1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
14. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
15. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
16. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
17. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
18. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
19. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
20. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
21. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
22. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
23. The most important sex organ is the brain.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
28. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
29. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
30. Believe in miracles.
31. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
32. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
33. Your children get only one childhood.
34. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
35. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
36. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
37. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
38. The best is yet to come.
39 No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
40. Sometimes you have to Yield.
41. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Baby Boomer Who Changed the Face of Music
It's hard to believe he's gone. Michael Jackson was one baby boomer I thought was larger than life. Who cares that he was 50 years old. If he could still shake his body down to the ground, I would still watch.
I grew up with Michael and his brothers--when they were known as the Jackson 5. I first saw them on TV in 1969 when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. I then saw them in person in 1971 at the Ohio State Fair. I remember screaming hysterically along with thousands of other little girls in the crowd.
When Michael decided to go solo, it seems as though his fan base became even larger. Michael actually changed the face of music on MTV. Before the debut of his "Thriller" video, MTV was not playing music by black artists. After that debut, Michael didn't stop and we couldn't get enough.
The more popular Michael became, however, the more his life became exposed. Allegations of child molestation followed him throughout his adult life. He was called a WACKO JACKO by members of the media who, I believe, sensationalized his life beyond repair.
But you know what? I choose to remember Michael Jackson for the musical gifts he gave to his adoring fans. For the rest of you who want to continue to harp on the negative, you can just BEAT IT!
I grew up with Michael and his brothers--when they were known as the Jackson 5. I first saw them on TV in 1969 when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. I then saw them in person in 1971 at the Ohio State Fair. I remember screaming hysterically along with thousands of other little girls in the crowd.
When Michael decided to go solo, it seems as though his fan base became even larger. Michael actually changed the face of music on MTV. Before the debut of his "Thriller" video, MTV was not playing music by black artists. After that debut, Michael didn't stop and we couldn't get enough.
The more popular Michael became, however, the more his life became exposed. Allegations of child molestation followed him throughout his adult life. He was called a WACKO JACKO by members of the media who, I believe, sensationalized his life beyond repair.
But you know what? I choose to remember Michael Jackson for the musical gifts he gave to his adoring fans. For the rest of you who want to continue to harp on the negative, you can just BEAT IT!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Social Media May Be Hazardous to Your Health
I went to the doctor this week and learned a rather interesting lesson about social media.
When the scale reflected the fact that I had GAINED and not LOST some weight, my doctor wanted to know what kind of activities I was involved in. I told her I was spending a lot of time on my computer these days. Sometimes I spend more than half of my day between Twitter and Facebook.
Not good, according to my doctor. She says spending hours at a time at a computer can create havoc on the body. In addition to the middle age spread, one might also develop knee, back and vision problems.
Another point she made was the stress factor. If you're looking to your computer as a means of financial support, you may find yourself with many frustrating days---especially if money is slow to come your way. That frustration, she says, can lead to high blood pressure and depending on heavily involved you are, it could also lead to something more serious.
So while many folks are busy singing the benefits of social media, a least one health expert--my trusted physician--says social media, just like alcohol, should be used in moderation.
When the scale reflected the fact that I had GAINED and not LOST some weight, my doctor wanted to know what kind of activities I was involved in. I told her I was spending a lot of time on my computer these days. Sometimes I spend more than half of my day between Twitter and Facebook.
Not good, according to my doctor. She says spending hours at a time at a computer can create havoc on the body. In addition to the middle age spread, one might also develop knee, back and vision problems.
Another point she made was the stress factor. If you're looking to your computer as a means of financial support, you may find yourself with many frustrating days---especially if money is slow to come your way. That frustration, she says, can lead to high blood pressure and depending on heavily involved you are, it could also lead to something more serious.
So while many folks are busy singing the benefits of social media, a least one health expert--my trusted physician--says social media, just like alcohol, should be used in moderation.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Bank of America, Are You Serious?
Today I received my bank statement from Bank of America. Why I'm still a customer is a direct result of my laziness to go to the bank and close out my account.
The statement I received today has become new motivation to get off my behind and make my own statement to Bank of America.
Here's what I received:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT:
Recently we informed you that we were raising our Overdraft Item and NSF: Returned Item Fee to $39. After careful consideration of the many factors currently impacting the economy, our business and our customers, we have made a decision to change our overdraft Item Fee and NSF: Retuned Item Fee to $35 per item. Visit Bank of america.com/pricingchanges.
Now here's what gets me about this: The fee used to be $12. They raised it to $39 and now have decided to give us a break by shaving off $4.00. Why not just keep it at $12? Didn't that bailout money help them at all?
The statement I received today has become new motivation to get off my behind and make my own statement to Bank of America.
Here's what I received:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT:
Recently we informed you that we were raising our Overdraft Item and NSF: Returned Item Fee to $39. After careful consideration of the many factors currently impacting the economy, our business and our customers, we have made a decision to change our overdraft Item Fee and NSF: Retuned Item Fee to $35 per item. Visit Bank of america.com/pricingchanges.
Now here's what gets me about this: The fee used to be $12. They raised it to $39 and now have decided to give us a break by shaving off $4.00. Why not just keep it at $12? Didn't that bailout money help them at all?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Burn Baby Burn Takes on a New Meaning
When I hear burn baby burn , I'm thinking of a disco inferno, but, for some folks, this phrase has them thinking about death.
According to The Cremation Association of North America, more and more baby boomers are considering cremation as their last rites over a ground burial. Although many Baptists view cremation as an unacceptable destruction of the body, some 37 percent of Americans say they would like to be cremated after they die.
Research also shows that people who would prefer cremation tend to be well-educated, earn higher-than-average incomes, and reside in Western boomtowns and Sunbelt retirement communities far from their birthplace. Psychographic surveys show that they share a socially progressive agenda, supporting issues like doctor-assisted suicide and the legalization of marijuana. Most choose cremation for the convenience, the lower cost, or to help preserve land.
Some Funeral Home Directors say they are finding that many people now live away from their family and they feel it's easier to be cremated and have their remains sent to another part of the country. With people living longer, they have more time to direct their children as to what they want to do. And they consider that cremation involves fewer decisions for their family.
But even in cremation--you can go out in style. At one funeral home in Raleigh, NC a family can sit in a softly lit viewing room and watch through a window as their loved one enters the cremation chamber. If relatives want to, they can say prayers and scatter flowers over the body before the metal door closes, or even push the button to move the body along.
So what do you think? Have you decided whether you want to be cremated or buried after you die?
According to The Cremation Association of North America, more and more baby boomers are considering cremation as their last rites over a ground burial. Although many Baptists view cremation as an unacceptable destruction of the body, some 37 percent of Americans say they would like to be cremated after they die.
Research also shows that people who would prefer cremation tend to be well-educated, earn higher-than-average incomes, and reside in Western boomtowns and Sunbelt retirement communities far from their birthplace. Psychographic surveys show that they share a socially progressive agenda, supporting issues like doctor-assisted suicide and the legalization of marijuana. Most choose cremation for the convenience, the lower cost, or to help preserve land.
Some Funeral Home Directors say they are finding that many people now live away from their family and they feel it's easier to be cremated and have their remains sent to another part of the country. With people living longer, they have more time to direct their children as to what they want to do. And they consider that cremation involves fewer decisions for their family.
But even in cremation--you can go out in style. At one funeral home in Raleigh, NC a family can sit in a softly lit viewing room and watch through a window as their loved one enters the cremation chamber. If relatives want to, they can say prayers and scatter flowers over the body before the metal door closes, or even push the button to move the body along.
So what do you think? Have you decided whether you want to be cremated or buried after you die?
Friday, June 05, 2009
Shame on You Wal-Mart
It should come as no surprise to anyone that women are the reason businesses like Wal-Mart are managing to thrive in spite of a weak economy. Women are always shopping for great deals and Wal-Mart has gone out of its way to convince us it is the place to: "Save money. Live better."
But the question here is are the women who work at Wal-Mart really living better? Maybe not---according to an article in BusinessWeek---which states that women account for nearly 80 percent of all shoppers but more than 70 percent of its senior leaders are men.
To add insult to injury, in 2001, six female Wal-Mart employees filed a sex-discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against Wal-Mart Stores. The suit, Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., gained class certification in 2004 as the largest such suit ever filed against a private employer, affecting more than 2million female employees. In the suit, female employees alleged that they were denied opportunities for advancement and paid less than men doing similar work.
This is an image the Company's new CEO is hoping to change. At a shareholder's meeting today, Mike Duke pledged to work on developing female leaders by launching a "global women's council." This 14-member group aims to increase the percentage of women in management roles at Wal-Mart.
Sadly, Wal-Mart isn't the only Company who has a poor track record when it comes to hiring top female executives. But until women start speaking more with their pocketbooks, behaviors like this will continue no matter how many "global councils" are put together.
But the question here is are the women who work at Wal-Mart really living better? Maybe not---according to an article in BusinessWeek---which states that women account for nearly 80 percent of all shoppers but more than 70 percent of its senior leaders are men.
To add insult to injury, in 2001, six female Wal-Mart employees filed a sex-discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against Wal-Mart Stores. The suit, Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., gained class certification in 2004 as the largest such suit ever filed against a private employer, affecting more than 2million female employees. In the suit, female employees alleged that they were denied opportunities for advancement and paid less than men doing similar work.
This is an image the Company's new CEO is hoping to change. At a shareholder's meeting today, Mike Duke pledged to work on developing female leaders by launching a "global women's council." This 14-member group aims to increase the percentage of women in management roles at Wal-Mart.
Sadly, Wal-Mart isn't the only Company who has a poor track record when it comes to hiring top female executives. But until women start speaking more with their pocketbooks, behaviors like this will continue no matter how many "global councils" are put together.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Weak Job Market Hits Home
On Friday, my husband got the telephone call we hoped would never happen--at least not now. He was informed by his Employer that his employment contract as a Computer Security Analyst with the Department of the Treasury was being terminated immediately.
My husband has been with the DOT for several years--was great at his job--but now is forced to join thousands of other baby boomers who are being forced to re-invent themselves.
The good news is he will finally be able to officially move to North Carolina. We've had a commuter marriage since we got married three years ago. Not having an official job is bad news, no doubt, but we are refusing to focus our attention on that.
Here are some tips we hope will help others in the same boat:
1. Don't Let Fear Control You
Some people opt to do nothing when becoming unemployed and instead just worry. It's appropriate to be concerned, but we know we have to start making the necessary moves to ensure our comfort and survival.
2. Never underestimate the power of networking
My husband is not a social networker but he has started a Facebook and Twitter page. It's important to talk with people who may be able to help you and follow any leads that come your way. Connecting with others will help you to get another job. Send out resumes, and keep your contacts alive.
3. Find emotional support
There are numerous groups for the newly unemployed, many with counselors and job coaching. You don't need to tough it out alone.
4. Don't spend too much time alone
You will need time to grieve to move on, but you can't find a new job if you remain isolated.
5. Consider starting your own business (my personal tip)
This may be the perfect chance to reinvent yourself and start a small business. But if you're going to go from being an employee to being an entrepreneur, you must be sure your heart is in it--meaning you have a passion for what you want to do. Also, you have to ask yourself where is the money going to come from for your initial business investment.
In my husband's case, he has been dabbling with real estate investments so now might be a good time for him to take a closer look at how he can make this a full-time endeavor.
We will survive!
My husband has been with the DOT for several years--was great at his job--but now is forced to join thousands of other baby boomers who are being forced to re-invent themselves.
The good news is he will finally be able to officially move to North Carolina. We've had a commuter marriage since we got married three years ago. Not having an official job is bad news, no doubt, but we are refusing to focus our attention on that.
Here are some tips we hope will help others in the same boat:
1. Don't Let Fear Control You
Some people opt to do nothing when becoming unemployed and instead just worry. It's appropriate to be concerned, but we know we have to start making the necessary moves to ensure our comfort and survival.
2. Never underestimate the power of networking
My husband is not a social networker but he has started a Facebook and Twitter page. It's important to talk with people who may be able to help you and follow any leads that come your way. Connecting with others will help you to get another job. Send out resumes, and keep your contacts alive.
3. Find emotional support
There are numerous groups for the newly unemployed, many with counselors and job coaching. You don't need to tough it out alone.
4. Don't spend too much time alone
You will need time to grieve to move on, but you can't find a new job if you remain isolated.
5. Consider starting your own business (my personal tip)
This may be the perfect chance to reinvent yourself and start a small business. But if you're going to go from being an employee to being an entrepreneur, you must be sure your heart is in it--meaning you have a passion for what you want to do. Also, you have to ask yourself where is the money going to come from for your initial business investment.
In my husband's case, he has been dabbling with real estate investments so now might be a good time for him to take a closer look at how he can make this a full-time endeavor.
We will survive!
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Passing the Torch from Baby Boomers to Millennials to Gen Z
Whether baby boomers can accept it or not, a changing of the guard has taken place with millennials and the up and coming Gen Z generations...
