So, with the wild winter weather we are experiencing - at least here in the States - are you bitching about the weather and how it is inconveniencing you? Or are you thankful for the precipitation, particularly if you live, as I do, in one of the 14 Western states with drought conditions not seen since the mid-late 1970s?
Even though I have experienced this repeatedly in my life, it still astounds me sometimes - the serendipity of how things come together at times. I had put the topic for this post out there at the end of December (I lay out my blogging year in advance with as many topics as come to mind), and as I'm going through a course on Udemy, we cover coming from a place of abundance. My notes from that particular lecture are:
"Coming from a place of abundance - a state of gratitude - positivity expands - negativity constricts"
When we are thankful, grateful for something - the much-needed water that winter storms bring for example - we are less bothered by the inconveniences those storms bring us.
I am not discounting the damages and deaths that major flooding and sudden, powerful snowstorms can bring, as seen in some parts of the US in recent weeks, and I do ask that you keep the people who are affected by those acts of Nature in your thoughts and prayers.
My point is rather that every cloud has a silver lining, and we can choose to focus on that or we can focus on the darkness of the cloud instead.
So, are you being expanded by the positivity of gratitude or are you being constricted by the negativity of focusing on the darkness?
CALL TO ACTION: Write down three things you are grateful for right now. Then, for the next week, when you are moving toward negativity, STOP and write down or think about three things you are grateful for in that moment.
CHECK-IN: In the last post, the Call to Action was to take one resolution you made for the new year and break it down into clear, concise, achievable goals and then move out on those goals. How are you doing with that? Feel free to share your progress by leaving a comment on this post.
NEXT TIME: I'm currently re-reading Stephen Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and will report out next week on what I have (re)gleaned from it thus far.
If you have a book you'd like to share that has helped you grow, please feel free to post about it in the comments, or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Showing posts with label lack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lack. Show all posts
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Monday, September 7, 2015
MaXIMIze - Overall Well-Being
This year we started by asking the question, "How Are You Walking in the World?" This touched on three things - why are you where you are now; where do you want to be in the future; and, how do your peers currently view you. Finally, we are reminded that we need to "…walk in the world as you want it to be."
In February, we started by discussing practicing extreme self-care and focusing on the "Yes, And" thoughts. We moved on to optimism versus action, touching on the full toolbox of positive thinking, which includes planning and identifying potential roadblocks, both internal and external. We then discussed the power of words and the energy they conduct into and through our lives, which flowed right into the discussion we had on abundance versus lack.
In March, we discussed motivation, the law of unintended consequences, the seeds we sow, moving toward your vision, and planning for success.
From April through August, much like last year, we focused on five of the six segments of the Circle of Perception - financial, physical health, spiritual health, careers, and relationships.
Now we come to the last segment of the circle - overall well-being.
For me, it all falls back to abundance versus lack and how I view the other five segments of my life. If one of those segments is filled with lack instead of abundance, it brings the whole circle down.
When this happens, I go back to what motivates me, what I see as lacking in my life, what I truly want and/or need in my life to be happy, healthy, and responsible.
I journal about all these things and, if need be, go through the Circle of Perception exercise again as deeply as possible.
I also take advantage of those doldrums we discussed last month to discover which segment of the circle needs attention and come up with a plan to provide that needed attention to get back in sync with living my best life now.
Taking stock of things on a periodic and regular basis and doing tune-ups and fine tuning helps keep our overall well being score at an 8 or above, and helps keep us living our best lives now.
Next week's topic has not shown itself to me as yet, so until next time, Namaste!
As always, I welcome your feedback. You can contact me here.
In February, we started by discussing practicing extreme self-care and focusing on the "Yes, And" thoughts. We moved on to optimism versus action, touching on the full toolbox of positive thinking, which includes planning and identifying potential roadblocks, both internal and external. We then discussed the power of words and the energy they conduct into and through our lives, which flowed right into the discussion we had on abundance versus lack.
In March, we discussed motivation, the law of unintended consequences, the seeds we sow, moving toward your vision, and planning for success.
From April through August, much like last year, we focused on five of the six segments of the Circle of Perception - financial, physical health, spiritual health, careers, and relationships.
Now we come to the last segment of the circle - overall well-being.
For me, it all falls back to abundance versus lack and how I view the other five segments of my life. If one of those segments is filled with lack instead of abundance, it brings the whole circle down.
When this happens, I go back to what motivates me, what I see as lacking in my life, what I truly want and/or need in my life to be happy, healthy, and responsible.
I journal about all these things and, if need be, go through the Circle of Perception exercise again as deeply as possible.
I also take advantage of those doldrums we discussed last month to discover which segment of the circle needs attention and come up with a plan to provide that needed attention to get back in sync with living my best life now.
Taking stock of things on a periodic and regular basis and doing tune-ups and fine tuning helps keep our overall well being score at an 8 or above, and helps keep us living our best lives now.
Next week's topic has not shown itself to me as yet, so until next time, Namaste!
As always, I welcome your feedback. You can contact me here.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
MaXIMIze - Fiscal Health = Financial Freedom
Happy, healthy, responsible.
Each of us is responsible for our own health and our own happiness - and, our own freedom.
Fiscal health equates to financial freedom as much as physical health equates to freedom from physical ills and spiritual health equates to freedom from despair.
In order to begin to improve your fiscal health, you need to take stock of where you are right now. Just as when you work to change your physical lifestyle, you track food and beverage intake, physical exercise, and change in weight and measurements, so do you need to track where your money comes from and - more importantly - where it goes in order to identify where changes can and should be made.
Here are some things to think about and some steps you can take to either adjust the financial track you are already on or to get on the financial track you want to be on.
How much do you have coming in every paycheck, every month, every year?
Is that income adequate to:
Cover your living expenses (roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes on your back, etc.)?
Save for a rainy day (those pesky car repairs)?
Put away for retirement?
If not, why not? Where are you overspending - and possibly under earning - or do you even know?
Most articles I've read - from Suze Orman to various articles on the internet to a friend's recent T. Rowe Price mailer - will tell you the following:
Keep your credit card balances low if not fully paid off every month - your credit score is affected but the ratio of available credit to accrued debt. So less debt is better!
Have 6-12 months of living expenses saved in a place that is accessible - savings account or other accessible account that isn't your main account.
Contribute to your retirement fund - whether is is the 401K at work or an IRA - to the maximum extent possible.
If you are currently on shaky financial ground, this may seem a bit overwhelming - I understand, I've been there.
So - how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
First, figure out where you are at right now. Track every, and I mean EVERY expense. I do this in an Excel spreadsheet. Do this for at least a month, if not several months to a year. Actually, once you start, continue to do so in order to stay on top of and on track with your expenses.
Second, take a hard look at those expenses that are wants rather than true needs. Things like cable or satellite TV, internet, fancy phones (who has phones in your household and why), going out to eat or to the movies or other entertainment, and other spending rabbit holes. Hobbies, sports, books, clothing, and other spending binges that are not necessarily true needs, but may be spending on perceived wants to fulfill unfilled needs elsewhere.
Third, cut back as hard as you can - yes, until it hurts! - until you are truly fulfilling needs ONLY. For example - physical fitness is a need, however that expensive gym membership or yoga studio is not.
As you see where your money is going - and are figuring out why, then you can better make value-based decisions such as:
Why are we living where we are living?
Do we really need that second car?
Can I take public transportation instead?
What is my/our true relationship with money and why?
For that last question you may need counseling, both personal and financial, to really get at the heart of any overspending or miserly financial habits you have developed over the years.
I know this is a lot to think about, and finances can be the seemingly scariest area of our lives. However, it is a very important part of our lives, since our finances will determine how we live out the golden years of our lives.
So take a deep breath and just take it one step at a time. That is all any of us can do - take things one step at a time.
So, think on these things this week and take those first steps towards improving your fiscal health and ensuring your financial freedom in order to live your best life now.
Over the next few weeks, i will be sharing what things I have learned from various sources that have helped me to once again work toward improving my fiscal health.
Until next time, Namaste!
Each of us is responsible for our own health and our own happiness - and, our own freedom.
Fiscal health equates to financial freedom as much as physical health equates to freedom from physical ills and spiritual health equates to freedom from despair.
In order to begin to improve your fiscal health, you need to take stock of where you are right now. Just as when you work to change your physical lifestyle, you track food and beverage intake, physical exercise, and change in weight and measurements, so do you need to track where your money comes from and - more importantly - where it goes in order to identify where changes can and should be made.
Here are some things to think about and some steps you can take to either adjust the financial track you are already on or to get on the financial track you want to be on.
How much do you have coming in every paycheck, every month, every year?
Is that income adequate to:
Cover your living expenses (roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes on your back, etc.)?
Save for a rainy day (those pesky car repairs)?
Put away for retirement?
If not, why not? Where are you overspending - and possibly under earning - or do you even know?
Most articles I've read - from Suze Orman to various articles on the internet to a friend's recent T. Rowe Price mailer - will tell you the following:
Keep your credit card balances low if not fully paid off every month - your credit score is affected but the ratio of available credit to accrued debt. So less debt is better!
Have 6-12 months of living expenses saved in a place that is accessible - savings account or other accessible account that isn't your main account.
Contribute to your retirement fund - whether is is the 401K at work or an IRA - to the maximum extent possible.
If you are currently on shaky financial ground, this may seem a bit overwhelming - I understand, I've been there.
So - how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
First, figure out where you are at right now. Track every, and I mean EVERY expense. I do this in an Excel spreadsheet. Do this for at least a month, if not several months to a year. Actually, once you start, continue to do so in order to stay on top of and on track with your expenses.
Second, take a hard look at those expenses that are wants rather than true needs. Things like cable or satellite TV, internet, fancy phones (who has phones in your household and why), going out to eat or to the movies or other entertainment, and other spending rabbit holes. Hobbies, sports, books, clothing, and other spending binges that are not necessarily true needs, but may be spending on perceived wants to fulfill unfilled needs elsewhere.
Third, cut back as hard as you can - yes, until it hurts! - until you are truly fulfilling needs ONLY. For example - physical fitness is a need, however that expensive gym membership or yoga studio is not.
As you see where your money is going - and are figuring out why, then you can better make value-based decisions such as:
Why are we living where we are living?
Do we really need that second car?
Can I take public transportation instead?
What is my/our true relationship with money and why?
For that last question you may need counseling, both personal and financial, to really get at the heart of any overspending or miserly financial habits you have developed over the years.
I know this is a lot to think about, and finances can be the seemingly scariest area of our lives. However, it is a very important part of our lives, since our finances will determine how we live out the golden years of our lives.
So take a deep breath and just take it one step at a time. That is all any of us can do - take things one step at a time.
So, think on these things this week and take those first steps towards improving your fiscal health and ensuring your financial freedom in order to live your best life now.
Over the next few weeks, i will be sharing what things I have learned from various sources that have helped me to once again work toward improving my fiscal health.
Until next time, Namaste!
Sunday, February 22, 2015
MaXIMIze - Abundance vs. Lack
As we move through the season of Lent, we should ponder if we are coming from a place of abundance or from a place of lack.
What we perceive and believe we achieve.
If we think and feel we are small, we draw small things into our lives.
If we believe in big things and that we can do big things, we draw big things into our lives.
For example, some of my biggest issues have been in the area of money, of finances. A lot of that is mired in my childhood. I'd ask for something specific that I wanted and I would get either what my parents thought they could afford, or - and closer to reality - what they thought I "ought" to have. So I learned that perhaps I wasn't worthy of having what I truly wanted, and that I could never afford it anyway. So, for many years, I settled.
I settled for perceived security instead of true partnership in relationships.
I settled for second hand or second class items instead of what it was I really wanted to have.
I settled for a multitude of things rather than true abundance - the kind that comes from non-material things.
I settled for a life of lack instead of a life of abundance.
My soul, my Self, never settled though. She was always restless, always knowing there was more for me out there. She just had to wait until enough tools came into my life and enough belief came into my mind and heart to push me toward that abundance.
That relationship with money I touched on earlier? Well, now I truly believe what I clipped from a program at a Center for Spiritual Living service nearly ten years ago now. It says:
Is money a naughty word?
No, it just means
More
Opulent
Natural
Energy
Yeah!
During the last month of last year, a long and painful chapter in my financial story hit its climax. There are still some loose ends to tie up, as there are at the end of every story, however, I am truly ready to move on to the next chapter in my financial life and good things are already happening in that area!
So, what is appearing in your life - a sense of abundance or a sense of lack?
Ponder that for the week and see what truths come to you…
With next week comes March and the topics of motivation, unintended consequences, sowing seeds, and planning.
Watch for my daily messages on Facebook, and until next time - Namaste!
What we perceive and believe we achieve.
If we think and feel we are small, we draw small things into our lives.
If we believe in big things and that we can do big things, we draw big things into our lives.
For example, some of my biggest issues have been in the area of money, of finances. A lot of that is mired in my childhood. I'd ask for something specific that I wanted and I would get either what my parents thought they could afford, or - and closer to reality - what they thought I "ought" to have. So I learned that perhaps I wasn't worthy of having what I truly wanted, and that I could never afford it anyway. So, for many years, I settled.
I settled for perceived security instead of true partnership in relationships.
I settled for second hand or second class items instead of what it was I really wanted to have.
I settled for a multitude of things rather than true abundance - the kind that comes from non-material things.
I settled for a life of lack instead of a life of abundance.
My soul, my Self, never settled though. She was always restless, always knowing there was more for me out there. She just had to wait until enough tools came into my life and enough belief came into my mind and heart to push me toward that abundance.
That relationship with money I touched on earlier? Well, now I truly believe what I clipped from a program at a Center for Spiritual Living service nearly ten years ago now. It says:
Is money a naughty word?
No, it just means
More
Opulent
Natural
Energy
Yeah!
During the last month of last year, a long and painful chapter in my financial story hit its climax. There are still some loose ends to tie up, as there are at the end of every story, however, I am truly ready to move on to the next chapter in my financial life and good things are already happening in that area!
So, what is appearing in your life - a sense of abundance or a sense of lack?
Ponder that for the week and see what truths come to you…
With next week comes March and the topics of motivation, unintended consequences, sowing seeds, and planning.
Watch for my daily messages on Facebook, and until next time - Namaste!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
MaXIMIze - Finances - Our Relationship with Money
There is a scrap of paper on the bulletin board by my desk that says:
Is money a naughty word?
No, it just means:
More
Opulent
Natural
Energy
Yeah!
When we think about dealing with finances and money in general, we come from one of two places - a place of abundance or a place of lack. Which do you come from?
This is actually a difficult topic for me to write about, which is probably why I decided to tackle this segment of the Circle of Perception first. My satisfaction rating for this particular segment of the areas of my life is currently a 5, which is down from last year's rating of 6. And I'll be quite honest, I am no financial guru in any way, shape or form.
When I was growing up, money was not talked about in our household, other than to say we couldn't afford something or other. I was not taught to save or plan for the future. My father was career military, so he had a guaranteed pension and medical benefits. My mother was Federal civil service under the old Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), which also meant a guaranteed pension and medical coverage.
Today, though, staying with one company for an career that could span forty years or more is the exception rather than the norm. And, even with Federal civil service, the retirement program has changed the ratio of the guaranteed pension to the 401k type program (Federal Employees Retirement System came on line in the mid-1980s, replacing CSRS), and is poised to potentially change even more, depending on the whim and will of Congress.
Back in the day, the advice was to save 10% of your income, and to insure you had at least three months' living expenses in the bank. The advice now seems to be have at least six months if not a year's living expenses in the bank.
The availability of credit is another thing that has changed over the years. Credit as we know it - with MasterCard, VISA, Discover, American Express, and all the store and gas cards - did not come into being until the 1970s. Back in the day, credit was something to be used sparingly for large purchases, not to buy everyday items such as clothes, groceries, even gas on.
Our way of looking at the use of money or credit to buy things has changed as well. We have become a society of "I want it all and I want it now" rather than one of "good things come to those who wait." We have lost the distinction between what it is we really need to live and what it is that we want to have.
When was the last time you waited to buy something - say, a painting - that struck your fancy? And by waiting, I mean going home, really looking at your financial situation, and sleeping on your decision rather than buying it right then, right there.
Household budget - do you know where all your money goes every month? Do you know how much you spend on meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, laundry items, bathroom items, pet items, alcohol, soda, junk food, etc.? Do you really need all those cable channels or can you pare down to the internet connection and Hulu or Netflix? Or do you really need TV at all? How much is that smart phone costing you each month?
I challenge you to track each and every expense for a month or two and really see where your money goes - and I mean every expense - whether you buy it with cash, check, or debit/credit. Then ask yourself what do I really need to have/eat/use?
As you do this, you will begin to see your bank account grow, and then you can pay off your credit debt and save for your future.
Which brings me to my last question for you - have you done any retirement planning? Do you know where you're going to live, how you're going to spend your time, what funds will be needed to cover all that for as long as you are likely to live?
We have to take care of ourselves financially, period. No one else will do this for us - and frankly, we shouldn't let them. We owe it to ourselves to be able to pay our own way, balance our accounts, and save for our future, period.
We owe it to ourselves to become educated about money, our relationship with it, and its place in our lives. We owe it to ourselves to acknowledge the strengths we do have in the realm of finances and use them to the best of our abilities. We also owe it to ourselves to acknowledge our weaknesses in this area, bring them out in the open, and seek the help and advice we need to get to a place where we can have a healthy relationship with money and rate this segment of our lives at a minimum of 8 if not higher.
There are many resources out there for this particular topic. Suze Orman is one of my favorite authors and speakers on this subject. There is also a book called Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez, and Monique Tilford that is very good.
If you are already dealing with your finances from a place of abundance - great! Keep on trucking and refine things as you need to.
If you are dealing with your finances from a place of lack - of never having enough - do the work you need to do to figure out why your relationship with money is what it is and work to move from a place of lack to a place of abundance. If need be, get counseling - both financial and personal - to help you move down the path toward abundance.
We owe to ourselves to live our best lives now - and MaXIMIzing our financial health and well-being will help us to do that.
As we move through the month, we will discuss more on the topic of finances and money, coming from a place of abundance and reminding ourselves that money is a tool we use to MaXIMIze our lives, not a be all and end all of itself.
Until next week, namaste!
Is money a naughty word?
No, it just means:
More
Opulent
Natural
Energy
Yeah!
When we think about dealing with finances and money in general, we come from one of two places - a place of abundance or a place of lack. Which do you come from?
This is actually a difficult topic for me to write about, which is probably why I decided to tackle this segment of the Circle of Perception first. My satisfaction rating for this particular segment of the areas of my life is currently a 5, which is down from last year's rating of 6. And I'll be quite honest, I am no financial guru in any way, shape or form.
When I was growing up, money was not talked about in our household, other than to say we couldn't afford something or other. I was not taught to save or plan for the future. My father was career military, so he had a guaranteed pension and medical benefits. My mother was Federal civil service under the old Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), which also meant a guaranteed pension and medical coverage.
Today, though, staying with one company for an career that could span forty years or more is the exception rather than the norm. And, even with Federal civil service, the retirement program has changed the ratio of the guaranteed pension to the 401k type program (Federal Employees Retirement System came on line in the mid-1980s, replacing CSRS), and is poised to potentially change even more, depending on the whim and will of Congress.
Back in the day, the advice was to save 10% of your income, and to insure you had at least three months' living expenses in the bank. The advice now seems to be have at least six months if not a year's living expenses in the bank.
The availability of credit is another thing that has changed over the years. Credit as we know it - with MasterCard, VISA, Discover, American Express, and all the store and gas cards - did not come into being until the 1970s. Back in the day, credit was something to be used sparingly for large purchases, not to buy everyday items such as clothes, groceries, even gas on.
Our way of looking at the use of money or credit to buy things has changed as well. We have become a society of "I want it all and I want it now" rather than one of "good things come to those who wait." We have lost the distinction between what it is we really need to live and what it is that we want to have.
When was the last time you waited to buy something - say, a painting - that struck your fancy? And by waiting, I mean going home, really looking at your financial situation, and sleeping on your decision rather than buying it right then, right there.
Household budget - do you know where all your money goes every month? Do you know how much you spend on meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, laundry items, bathroom items, pet items, alcohol, soda, junk food, etc.? Do you really need all those cable channels or can you pare down to the internet connection and Hulu or Netflix? Or do you really need TV at all? How much is that smart phone costing you each month?
I challenge you to track each and every expense for a month or two and really see where your money goes - and I mean every expense - whether you buy it with cash, check, or debit/credit. Then ask yourself what do I really need to have/eat/use?
As you do this, you will begin to see your bank account grow, and then you can pay off your credit debt and save for your future.
Which brings me to my last question for you - have you done any retirement planning? Do you know where you're going to live, how you're going to spend your time, what funds will be needed to cover all that for as long as you are likely to live?
We have to take care of ourselves financially, period. No one else will do this for us - and frankly, we shouldn't let them. We owe it to ourselves to be able to pay our own way, balance our accounts, and save for our future, period.
We owe it to ourselves to become educated about money, our relationship with it, and its place in our lives. We owe it to ourselves to acknowledge the strengths we do have in the realm of finances and use them to the best of our abilities. We also owe it to ourselves to acknowledge our weaknesses in this area, bring them out in the open, and seek the help and advice we need to get to a place where we can have a healthy relationship with money and rate this segment of our lives at a minimum of 8 if not higher.
There are many resources out there for this particular topic. Suze Orman is one of my favorite authors and speakers on this subject. There is also a book called Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez, and Monique Tilford that is very good.
If you are already dealing with your finances from a place of abundance - great! Keep on trucking and refine things as you need to.
If you are dealing with your finances from a place of lack - of never having enough - do the work you need to do to figure out why your relationship with money is what it is and work to move from a place of lack to a place of abundance. If need be, get counseling - both financial and personal - to help you move down the path toward abundance.
We owe to ourselves to live our best lives now - and MaXIMIzing our financial health and well-being will help us to do that.
As we move through the month, we will discuss more on the topic of finances and money, coming from a place of abundance and reminding ourselves that money is a tool we use to MaXIMIze our lives, not a be all and end all of itself.
Until next week, namaste!
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