Inspirational Words - Celebrate YOURSELF

An good friend gave me these words of wisdom, and I thought I would share.  Whether it is unemployment or just tough times, the advice is solid. 

CELEBRATE YOURSELF

1) Never think or speak negatively about yourself, for that puts you in disagreement with God.
2) Meditate on your strengths:  Learn to encourage yourself, for most of the time nobody else will.
3) Never compare yourself with anyone else. You are unique, one-of-a-kind original.  Don't settle for being a copy.
4) Focus on your potential, not your limitations.  Remember, the "greater one" lives in you.
5)Find something you like to do and are "Gifted" to do well...and do it over and over.
6) Have the courage to be different.  Be a God-pleaser, not a people-pleaser.
7) Learn to handle criticism.  Let it develop you instead of discourage you.
8) Determine your own worth before others do it for you.
9) Keep your flaws in perspective, you are still a work in progress.
10) Focus daily on the one and only source of your confidence - GOD! Work on your relationship with him.

EARTHQUAKE in NYC!!!

So yesterday NYC experienced its first substantial earthquake in a very long time.  According to reports after the Japan quakes, we were long overdue.

When this earthquake hit,  I was on the ground floor in the "Elastic" Bookstore with my friend and her toddler daughter who came to visit.
Like many people at ground level, we didn't feel a thing.

I didn't realize something had happened until I saw EVERYONE leaving the "Elastic" offices and filling out to the street.

What shook me up was ACTUALLY the aftermath, (not the actual quake).  I stood outside with a lot of nervous people on the street looking up at the buildings and had (minor) flashbacks of 9/11. There was the the fear of the unknown, and questions of what was coming next.

Then someone asked the question of whether it was smarter to be standing in the street or in the building? (We were all outside looking up at the building).  Nobody seemed to know.

Then in the middle of this, I had a new fear: is this going to shake the economy too?  Seriously... that was my next thought, which always comes back to the question "Will I be unemployed (again)?"  

Thankfully, at the end of the day, it was a small quake...there were no aftershocks, and no damage in the city.  We ALL went back to work, and life went on as if nothing happened. 

People were even joking about it, posting silly photos on facebook of the "damage" (lawn chairs knocked over, water bottle on the floor).

All the worry and anxiety was for nothing. 

I believe every experience has a lesson learned.  Here is mine from yesterday:

What to do during an Earthquake:
If you are inside drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly. If you’re in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator.


If outside, stay out in the open and away from buildings (you could be hurt by falling bricks and glass.


What do to about Worry...Don't. Don't worry about things (like natural disasters and aftermath) that you can't control.   Just do your best to be prepared, be smart with your money and keep on truckin'.  No matter what happens, you will figure it out.


Barb's Top 5 Quotes About Worry:

Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there. ~Author Unknown


We are more disturbed by a calamity which threatens us than by one which has befallen us. ~John Lancaster Spalding

Rule number one is, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it's all small stuff. ~Robert Eliot

You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time. ~Pat Schroeder


Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weights you down. ~Toni Morrison

This is why I have a REAL Financial Advisor.

Yesterday I was watching TV and saw Ivanka Trump. She said something about real estate mortgage rates being at an all time low, and that this was a great time to refinance. I promptly called my bank and asked for some rates.

After 30 mins on the phone with the broker, It ALL sounded great.  I could consolidate my bills, my payments would be lower and I could own my home in 20 years.  I was ready to sign and get my lower interest rate like Ivanka suggested.

I shopped around a little, but as I remembered from my original mortgage experience, every bank has different offers, and its never apples to apples. ( I think I finally I settled on my original mortgage because in addition to it being a good rate, the broker went to church with my Mom.)  But based on what I could tell, this refi rate sounded good.

Just before I started moving the on the refi, I called my personal Ivanka,  my financial advisor, Rae.   I never make a move without her.

She said it sounded good, but she gave me a bunch of questions to ask the broker. They were questions I wouldn't even know to ask. I called the broker back, got the answers, and called Rae.  Then Rae crunched the numbers and explained that the closing costs were so high and that my current rate was pretty good. At the end of the day, it wouldn't really be worth it.   (Who knew?)

I have discussions like this at least 4 times a year with Rae. She always helps me realize if I am on the right track, or if I have considered all the possible sources of money available to me, and most importantly, keeps me from making some costly mistakes. Most of the advice she provides me are on decisions that will never put money in her pocket (at least not in the near future!).  I might not always take her advice, but I always understand the situation better after talking with her.

Rae's helped me buy a condo (when I thought it was impossible), got me through 2 periods of unemployment (unharmed),  and she took my 401K that was basically only the money that I had put inside in it for 11years and made it GROW. She's even helped my friends get engaged, and buy the homes of their dreams.

Anyway...the moral of the story really is, don't believe everything you see on TV, and if you don't understand the fine print or the nitty gritty, find someone who does. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make.” --Donald Trump

G'day, mate!

Well, I am back from my trip to Australia. It was fun to see the sights, get some culture and have a good time with great friends.  

When you watching your money, reminders of what you have (or don't have) are all around you.   The prices of EVERYTHING in OZ were very high compared to the US.  Coke was $4.00, a coffee and a pastry were $12.00.   But in this case, I just tried not worry too much about the money.  Seriously, If I stopped to think of what everything cost me, I wouldn't have enjoyed the moments.  What is the point of flying 22+ hours if you are not going to make it count?  And really...what the heck are you working for...if you can't enjoy life???



During my tour of Brisbane, Sydney and Melborne, I went to an Australian leage Rugby game, found a way to eat vegamite that I like, had a real australian BBQ, learned Aboriginal dances  and fed Kangaroos.  The big highlight (for me) was the climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge (I won't even tell you how much that adventure cost! But it was worth it. )

Watching the Australian news, It was a bit of a shocker to be in  another country and see the US dollar so weak and then see the news reports on the US Economy.  Add to that the riots in England, and I kept thinking, "What is this world coming to!?!???

Anyway...after a quick stop in LA, and a lot of sleep, its back to work. Or how I like to think of it, that much closer to my next vacation!  :)

Barb's Top 3 Quotes for Living in the Moment
"Study as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."  Isidore of Seville


"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Buddha

"We are here and it is now. Further than that all human knowledge is moonshine." H. L. Mencken