Working and Jobs
- Work controls your time and life. (Be well compensated or enjoy what you are doing to have a full and happy life.)
- They give you 2 weeks of your time to enjoy for the entire year.
- If you kids get sick you have to ask permission to stay home and take care of them
- If you are late some employers will Dock your pay.
- They penalize you for being a minute late but don’t want to pay you for working a little late or working on your own time.
- Make you work Days, Nights and weekends with no regard for your family or life situation. (Changes anytime they want)
- Work 25 – 30 years (40-50 hours week) – Retire with benefits and a Pension then the Company wants to save money and (takes away or reduces your retirement benefits that you worked your entire life for.) The Ultimate Slap in the FACE!!
- Parent gets Sick or Dies. Your job gives you 3 days to grieve and then get back to work and don’t’ be late.
- Your Childhood Best Friend dies, but you can’t take time off work because work has determined that this is not an immediate family member. To them it’s more important to have you at work then spending time morning with you family.
We work all our lives for someone else and for what benefit? For some this is good, they have and need the perceived security of a corporate job.
I was always under the impression that when you worked for a company, you were entering into a “Contract” between yourself (the employee) and the Employer. This “Contract” is supposed to lay out the details of the agreement between the two of you. What duties and responsibilities you are to be responsible and accountable for and how much the company will compensate you and the details of your benefits under this contract.
Somewhere in the past 5 – 10 years the employer has been changing his part of the contract without notice or renegotiating this “contract”. They have been steadily increasing the employee’s workload without any additional compensation or benefits. In many cases they have actually been reducing both the compensation and benefits through hiring younger workers for much less money. Older, better compensated employees are being pushed out or systematically fired in an effort to reduce cost and maximize gains for the company.
Many people have complained about the AIG bonuses and say “how can they break this contract to pay these people there bonuses”. Well I say until the average workers contract is honored and upheld and properly renegotiated then the AIG contracts should not matter either.
Shifting Your Vibration to Manifest Your Desires
March 8, 2009
This is a truly amazing article i came across by Steve Pavlina discussing something i have believed in for a very long time. The ability to Manifest your desires. I have re-posted this article and the direct link to it.
(The Ability to make something you think up in your mind, foucus on and desire it so much, that it becomes a reality).
Shifting Your Vibration to Manifest Your Desires
February 12th, 2009 by Steve Pavlina
Email this article to a friend
You are not a physical being in a physical universe. You are an energetic/vibrational being in an energetic/vibrational universe. You are both a transmitter and a receiver of energy.
One of your greatest challenges as a human being is learning how to live as a vibrational being in a vibrational universe.
Attracting Compatible Patterns
You don’t attract into your life what you want. You don’t attract what you think about. You don’t attract what you feel. Desires, thoughts, and feelings are all important, but these are more effects than causes.
You attract what you’re signaling.
Think of yourself as a vibrational transmitter. You’re constantly sending out signals that tell the universe who you are in this moment. Those signals will either attract or repel other vibrational beings, events, and experiences.
You naturally attract that which is in harmony with your state of being, and you’ll repel that which is out of sync with your state.
If your energetic self radiates wealth and abundance, your physical reality will reflect wealth and abundance for your physical being.
If your energetic self radiates anger and frustration, your physical reality will reflect that as well.
Since the signals you’re sending out at any given moment tend to be fairly complex, your experience of physical reality will be equally complex.
Once you can accept that your vibrational self attracts compatible patterns, it becomes clear that if you want to experience something different in your life, you must somehow change the signals you’re putting out.
Your Vibrational Hum
Listen to the vibrational hum of your being. Quiet your mind, tune in to your inner being, and listen to the ever-broadcasting radio station that is you. What types of signals are you broadcasting in this moment?
When I tune in for a moment, I can sense some of the signals that are emanating from me. I can feel that I’m radiating happiness and joy. I can sense that I’m sending out signals to attract positive, loving new relationships into my life. I can sense that I’m radiating financial abundance and increase. I can sense that my energy is very mental at the moment because I’m writing this article.
These are all thoughts, however. The true signal I’m emitting isn’t a thought. It’s a frequency. I might describe this frequency in words, but I can never get the words quite right because human language is inadequate to the task. If I try to describe my current signal anyway, I might use the following adjectives: flowing, smiling, happy, peaceful, soaring, white, soft, strong, expanding, warm, mindful, smooth, and energized.
I can also tune into signals from my environment. I can sense that my belly is broadcasting satiety since I just had lunch (a mixed green salad and some olives). I can observe that it’s 49 degrees F outside. I can hear soft music coming from my computer speakers (sound is yet another vibration). I can subtly perceive Erin’s signal transmitting from the next room. I can feel the combined energy of the people reading my articles around the world.
Overall, I can sense that the signals I’m sending out and the signals coming from my environment are in sync. I feel happy, peaceful, and abundant, and my environment reflects that. This is a stable state, one I experience often.
Your energy signature is the summation of all the signals you’re sending out. Your thoughts and feelings aren’t the cause of these signals though; your thoughts and feelings are actually effects of the signals. If you change the signal you’re emitting, your thoughts and feelings will shift as well.
Vibrational Equilibrium
Your vibrational being and your environment will tend to move toward equilibrium over time. If your current life situation appears fairly stable, it’s safe to say that you’re maintaining equilibrium.
For example, if you’re financially broke, and if this is a stable situation that has persisted for some time, then it’s likely that most of the energetic signals you’re exposing yourself to are also vibrating at a similar frequency of broke-ness. This includes the place you live, the people you interact with, your work environment, the events on your calendar, your furniture, and so on. Your being is immersed in a field of these signals, and this encourages you to vibrate at the same level.
If you continue to surround yourself with signals that reinforce your current state, then that state will persist indefinitely. You may be able to get away from it for a while, but you’ll keep coming back to it if that’s your equilibrium.
Shifting Your Vibration
Creating a temporary shift in your vibration is easy. You can create such a change in seconds. Jump around and move your body. Sing your favorite song. Smile for a minute. Hold a yoga pose. Take a cold shower. All of these will change your state. However, this won’t create any sort of lasting change if you return to your old vibration afterwards. If your dominant signal remains unchanged, your equilibrium won’t shift.
In order to shift your equilibrium, you need to break the old equilibrium. This means you must create a lasting disconnect between your current vibration and the environmental vibrations that are compatible with it.
There are basically two ways to do this.
First, you can shift your own vibration long enough to create a lasting disconnect with your current environment. If you start transmitting a new signal, you’ll soon repel whatever in your environment is incompatible with your new signal. You’ll also begin attracting other people, events, and experiences that are compatible with your new signal. Hold the new vibration long enough, and you’ll see your whole physical reality change all around you.
You can apply this approach by visualizing your goals very vividly for at least 20 minutes per day. Visualize in such a way that you can feel strong emotions. An emotional shift indicates that you’re broadcasting a new signal. The longer you can hold this new vibration, the faster your reality will shift.
The second method is to intentionally replace many of your environmental signals with new ones. Then you must hold yourself in that new environment. This will feel uncomfortable at first because you won’t initially be compatible with those new signals. You must allow them to recalibrate your own vibration until you become compatible with them.
You can apply this approach by changing your environmental landscape — physically, socially, and otherwise. For example, stop spending time with your lazy friends, give away your TV, and hang out every day with the most productive people you know. This will feel uncomfortable at first, but eventually you’ll start to integrate those new signals, and your own vibrational pattern will soon shift to come into resonance with these new people.
So to sum up, you can either change the signal you’re emitting, or you can change the signal soup you’re immersed in. Either way can be very effective at creating a lasting change in your vibrational pattern.
Creating What You Desire
To create what you want in your life, you must shift your vibrational pattern such that you’re emitting a signal that’s vibrationally compatible with your goals and desires.
You can identify that new vibration by vividly visualizing your goals until you feel different emotions, and those emotions stabilize at a certain point. Notice how your vibrational inner being feels, not just emotionally but energetically. Then return to your old state, and notice the vibrational difference between the two states. Compare and contrast the old vibration with the new one.
For example, here’s how I’d describe the vibration of being broke and deep in debt, a frequency I emitted for many years: tight, knotted, twisted, chaotic, rough, blurry, red, dark, fast, changing, pressed, and squeezed.
Here’s how I’d describe the vibration of financial abundance: open, free, clear, bluish-white, flowing, smooth, bright, focused, and intense.
Each vibration has a different energy signature. If I temporarily shift my default vibration to a state of feeling broke (just by imagining it as real), I can feel my vibrational self shifting its frequency too. If I held that vibration long enough, I’d soon find that my physical reality followed suit.
Hopefully it’s obvious by now that if you want to shift your vibration, it’s a bad idea to consistently expose yourself to incompatible signals. Watch the TV news about the ongoing financial meltdown and the recession/depression, and notice what happens to your vibration. Then notice what happens to your finances in the long run. If you want to experience financial abundance, this is a very bad time to watch or read mainstream news. This is the perfect time to read high-quality books or articles instead.
Learning to sense and control the vibrational frequencies you’re emitting is powerful stuff. Once you really get this, you can intentionally shift your frequency at will to experience what you desire.
If you want to experience wealth, you can create that. If you want to experience a new relationship, you can create that too. If you want high energy and good health, you can create that as well.
This isn’t to say that it will be easy for you to accomplish all of these things. It takes practice to adjust your vibrational frequency correctly, so be patient with yourself. Rome wasn’t manifested in a day. ![]()
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2009/02/shifting-your-vibration-to-manifest-your-desires/
10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self-Employed
March 8, 2009
I Came across a great article by Steve Pavlina
10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self-Employed
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/10-stupid-mistakes-made-by-the-newly-self-employed/
Are we really a “Nation of Cowards”?
February 20, 2009
The new Attorney General William Holder gave a speech the other day and said “we are a Nation of Cowards” when it comes to race.
His basic premise was that we separate ourselves from each other based on race when it come to our choice of places where we live, eat lunch, or just socialize. We have limited contact outside our workplaces and schools. In many ways I agree with his statement… I would not have went as far as calling us a “Nation of Cowards”, but I respect him for saying it and raising the issue.
I understand his point and agree with his observation for the most part. I personally have had friends of many races and ethnicities all my life. In fact when I was in high school in the 80’s it was quite interesting for me because many blacks would tell me I’m trying to “act” white or I “think I am white”. And on the other side I had some whites who would look down on me or call me the “N” word because I was the only black face in the crowd or because they were acting out what they learned from their parents. That was over 25 years ago. I do think things have change dramatically since then, but I do still see the core of the country living “together” but separate.
As a black man there have always been things in the Black community (broad generalization) that bothered me when it comes to this issue.
Some of these things have been said to me more than once in life:
- “You talk white” - I heard this one many times in life.
My Response:
- How do you speak a color? (Does one racial group have a monopoly on the English language?)
- Since when is speaking proper English a “white” or “Non-black” trait? (To me this implies that blacks are supposed to speak slang or broken English and is an association with lack of intelligence.) This ties into a larger issue of blacks kids being targeted for being smart by other black kids; as if this, again, is a white or non-black trait. We must change this perception within our own kids.
2. “You think you’re white” – I have also heard this one many times in my life.
Again, My response has always been the same since high school:
- If speaking properly, striving to be my best, bettering myself everyday and becoming financially secure is being “white”, then I guess I’m guilty!! (I was under the impression that these are things “All Americans” want and should be striving for).
- I am myself!! – “To thine self always be true” - (I have always strived for the same things in high school that I am today “Wisdom, Intellect, Knowledge and the power to adapt, change and grow everyday).
Now, don’t get me wrong. This is not all of the black community, but this is a big problem in a lot of the inner city and urban areas where people don’t often break those racial barriers and associate with others like themselves (natural and normal human trait).
- You are most likely to have the same educational level and salary range of your closest 10 friends. (With that said, sometimes we need to move beyond our comfort zones and push ourselves to strive for more. If you want better out of life, it’s not given to you. You must sometimes make it happen for yourself!)
- Personally, I love a challenge. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it motivates me even more. Especially if they say or imply that I can’t do it because of my race.
Now in the white community (broad generalization), there ae some things that have also bothered me for some time. Things in life that have also happened to me more than once:
- Being told “you’re not black” – fortunately I am intelligent enough to understand that you actually meant this as a compliment and have never taken offense to it, but it is really NOT a compliment.
- I always used this as a bridge to get them to understand that all black people are not the same. We are all individuals with different desires, interests and we all have much more in common than not.
My Response:
- Yes, I am black – Just not the vision you have been shown over and over again in the media and in history. I try and use this as an opportunity to educate them about black people if they are open and receptive to it. If not, I see it as a chip in the block of racism and they have now met someone who breaks there stereotypical view of what a black person is and looks like.
3. Using the “N” word - In my opinion: “this is not acceptable by anyone black or white“ given the history of the word. Not even when you’re singing the words in a rap song. I personally don’t listen to anyone who uses that word for no conscious reason, but only to get attention or draw negative attention and trouble. I recognize it as only a word, but it is a “BAD” word with a very bad history behind it.
Tennessee Republicans throw House speaker out of the party
February 13, 2009
Tennessee Republicans throw House speaker out of the party
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/09/state-republicans-throw-house-speaker-williams-out/
Washington and the Stimulus Bill
February 13, 2009
It really amazes me how the republican party in congress is now concerned about the economy and the budget deficiet. There was no talk or united republican front when it was George W. Bush Jr., a republican president in office. Thi s is the same president that never used his veto power to stop one spending bill that came across his desk until late into his 2nd term when he was considered a lame duck president and worried about his legacy.
Now we have a new direction and a new leader with a vision that they want to toe the republican line. President Obama has put forward a very ambishious adgenda and plans to fix our Collapsing bridges, schools, roads and other infastructure. He has created plans for new alternative energy inishiatives to create jobs. This is the same legislation during the republican controlled bush adminstration that was never brought to the floor or was not funded.
Don’t be fooled – This is not about spending money, this is about a new direction for our country that some of the “right wing” republicans or Neo-conservatives don’t want enacted. They want to keep the status quoe and keep the money train of corruption rolling.
It angers me that people like rush Limbaugh can make statements say basically ” I hope our president fails” To me this should be considered Treason. Because if he fails – Our country fails.
Where is FOX News – are they reporting that Rush is anti-american the way they did when “anyone” disagreed with George W. Bush Jr. ? I recall anyone who disagreed with almost anything he wanted was called “anti-american” or they “hate america”
Where are you now FOX news??? DON”T FALL FOR THIS GAME!!
Remember this when you are talking about republican’s or democrats:
” DIVIDED WE FAIL”
Are You getting Debt Collection Calls? – Know your rights!
February 13, 2009
- Debt collectors can not harass or use profanity towards you.
- They can not take your property or possessions without going to court in your home state or state of the contract (most credit cards companies are incorporated in Delaware due to the lack of caps on interest rates).
- They can not tell others about your debt obligations. (except your spouse or your attorney) If you have hired an attorney and you have notified the debt collector at this point they are only allowed to make contact with your attorney.
- If you request in writting they make no further contact with you. They may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify you that the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some specific action.
- They may not call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree.
- A debt collector also may not contact you at work if the collector knows that your employer disapproves of such contacts.
If you were a real man you would take car of your responsibilities and pay your debts.
Later this same collector called my neighbours house asking for me and telling them it was related to a past due charge.This was totally illegal, so i looked up the law and was very happy to call the collection agency and quote to them the parts of the fain debt collection acts that they violated. I also told them each offense was punishable by a $1000 fine. Needless to say after i put all this in writing and sent it to them and the Federal Trade commision i got a call from the company advising they were sorry and the debt had be discharged (Erased). It pays to know the law!! This lead me to write this posting on letting people know about there rights under the law and how to stop those harassing collection calls.
What types of debt collection practices are prohibited?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, debt collectors may not:
- use threats of violence or harm;
- publish a list of consumers who refuse to pay their debts (except to a credit bureau);
- use obscene or profane language; or repeatedly use the telephone to annoy someone.
False statements. Debt collectors may not use any false or misleading statements when collecting a debt. For example, debt collectors may not:
- falsely imply that they are attorneys or government representatives;
- falsely imply that you have committed a crime;
- falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit bureau;
- misrepresent the amount of your debt;
- indicate that papers being sent to you are legal forms when they are not; or
- indicate that papers being sent to you are not legal forms when they are.
Debt collectors also may NOT make claims that:
- you will be arrested if you do not pay your debt;
- they will seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages, unless the collection agency or creditor intends to do so, and it is legal to do so; or
- actions, such as a lawsuit, will be taken against you, when such action legally may not be taken, or when they do not intend to take such action.
Debt collectors may not:
- give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit bureau;
- send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency when it is not; or
- use a false name.
Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, collectors may not:
- collect any amount greater than your debt, unless your state law permits such a charge;
- deposit a post-dated check prematurely;
- use deception to make you accept collect calls or pay for telegrams;
- take or threaten to take your property unless this can be done legally; or
- contact you by postcard.
This information can be found on the US Federal Trade commissions website at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm
This post is not complete but i wanted to get it out, so will expand upon this post later. Again, Please provide your suggestions and comments.
Until Next time,
Terrance Givens
Motivational Speaker & Business Owner
Should I Save or Pay off Debt?
February 12, 2009
Should I Save?
If you suspect your job could be in danger and you could be laid off and you have no emergency fund set up, you should save your money and build up an emergency fund as soon as possible!
If you loose your job, what will you live on?
Paid off Debts will not feed your family or pay your mortgage or car payments if you loose your job. More importantly, if you loose your job and credit card companies find out, guess what? They will greatly limit or cancel your cards because they now feel you do not have the ability to pay them back. So, remember this key point before you decide to payoff your cards before saving.
If your credit is already damaged and things are getting worse or you suspect your job may be at risk:
Here is what I suggest:
- · Immediately pay yourself like it was a bill – Pay Yourself First!
(Pay yourself a set amount (i.e. $50 or $100, etc.) every time you get paid. Just like you pay your rent or car payment.)
Unless you think your boss pays you too much, why not pay yourself what your worth or at least something every pay check to help secure you and your family’s future.)
- Save money in an account that you access - ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY.
Going out to dinner or buying your wife or husband a birthday present does not count as an emergency. Seriously, this account is your safety net in case you ever really need it in a true emergency (i.e. – You or your wife loose your jobs and you need a temporary supplement to your income until a new job can be found).
Should I pay off my Debt?
If you feel you job is secure and you not be laid off, then now is a great time to Payoff that Credit card and other debts. If possible now is the time to get Debt free and live a Cash life.
** What most people don’t realize is that most credit card companies are currently doing **
1) Reducing Credit Lines – This is primarily customers who traditionally carry High balances or run up high balances and pay them off.
No matter how long you have been with the company or even if you have never been late on anything this is happening. This question was asked yesterday by Congress in a hearing with all of the Major bank CEO’s. Most of them kind of avoided the question or say they are not doing it. Funny, everyday it’s happening to lots of people. The credit card game has changed and it’s mostly about the banks getting as much money out of you and me to fix up there balance sheets and to look better to there shareholders.
2) Raising Interest Rates – (For any reason they can find) this provides them more money for there banks.
a) High Balances – (This is related directly to your debt to income ratio) We will discuss this later
b) Late Payments – (On any bills you pay, not just with the credit card in question)
c) What Stores you shop in – (Grocery stores, casino’s, power companies).
d) And many other factors we don’t yet know about.
Some of these companies justify this by saying you are more of a risk to them because you are now living off the card to purchase “needs” or you are using the card in a casino and this is risky to them because you are now desperate and trying to win money using there money.
3) Charging of additional Fees – Late payment, Over limit, Inactivity, Debt Card usage fees, and other fees – Some of these fees are $50 or more and growing.
I came across a few great articles you should read:
Bank fees getting more aggressive - By: Kathy Chu
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0198-493839/Bank-fees-get-more-aggressive.html
Consumer Complaints: We’re raising your interest rate so you pay your credit card off faster… By: Tracy Coenen
I will end this post here for now and pick up on it later. Please post your comments and suggestions!
Until next Post
Terrance Givens
Steps to Improving your financial health
February 8, 2009
Steps to Improving your financial health
Here are a few Basic steps you can use to begin to transform you financial situation.
You need to get a clear pictures of your finances and know what you have coming in and what you have going out.
1) The best method for doing this is to set up and create a budget. Most people shutter with fear when they hear the word budget. Simply, a budget is no more than writing out how much money you have coming in (salary, side jobs, child support,etc.) and then how much you are spending and paying out to creditors (gas bill, telephone bill, mortgage bill, car payment, etc)
2) After you have established a budget the next step is to make sure you not spending more money than you have coming in. (if you making $1200 per month and spending $1500 per month then you will never get ahead) You must make changes to insure you have a positive cash flow at the end of each month.
A few methods i recommend for reducing your spending is to reduce some of your excess spending.
a) Eat out a few times less during the month. Pack your lunch for 1 or 2 weeks each month and save the money you would have spent eating at McDonald’s or going out to dinner.
b) Turn the Air Conditioning in your house up a few degrees, move the thermostat from 70 degrees to 75 degrees and or turn if up to 78 or 80 degrees when no one is home. This can save you quite a bit of money over the course of 1 year.
c) Shop the Clearance racks when you go shopping for clothing and shoes. I save hundreds of dollars shopping this way. I get the same new clothing and shoes as everyone else, but i just pay must less for them.
d) Instead of going out to the movies with friends, Rent a DVD and have a movie night at your house and everyone bring something for snacks (popcorn, soda, beer, etc.)
How To Create a Family or Personal Budget
February 8, 2009
HOW TO CREATE A Family or Personal BUDGET
First Step – Write down all your fixed expenses (house payment/rent, utility bills, insurance Car payment, etc).
Second Step – Under your fixed expenses, write down all of your basic needs expenses (food, gas, clothing, toiletries, etc.)
Third Step - Add all of these amounts together and subtract it from your total monthly paycheck amount. The amount you have left is what you have left for budgeting.
Fourth Step - List all of your other purchases for the month. Write down every single item you spent money on, no matter how much it cost. Be honest with yourself. This is your budget!! (Every newspaper, pack of gum, cup of coffee, every candy bar, every meal, your nails & hair, make-up, etc.). Write down every single item!
Fifth Step - Add up the amount you spent on all of those items and subtract that amount from the amount you had left for budgeting. Did you Spend more than you made in salary? If you were totally honest about all your purchases you will probably be in for a big surprise.
You can now see where you are spending every penny of your money and what are necessity’s? and what are want’s? “Needs are things you want but can do without.” These are the things you can being to cut out or cut back on if you have a budget shortfall at the end of the month.
Start your budget today!! The sooner you know what you have left over each month the faster you can begin tackle that moutain of debt or find money to save for a rainy day.
Until next posting
Terrance Givens
Motivational Speaker & Financial Adviser