in the world.

LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS.

Is this brand new earth shattering information? Probably not. However, it is basic. It is so basic we overlook it thinking that it is just too simple advice and cannot possibly work in making our lives better. Sometimes this piece of advice is unwanted because it would mean sacrificing certain luxuries we afford ourselves on a daily basis such as: dining out frequently, buying new clothes, entertainment costs, hobbies.

At the end of the day you have to ask yourself what is more important? Eating at Burger King today or putting five bucks away in my emergency stash? If you think eating a hamburger is more important, then by all means go for it. If not, then you know what you need to do.

If you change one thing about your habits this year (or this month, or hell even this week!) then make it a habit of living within your means. At least work toward that direction. You'll be so amazed at the money you really have the ability to use and work with to create your financial freedom.