Finding the negative is easy

I do not usually bring God into these blog posts because of the diversity of beliefs represented by the people that I know. However, for the religious among us, our God has certain characteristics that are shared among all of the major religions, and the first among those is that God will never, ever try to crush your dreams. It is up to us to ask for guidance on how to live our lives and what dreams He has for us, but once we realize the path He has chosen for us we should pursue it will all possible vigor. God is uplifting and hopeful, He will never try to keep you from succeeding; He may test your faith, but He will not lie to you about your dreams. His opponent will, however. The enemy of God will whisper in your ear and use Dreamstealers to divert you from the path you are supposed to walk, and that is how you shall know them, by their negativity and discouraging words.

Finding the negative is easy; it's all around us, invading our world whether want it to or not. Two incidents lately have made this very clear, and stand as a warning to us all that if you let the Dreamstealers into your life, they will snatch away every dream and ambition you have and leave you an empty shell. If you learn to spot them, however, you can focus on what is positive and good.

Last month I met someone who was looking for positivity and light in their life, and we quickly agreed that God had lead us to each other. Within two weeks, however, the Dreamstealers had snatched their dreams away, dreams that we had both agreed were God's will. I witnessed this negativity first hand but am no closer to understanding it than I was before, perhaps because at its root there is no understanding to be found. I only know that God would not step on someone's dreams to help others.

The second incident deals with, of all things, a negative blog post. Since you are currently reading a blog, mine, let's be clear about something: there is no fact check that my writings have to pass before they are published. Everything I write here is my opinion. As a responsible adult you can count on the fact that I will not intentionally lie to you, but if I wanted to, I could. With few exceptions, I can say anything I want.

And so can anybody else, including Dreamstealers.

When you read something on the internet, be it a comment after a story or column, or especially a blog, understand that behind the words there is a motive. It may be a good and positive motive, or it might be a negative one. Does it shock you that unscrupulous writers often say bad things about whatever writer they see as their biggest competition? It happens on Amazon.com all the time. So when someone showed me a negative blog about something I hold dear they were upset, wondering if it were true. A short investigation made it clear that the post was written by a new competitor who used a blog because in a blog you can say almost anything you want, and they were trying to steal customers from the giant of the industry. Their negativity had become infectious as they tried to steal the dreams of others.

Does that sound like work of a good and positive nature? Not to me it doesn't. Dreamstealers, begone!

Momentum begins when belief sets in.

Someone asked me where I read this, or to whom I should attribute this quote. Honestly, I don't remember reading it anywhere, although I could be wrong about that. Sometimes the sub-conscious retains a memory even if you are not aware that it is a memory, so if this saying has been used before, I stand corrected.

However, whether I remembered this or thought it up isn't the question, or even important; what matters is the message. It is the rare person who can recommend something to someone else if they do not first believe in what it is they are recommending...in other words, lie to someone. At least, it is the rare person who can lie and be convincing about it. And that's the point of the message.

Momentum begins when belief sets in. See, if you believe in something, then that belief comes across when you tell someone else about it, whatever 'it' happens to be. My friends know that I am extremely skeptical, sometimes to the point of cynicism; it's one of the character traits that I am working to change. But for me to recommend something to someone, I must be convinced that it is 100% true. If someone does not act on my recommendation, that's okay.The last thing I want to do is talk someone into doing something (or eating somewhere, or seeing a movie, or whatever) that they do not want to do.

One definition of Momentum is" "the impetus gained by a moving object." This fits the phrase perfectly. When you believe something strong enough, you can almost will it into action. We're seeing that in Memphis right now, it's amazing to behold, when something begins to move (or grow) of its own accord. Of course, it's because belief has set in.

The only thing left now is to enjoy the ride.

Lesson learned

As a wellness consultant you'd think I'd know better. I have all of the studies, all of the statistics, that prove human beings must rest and refresh themselves to avoid the dire consequences not doing so puts on your body. It's bad stuff, and it's my business to know that it's bad stuff. Stress is the Black Plague of the 21st Century.

And it's not like I hate what I'm doing; I love it, it's a blast, I feel as though I am doing what I was born to do...but, even so, rest and replenishment are essential.

This past week was incredible. If you were there, you know what I mean; if you weren't, you should have been. You learn best by association, that is, by watching and listening to others who possess certain attributes and skills you wish that you had. This week was a smorgasbord for absorbing such lessons.

But despite the opportunity you still have to give yourself a chance to let the adrenaline drain away and to regain your mental and physical equilibrium.

Lesson learned.

Top 25 Online Colleges, Dr. Charles King and why it matters

I completed my college degree online, from The University of Memphis. When some people hear that, they automatically think this is some sort of shortcut to a degree, that the material and coursework were less challenging than a traditional classroom setting...nothing could be further from the truth, at least in my experience. I actually did four or five times as much reading and writing for the courses I took than I had expected to; it was hard as-...well, it was hard.

Anyway, here's a link to one site's Top 25 Online Colleges in America: Top 25

I'm sure there is some subjectivity to this list, and there are other online universities that I know for a fact are top-notch that are not on this list, but that's not the point of today's blog. What is important is that The University of Illinois-Chicago is on this list at #12, and that is the home of Dr. Charles King. Professor King is a Harvard-educated business teacher who thinks outside the box, who believes in using the power of the American dream to its fullest potential, and that corporate America often keeps people dependent on the company to leverage their time as cheaply as possible, thus maximizing profits.

Like other luminaries, such as Warren Buffett, Donald Trump and Robert Kiyasaki, Dr. King believes in the power of the individual to create his or her own wealth, and teaches an extensive curriculum on the home-based business and entrepreneurship. So many people are terrified of working for themselves and it is forward-thinkers such as Dr. King who try to overcome that fear. Here is a short bio for this amazing man: Dr. Charles King

Probably the most frustrating thing I have encountered in the past few years are people selling their talents cheaply because they are afraid of failure, because they have never been taught how to believe in themselves and therefore dream small. People like Dr. King advocate thinking big, dreaming big, and have made a career of showing people how to do this very thing. I'm thrilled to see his University listed among the prestigious grouping for today's topic.

Be good to yourself and live longer

Lately I've been delving into the effects of stress on the human condition, both how stress affects our mind and our body. What I found is scary stuff. Stress is one of the deadliest conditions of the 21st Century. Today's link is to a study done for the City of Irvine, CA. The results are summarized in the following paragraph:

"One thing is clear, stress can kill us. Life
today is very difficult. We all face many
challenges and it is hard to slow down. But
ask yourself, what is the alternative? If we
do not live a sane life, at least most of the
time, we are apt to loose that life sooner than
we would like.
Realize that at this very moment you are
creating your next moment. Will it be what
you want it to be?"

We cannot control everything in our life, but the more we can relieve stress the healthier and happier we will be. And if you're an employer, helping relieve stress for your employees can improve your bottom-line drastically.

The Full Article

100% wrong for all of these years

NPR says it, not me

Want to live longer? Live better.


This blog is intended to share with my readers the trials and tribulations of what Kathy and I learn as we undertake a project completely unlike anything we have ever done before, to illustrate what we learn and unlearn along the way. Today's entry is a major 'Unlearn.'

I had no idea. Like so many people I thought that the harder you worked the greater your success. Not so says the science. For years Americans have gotten it wrong, insisting that keeping your nose to the grindstone and ignoring vacations was the way to get ahead in this country. And while that might be true in the short run, what employer doesn't like an employee who gives back vacation time, it doesn't pay off in the long run when that employee dies at a relatively young age and the employer has to replace them at great expense.

Want to be the best employee you can be? Take your vacation and actually go somewhere, stick your toes in the sand, forget work for a while and come back raring to go. Want to be the best employer you can be? Insist your employees take their vacations.

Relax! Vacations Are Good For Your Health

by Brenda Wilson

August 17, 2009

More reasons to enjoy your free time to its fullest: less stress, more energy and, possibly, a longer life.

A lot of towns and cities in the United States virtually empty out come August. Traffic almost becomes manageable as the local denizens decamp for the beach, the mountains or the heartlands. The escape from toil may be just the breather the body needs to restore itself.

Whether you spend your free moments playing sports, socializing with friends or reading quietly, research suggests that the more of it there is, the better you feel and the healthier you are.

"It is important to engage in multiple leisure activities, both as a way to enjoy life more, but also to potentially have a benefit on health and be a stress reliever," says Karen Matthews of the University of Pittsburgh's Mind-Body Center.

Researchers from the center surveyed 1,399 participants who'd been recruited for four other studies on breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. They were asked how often they'd spent the previous month doing something they enjoyed. Leisure, including vacation, Matthews says, contributed to more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions and depression.

People who had more leisure activities "reported more life satisfaction, finding more meaning in life," says Matthews. "They tended to be more religious [and] spiritual in orientation. They reported having a lot of support from friends and having a large network of friends and family."

Among the benefits to be found from engaging in multiple activities are lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and smaller waists.

Europeans embrace this idea almost religiously. Vacations are enshrined in law. In countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, employers are required to provide up to 20 days of paid leave. Americans, on the other hand, get an average of 12 days every year. A study conducted by the Families and Work Institute found that less than half of U.S. employees take the full vacation.

Jessica de Bloom studies the effects of vacation on stress, recovery and work motivation at the Radboud University in the Netherlands. Having just spent three weeks in Croatia, on vacation herself, she was feeling just fine. But her research found that for most people, the overall feeling of well-being that comes after a vacation quickly vanishes. She's done an analysis of research conducted in Europe, Israel and the United States that assesses how people feel before, during and after a vacation. It was published in the Journal of Occupational Health.

"People felt healthier during vacation. They had a better mood," de Bloom says. "They were less tense. And they had a higher level of energy, and they were more satisfied with their life."

What struck de Bloom is that when people were questioned a day or two after they returned, the positive effects had faded. But that doesn't mean that one should discount the health benefits of a vacation, de Bloom says.

"It would be a bit like asking, 'Why do we sleep despite the fact that we get tired again?' "

Health deteriorates over time if we don't take a break from work, research concludes.

Probably the best evidence of the effects of vacations can be found in the Framingham Heart Study, which scientists have been plumbing for years to understand what contributes to our well-being. More than 12,000 men who were at risk of heart disease were followed over nine years to see if there were ways to improve their longevity. Among the questions they were asked annually was about vacations.

"The more frequent the vacations, the longer the men lived," says Matthews, who analyzed the data to assess the benefits of vacations.

The men who took vacations tended to be better educated and have a higher income. These are people who tend to be healthier and live longer anyway. It's also possible that sick people don't enjoy taking vacations. But Matthews says the study took that into account, and she's confident that there are health benefits to vacationing.

While vacations would probably benefit us all, it appears that people who were healthier to begin with, who exercise and who don't smoke are also the people most likely to take frequent vacations.

What the Wall Street Journal thinks of your Plan A: if you're under 40, listen up!

So what does the Wall Street Journal think about your retirement plans? Not much if you're counting on Social Security to provide anything close to enough to live on. Maybe enough to buy an occasional Skinny Latte at Starbucks, but not much else. Here's a new article that tells you if Social Security is your future, then you might not have one. The full article is here, I'm quoting it in case the link goes dead at some point in the future, because this material is crucial to all of us.

Plan now while you still can

• April 25, 2012, 11:48 a.m. ET

RETIRING: If Social Security Is Your Plan A, Get A Plan B

--U.S. workers younger than 40 likely to receive greatly reduced benefits

--Small changes in strategy can boost one's benefits

--Damage could be mitigated if policy makers were to agree on a solution

   By Robert Powell
   A DOW JONES COLUMN

If Plan A in your retirement scheme is Social Security, it's time to start working on Plan B.

Based on this week's report from the folks responsible for the Medicare and Social Security Trust Funds, Americans--and especially those under age 40--need to reconsider their retirement plans.

Absent major action by lawmakers, the annual reports say that the combined assets of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and the Disability Insurance trust funds will be exhausted in 2033. That's three years sooner than was projected last year. And the Disability Insurance, or DI, trust fund will be exhausted in 2016, two years earlier than last year's estimate.

Come 2033, just 21 short years from now, Social Security will pay just 75% of scheduled benefits, just 75 cents on the dollar. So, instead of getting, say, $1,000 per month from Social Security, you'll get just $750 per month come 2033.

Meanwhile, the outlook for the social insurance program that covers nearly 50 million elderly and disabled people was slightly worse than findings from last year. The trustees, as they did last year, forecast that Medicare's hospital insurance fund would begin to run out of money beginning in 2024.

So what adjustments do you need to make to your retirement plan given the latest reports from the trustees of Social Security and Medicare?

Well, if you're already retired, don't worry. "The advice I give people is that if they are already retired, I see little risk to benefits," said Jeffrey Brown, a finance professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "No politician will cut for current seniors."

Others share that opinion. "I would tell those living in retirement or very near retirement, make your decisions based on the current rules," said Bill Meyer, the president of Retiree Inc. "History tells us that Social Security benefits will not be impacted for those in or very near benefit-claiming age. For example, it took seven and 17 years respectfully from the time change [for Social Security] was announced to implementation back in 1983 and 1977."

But for those who plan on retiring in 2033 and beyond, the advice is much different. "It might be smart to look at the worst case," said Andy Landis, the founder of "Thinking Retirement and the author of Social Security: The Inside Story."

"What if Congress does nothing between now and 2035? At that point Social Security payments could be cut up to 25%. If you're a pessimist, work that into your retirement plan," Landis said.

  If you're under age 40, start worrying

In other words, anyone younger than, say, 41 today should plan to get just 70% to 75% of promised benefits, Brown said.

Unfortunately, there's no silver bullet to make up the difference between what those retiring in 2033 expected to get from Social Security and what they will get.

Those folks should consider the usual strategies and tactics: up the amount they save toward retirement; invest differently, perhaps with an emphasis on creating guaranteed inflation-adjusted income not unlike that provided by Social Security; delay retirement; work part time in retirement; delay taking Social Security; and consider any and all ways to turn assets into income, be it home equity, the cash value in your life insurance policy, or the collectibles in your curio cabinet.

  Optimize your Social Security benefit

Of all the bromides, however, delaying--or what Meyer and other experts refer to as "optimizing" Social Security benefits--is perhaps the most important. For one, the average American who optimizes when to claim Social Security can "make their savings last two to 10 years longer," according to Meyer.

What's more, what's good for you is also good for the Social Security Trust Fund. "Delaying or optimizing Social Security will help will help lessen the near-term burden on the Social Security liabilities," said Meyer.

One such strategy is "claim and suspend," whereby, typically, a husband would file for his benefits and then suspend those benefits so that his wife could collect the spousal benefit off her husband's work record. "The claim-and-suspend strategy is typically used by married couples where the wife wants to start receiving her spousal benefit but the husband wants to delay his benefit to age 70 in order to earn maximum delayed credits," Floyd previously told Retirement Weekly.

Of all the Social Security claiming strategies, however, experts are telling older Americans not to panic and take Social Security early at age 62 or before normal or full retirement age just because of the program's financial woes. "It may be tempting to take early benefits in light of the system's worsening financial condition, but those who do so risk being stuck with a permanently reduced benefit and lower lifetime income," said Elaine Floyd, director of retirement and financial life planning at Horsesmouth LLC and author of "135 Social Security Questions Answered: What Savvy Advisors Need to Know," as well as "The Financial Advisor's Guide to Savvy Social Security Planning."

"Even if future benefits are reduced in some manner, it is inconceivable that those who took early benefits would come out ahead of those who had delayed," Floyd said.

Planning for health-care expenses in retirement, given Medicare's financial problems is, however, an entirely different matter. "I'm not sure how policy makers can get escalating health-care costs under control, but in light of the trustees' sixth consecutive 'Medicare funding warning,' the best thing people who are living in or planning for retirement can do is set aside funds for future health-care costs," said Floyd.

Experts, meanwhile, say that fixing Social Security and Medicare's financial problems isn't all that hard. There are two basic choices and variations on those choices. What's hard is mustering up the desire and will on the part of lawmakers to tackle the problem before it becomes too late.

"One, either we spend less by reducing the level or growth of benefits, or two, we put more money into the system via higher payroll taxes, or general revenue transfers," Brown said. "There are a myriad ways to do either of these things--raising the retirement age, changing how we index benefits [wages vs. prices], other changes to the benefit formula, and the like."

To be sure, there is debate over who should bear the brunt of the proposed fixes: reduced benefits or increase taxes.

Landis, for instance, doesn't think retirees should have to pay with a reduced benefit. "With the average retiree getting only about $1,200 per month, and with that being most of his or her income, benefit cuts start to seem like getting blood from a turnip," Landis said. "With wealth disparity at historic highs, income-tax rates at historic lows, and payroll taxes capturing a smaller percentage of all wages, Congress might want to look at the tax side of the equation."

Others, meanwhile, say lawmakers should consider a combination of reform proposals so that no one group pays the price for saving Social Security.

"These [proposals] would include raising the wage base subject to payroll taxes, gradually phasing in a higher retirement age for future retirees, and slowing the growth of future benefits for higher earners," said Floyd. "I hesitate to favor cost-of-living adjustment reductions for current recipients because they're going to need those COLAs for Medicare premiums, if nothing else."

To be fair, some experts, including Landis, say there's no need to press the panic button just yet. "First, let's all take a breath, because the report is no surprise," said Landis. "Forecasts about Social Security's solvency have been remarkably stable since 1983, the last big overhaul of the system. Projected insolvency dates have varied from the mid-2030s to the early 2040s consistently since then. We're 'on track' according to the 1983 overhaul."

But even though we're on track doesn't mean changes aren't necessary. It's just that the changes can be small. "What Social Security needs right now is a tuneup, not another major overhaul such as that which took place in 1983," said Landis. "Obviously, taxes need to be raised and/or benefits reduced. Congress needs to decide how much of each is right.

But is time running out? "Any changes are cheaper if done sooner," Landis said. "Waiting until 2035 just drives up the cost of reforms."

Lita Epstein, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Social Security and Medicare," agreed: "Clearly, Congress must act as quickly as possible to fortify Social Security and Medicare. The quicker the Congress designs the fix the less painful it will be. Congress can't keep kicking its work down the road."

Congress is, of course, unlikely to take any action in an election year. But Landis is holding out hope: "What if Congress reframed the issue? Wouldn't 'saving Social Security for another generation' have political benefits? Nice to have on your resume."

(Robert Powell is editor of Retirement Weekly, a MarketWatch/Dow Jones service, and writes for MarketWatch. He can be reached at 415-439-6400 or by email at AskNewswires@dowjones.com.)