Welcome to a New Year!

Welcome 2015 and a prosperous New Year!

      Today is the start of the New Year and a prosperous you!  Do you believe that?  I do!  We all run into struggles as I have myself and which you can read in my past blogs.  I see people struggle everyday but I also see the people who continue on to enrich themselves and use their struggles to become stronger.  I like to learn from my mistakes and share them with others to prevent them from making the same mistakes.  I think back on the things that I use to enjoy and wonder why I don't do those things anymore.  I enjoyed model railroading but haven't in over 20 years.  I loved working on my '67 Chevelle but rarely touch it these days.  I like to work on the house and make changes that bring out my creativity.  Looking back, I've spent half my life working for someone else and just scraping by.  Some of the books that I've read have really made me think about my future, my direction.

     Today is the start of a new beginning, for you and me.  Some people have used dream boards or even post-it notes to have their dreams constantly in their view.  How about you?  I've been told that if you have these things around you, they will penetrate your subconscious mind and you will make unknown changes to achieve what you want.  If you place negative things around you, your life will always be negative.  I'm not the neatest person or the most organized but I know where everything is.  Every time I clean things up, everything ends up missing and my time becomes absorbed by attempting to locate these items.  Likewise, your vocabulary can effect your attitude.  If you constantly say "I'll try to do that", the word try is really meaningless.  You need to replace it with "I will do this", the word will is a powerful word to get what you want.

     Today is the start to your prosperity and happiness.  Make it a point to move forward.  Forget the past failures but learn from them.  Make a plan for the future and set goals for this year and the next 5 years.  I might not be taking the vacations that I did in years past but that hasn't stopped me from looking and discovering new places that I'd like to go with my family.  My work takes me all over the country as well as to other countries.  I would have never imagined that I'd be suited for such a life since I never preferred traveling before.  Now I don't think I'd be able to go back to the normal drive and work schedule.  No one knows what their work future really is, so it is best to always be prepared for change.  I'm making provisions for the eventual end of my present position but will have something in place that will allow me to continue traveling.  Having my own business has always been in my sights and now incorporating traveling with it would be a plus.  I know the many things I have learned can help others keep from falling into the traps of debt and dis-pare as had once been in.  Tell yourself, "I will be prosperous and happy in 2015!".

Cheers to you and prosperous, Happy New Year!

It's been a while... but I'm back and ready for an exciting New Year!

So here is the update that has been over two years in the making!

     When last I entered anything into this blog, I was making great strides to a better life, brighter future and more success.  I am happy to report that all of that and more have been coming to pass in my life.  I have saved more and gave more then I have my entire life.  I have truly been blessed these past couple of years and would like to share it with you.  I have been for the most part reading many financial books as I've been flying.  Needless to say when one spends about 16 hours a week traveling through various airports, it is best to have something that will help pass the time.  What is interesting about all the books that I have read over the past couple of years is that they basically all say the same thing.  Pay yourself first, this puts money away for that rainy day.  My thought follows what many claim, but I don't have any money left to save.  Every dime goes towards bills and food.  This is where I'd like to point out the "Pay YOURSELF first!"  Even if you only put $5.00 into a separate account each pay, it's at least something and believe me, you won't even miss it.  I have an account through the former ING Direct, now Capitol One 360, and have X amount automatically withdrawn every pay period.  I started out small and slowly raised the amount as I felt comfortable and as my bills were paid off.  Yes, paid off!  You can also create as many accounts as you'd like and set up as many different automatic deposits as you see fit.  Each account then can be labeled for specific things such as, deductibles or Christmas fund.  Typically you should be socking away 10% of your income.  Next all the books pointed to giving of tithing.  This too should be at least 10% of your income.  Now I had barely given anything to anyone for all my life but since the gift that our local church had given us in our time of need, that was about to change.  I made it a point to give something, every week or at least every pay period.  Again I started small and worked my way up.  Given that most people will look at their account balance and go from there, I never really missed the money that I saved or gave.  I have been doing this ever since and this has actually help in some unforeseen situations.

     Now you don't have to take my word for it but after reading about 10 different books on finance and getting out of debt that all mentioned the same thing, I had to believe there was something to it.  Over the past couple of years, I have proved what the books had mentioned.  I only have two payments that are loans, all else are regular monthly bills such as telephone, satellite, electric and gas.  Of course we still have groceries and auto to contend with.  The economy picked up which led to more traveling and longer hours which also contributed to socking away a few more bucks.  My company began giving out bonuses again which also helped.  On the downside of things my children are slowly growing up and moving on.  My oldest has lived just over 1000 miles away but luckily I get to see her once or twice a year.  My next graduated in 2013 so I've slowly lost some of my original tax advantages.  With that being said I've recently started an IRA separate from my 401K plan to leverage some more tax relief from my growing income.

      I'm sure I could go on and on but seeing how this is the last day of 2014 with mere hours left before the New Year, I'd like to leave everyone with this:

I wish everyone a Blessed and Prosperous Holiday and New Year!

January's gone!

     That's right, January has passed us and we are now starting February.  As 2012 begins, some great things have been happening.  I've joined the Personal Prosperity Project to enhance my learning of the Law of Attraction.  This whole project has been set in motion by Ryan Harris, creator of Prosperity Radio.  This 13 week coarse takes people from all over the world into a new style of coaching method focusing on the Law of Attraction to create prosperity.  Ryan makes it fun and engaging to interact with others to learn from each other.  He even schedules a few coaching a question calls each week.  The weekly fun work assignments really get you thinking and doing "outside" the box.  Joining Ryan in the Personal Prosperity Project has helped tremendously in setting a positive start to 2012.

     So how is this year really shaping up?  Better than last, that's for sure.  To start with, I'm right on target if not ahead of schedule to get or Yukon XL paid off.  This also gets our mortgage back on track.  Our savings is growing and I haven't missed a week of church or giving.  When I thought we might have a problem in the middle of January, a small miracle occurred that made everything alright.  My eBay sales did well to fill in the gaps and 2012 is looking to be a very good year.  The next few weeks will be crucial to the over all outlook to this year but with God willing we will have the best year we've had in a long time.

     I've also been exploring the use of subliminal and binaural recordings to stimulate and enhance the Law of Attraction.  This does seem be having a positive effect on my life.  I utilize it everyday to enforce the desire for wealth and prosperity.  Using this in conjunction with the Personal Prosperity Project has given me new direction and better focus on how I want 2012 to end.  I believe strongly that this will be a great year and everything that I'm projecting will be my reality in the end.  I have also been reading Wallace Wattles - The Science of Getting Rich.  He states that if we do things in a certain way, we can get rich or simply put attract wealth, but if we don't we will actually repel it.  I'm not sure when this was written but it was apparently written some time ago.  The Science of Getting Rich translates strongly to the Law of Attraction and touches upon many key factors of how we can acquire wealth by doing things in a certain way.  It is a worth while read at only 66 pages and recommend it, even if it is a bit dated. 

     Well that's about it for now, until next time, have yourself a great and prosperous day:).

Thrive! In 2012

     Thrive!  Enter the year with an expectant heart!  That was the message from Pastor Doug at this mornings service.  As 2011 slipped away into oblivion at 11:59:59 PM last night, a sigh of relief came over me.  It was finally over, done, gone and just a figment of my memory.  I had thought that 2010 was a year to forget but I was wrong.  2011 presented itself as a year of hope but became a let down.  When I went to service this morning, I did so with peace and more joy then I had in a long time.  2012 truly is a year of hope and great prosperity.  How can I say this and know it's true?  I realize, I was wrong about last year, but I also made some grave mistakes that cost me.  The cost was mental, physical and financial, but I've learned from this.  I've learned that I am repeating mistakes that I've made before and now was the time for change.

     Pastor Doug went on to say that there are four things to expect this year...

1. Expect a prophetic word.
• A new word and Proverbs 29:2 came to mind
• Where the righteous thrive, the family will rejoice!   
2. Expect a message.
• Repentance
• Forgiveness
3. Expect to be Fruitful.
4. Expect a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

     I've grown spiritually this past year and for that I am thankful for of last year.  The strains placed on myself and my family weighed heavy through the year.  I have created a plan and have been monitoring it and sticking to it.  Making adjustments as needed to stay in line with my set goals for 2012.  I've made positive changes and have created constant reminders to keep me on track.  I see great freedom just around the corner and have the days marked on the calendar.  Counting the days until I am free of some major debt.  I've sought out knowledgeable people that can help me overcome my fears and get my creativity started.  I've regained the confidence I had years ago that helped me climb to new success.

     So if you're looking to make a New Years Resolution look no further.  Make the first one a commitment to yourself, your dreams, your goals, your greatest desires.  Take them all and make a plan to have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.  This will bring you Success from within!

Seasons Greetings 2011

     First I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, although a day late.  It is tough at times to find the time to do all the things we'd like.  So with that in mind I'd like to also wish everyone a Happy New Year as well.  As 2011 comes to a quick close, I have been giving the past year a quick review.  The start of 2011 was a rough one with great financial strains throughout the world.  I had proclaimed that 2011 would be the year to overcome many of my personal challenges.  Financially, 2011 was a roller-coaster ride from hell.  Many of us fell off the ride, while others barely hung on to what we had.  Here again, from personal experience, I too clung on for dear life.  Yes, that's right, I did anything and everything to keep what little I had.  January to March was a battle of keeping my home, job and car.  Congress was playing with the taxes and delayed my return but in the end I still have all three.  I had mentioned in my last blog that I learned many things from my Dale Carnegie training.  Getting stressed out over things that might happen can kill you or in the least, make you very ill.  Everything that I worried about never came to pass.

     March to June looked promising and did fare pretty well, but with summer rolling in the financial woes started again.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul seemed to become a way of life.  I will tell you from this repeating experience, it DOESN'T work long and only make things worse.  Lucky for me, things seem to turn out right, one way or another.  July and August brought family issues and concerns that made for a very emotional time.  The decisions made during this time governed September.  We had to send my oldest daughter to stay with some friends over 1000 miles away.  October was a settling month, trying to get things back into some kind of order.  November is to be a month of thanksgiving.  This is where the financial company for our car lowered the boom.  When the statement came, my chin hit the floor.  The loan hit it's maturity and I owed a balance of $6000.00 by the due date.  Normally I would have panicked, but instead, I analyzed the situation and decided to try for a refinance to the balance.  Although the vehicle is blue booked for twice what I owed, no one would refinance it.  So I stuck to my guns and kept sending the normal payment.  They haven't come for the car and the December statement only states the same as the last but with a lower balance.  Again, here is an excellent example of why not to worry about things such as this.  December is here and Christmas has come at last.  Only days remain of 2011 and now I look towards 2012 with great promise.

     So what's in store for me in 2012?  Well first, the financial outlook is way better this coming year then last.  The 2011 tax return will pay off the remaining balance on the car.  This will free up all that money that has been going towards it all these years.  With that we can follow some of the principals that I have learned through several financial books I have read this past year.  I have vowed not to make the same mistakes that I have made in the past.  This will mark a new success in my life and your invited to follow along.  Discover the true meaning of Success from within.

     Recently, sometime in October, I had traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a service call.  When returning, I picked up a few gift items at the airport for my family.  I did find an item that I had some time ago and thought I should pick it up.  It's called a worry stone.  I had one years ago, when worry consumed me and was taking a huge toll on my health.  It came from an Irish stand at a mall that explained it's use and why you shouldn't worry.  Since we moved several times over the years, my worry stone has disappeared.  This presented me with opportunity to revisit it's use.  Simpy put, I will use part of my Dale Carnegie training with the help of my new found worry stone.  I write my worries down on a piece of paper and place it under the worry stone.  If I have new worries I right them down and place them under the stone.  After some time passes, a few weeks or a month, I check my list of worries.  I have come to find that most of my worries are meaningless and come to pass with no real issues.  This is a big key to finding success from within.  If we burden ourselves with worries, we'll have no time to realize our successes.

    

Have a Happy and Wonderful Holiday Season!

What is your definition of success?

What is your definition of success?

          When I started this blog, I gave the definition that Websters Dictionary had for success.  As noted by them, the definition changed.  I know it has been a while since my last posting but on occasion, everyone needs time to reflect.  Society today, looks very differently at success then we did in the past.  The whole point of this blog is to show everyone that our perception of success is wrong.  After spending 8 weeks in Dale Carnegie training, I have learned many things about getting my point across and giving my readers a true visualization of what I'm talking about.  First off, how can anyone relate to what I'm trying to convey without proper examples?  Real life examples, to show that everyone has experienced success at some point in their life.  Stories of real people who found out that success is not just being wealthy or having that high paying career.  I have also been travelling much of this year and found a lot of time to read several books on debt elimination.  This subject can be tied into ones desire to discover success from within.

          Let's start with the basics shall we...  Success to me is setting a goal and seeing it through to it's conclusion.  Resolving a problem or issue can also be called success.  Why?  Simple, if John needs some money to replace his tires he could go to the bank but if he doesn't have enough in his account, he will need to get the money somewhere.  With this example, John has two goals.  First is to get the money needed for the tires and second is to take the money and get the tires he needs.  John can solve first situation in a few ways.  John can save up the money, putting a few dollars away each pay period until he has enough for the tires.  He can work more hours and use the extra money earned to get the tires.  He can borrow the money, this is not recommended seeing how the value of the tires decrease over time.  All of the debt management books I have read agree that using credit to buy such an item is finacial suicide.  John can sell something he no longer wants or needs to pay for the tires.  So you see John has many options to get the money.  Once John has collected enough money to cover the costs, we can say that John was "successful" at reaching this first goal.  Next is getting the tires.  John simply needs to find a tire dealer, make the appointment and purchase the tires.  John now has "succeeded" in replacing the tires he needed.  Society doesn't see this as a success but John was successful in getting the tires by being successful in getting the money needed to purchase them.  It is the little successes we have that lead us to greater success.

          All the experts and guru's tend to agree, that we need to take little steps to reach a big goal.  A hand written plan that lays out little goals that help advance us to our final goal.  If a goal is set too big, we tend to get frustrated and give up easily but, if we set smaller goals, not achieving one is just a minor set back.  I, myself, have been battling a finacial crisis for the last fee years.  Every time I think I'm getting close to surmounting the situation, something new pops up to knock me down a few pegs.  I use to worry about this constantly, causing many nights of lost sleep and stomach ailments.  While attending the Dale Carnegie training, I was assigned to read How To Stop Worring & Start Living by Dale Carnegie.  The information contained within this book was life changing.  Sir William Osler was quoted "Live in Day-tight Compartments."  Shut the doors on the past and the future, live the day and the day alone.  With this the past is the past and should not be relived and the future hasn't happened yet so why fret over it?  I also learned to write my worries down and stick them in a drawer.  In a month or so pull them out and see the results.  Most of our worries are for nothing, by writing them down and later seeing the outcome reassures us of that.  I worried about my job, home and vehicle, just to see that my worries never materialized.  Now I use what is called a worry stone.  I take the worries I have writen down and place them under the worry stone.  Now the worry stone can worry about them.

          The last thing for today would be another quote from Dale Carnegie's book How To Stop Worrying & Start Living is "Thy will be done".  All the books that I have read dealing with overcoming financial burden mentioned giving and accepting the will of God.  Following the belief that if it is God's will for this to happen to me, than so be it.  It is said in the Bible that God provides for our every need and rewards us when we are deserving.  The mistake that most people make is that we, myself included, believe things are owed us but in God's eyes we truely are not deserving.  I will leave the giving discussion for another day but want to point out that unless we are thankful for the things we have, the Lord may take them away.  It has taken me many years to realize that I should be thankful for even the smallest things.  By being thankful everyday, my life has greatly improved and brought me to greater accomplishments.  With that in mind, be sincere and truely appreciative of the things and people in your life.  This will bring great opportunity to your door.

          In closing "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change... the Courage to change the things I can... and the Wisdom to know the difference."

How to get what you want in life...

How to get what you want in life...

The book I'm reading right now is How to Get What You Want in Life with the Money You Already Have by Carol Keeffe.  I highly recommend getting a copy of this book if you are struggling financially on a daily basis.  The book provides very revolutionary ideas for reaching your dreams while still paying your bills.  Reading this reminded my of something that I had already done in the past but somehow became side tracked.  Back in 2004 I was bringing in more money then I ever did in my life.  Things were looking good and I had set up some accounts that had automatic deposits.  I never missed the money that went into them and by the years end I had a nice chunk of change set aside for a family vacation.  I did this for 3 years and never missed a beat.  Bills were paid and we still went on a great vacation.  By the end of 2007 I had found a new job in a better community.  In moving I stopped the deposits, closed my checking account and opened a new one in the state we moved to.  The biggest mistake I made was that I didn't restart my automatic savings deposits.  I no longer had a safety net for the unexpected.  3 years later by the end of 2010 our financial outlook was very bleak.  I made the determination that the situation had to change and I wasn't going to lose anything that I valued.  Now midway through March our financial perspective is looking up.  So what did I change?  I went back to my basics and started paying myself first.  Placing money from every paycheck into a savings account before paying bills.

Now you may think this is ludicrous when you're already falling behind on bills but believe it or not it works.  You never miss the money and can still manage to get the bills paid.  When we look at our checking account balances, we think of what has to come out and get paid.  If the money already automatically comes out and is stashed away we tend not to miss it.  That little bit, no matter how small, will then grow.  When we see it growing, we start to find ways to add more.  The book explains something that worked for me and I had simply forgotten it.  The next part even sounded more ridiculous but I also seen the point of what I was doing wasn't working.  Remember that if what you are doing doesn't work then you need to change your strategy.  What I was doing evidently didn't work and hadn't for 3 years.  It was time to make a change.  I always felt that if only I paid something off it would get better.  It didn't, it just became worse.  I'd throw some extra money at the car payment or the mortgage but would fall short at the end of the month.  So the bill that I tried to get ahead of would now fall behind.  Carol Keeffe explains that if we concentrate on paying the minimum, we will have money to cover us until the next pay.  Our bills follow us through our lives and don't go away.  We get sucked into trying to pay them thinking we're getting ahead just to fall further behind.  By paying the minimum my bills were payed and I didn't have to worry about those little extra things that would pop up.

Next she has you make a list of your bills but list what you pay yourself first.  That's the priority, it's your money, you worked for it, you earned it and it's yours.  The bills will always be there so it's time to pay yourself so you can start enjoying life.  Don't sell yourself short by thinking that you can't and there just isn't enough money to go around.  In just 3 short months, I have been able to completely turn things around for the better.  Just by paying the minimum, my one major bill will be history in 8 months.  So why try to push it?  Why jeopardize my family by trying to shave part of a month off?  It is pointless and senseless.

I am half way through Carol's book and will keep sharing the advise she gives.  I will also let you know how it has helped change my financial outlook.  If you get a chance to pick up a copy I strongly suggest it.  It truly is making a difference in my life.