October 30, 2012
Researchers: Colon cancer, multivitamin findings promising
From Isotonix Blog
Author: chakefaye
A research study conducted by Dr. Albert Baskar Arul set out to prove or disprove if there was any correlation between taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement and the reduced risk of colon cancer.
This study, published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, found that regular multivitamins and mineral supplementation might lower risk of developing colon cancer when exposed to carcinogens in animal studies.
The test group given multivitamins and mineral supplements were also fed a high-fat diet over a 32-week period, as well as the control group, which didn’t receive any supplementation. After both groups were exposed to the carcinogens, the control group developed pre-cancerous legions and formed tumors very rapidly. However, the group given multivitamins and mineral supplements saw an 84% reduction in the formation of any lesions and did not develop tumors of any kind.
Read more.
October 29, 2012
Power Profile: Kathleen J Brown Schindler
From thepowerprofiles.com
kathleen jbrown schindler
Executive Director
And to think people tried to tell me Market America wouldn't last!
Now, more than ever, we need to reestablish our priorities and secure our own futures. I was working three nursing jobs when Market America crossed my path, and I knew I had to make a change. How very blessed we are to have a company that puts people first! Thanks to JR, Loren, the Corporate Team and my awesome teammates, we have been able to positively affect so many lives.
Everyone needs a backup plan. Lack of time and money in this country is an epidemic. We have the answer. Just following the proven business plan, attending and promoting events, and using all the business tools, I have been able to create an ongoing significant income. Wow!
To have the money is great, but the time to enjoy it … unbelievable! Time freedom allows you to spend time with your family, friends, do volunteer work and to make any dream come true. Mine is to establish a foundation for the mentorship of youth in honor of my dad. Thanks to Market America, the groundwork is being laid for that right now. I thank God every day for the privilege of being an Independent Distributor for this company.
Currently doing business in: the United States of America.
October 28, 2012
You Are Not Your Body: Janine Shepherd at TEDxKC
Janine Shepherd is one incredible woman! God bless her.
If you think you cannot achieve your goal towards time and financial independence for the sake of your family's and your own future......just re-play this awe inspiring video!
October 26, 2012
Eurozone Split Could Cause Global Economic Crisis
This is no laughing matter - Greece exit from Eurozone.
In this study, it is said that if Spain, Portugal and Greece exit the eurozone, the US economy will be exposed to a loss of 2.8 trillion euros through 2020.
A German think tank, Bertelsmann Stiftung, on October 17, 2012 wrote, "Greece’s Withdrawal from the Eurozone Could Cause Global Economic Crisis."
Below is an excerpt from this study:
"Greece’s exit from the Euro bears the risk of kindling a wildfire throughout Europe and possibly even on an international level and may result in a worldwide economic crisis. Countries affected would include not only Southern European nations or EU members, but also the USA, China and other emerging countries. This was the conclusion reached by a national economic assessment conducted by Prognos AG on behalf of the German Bertelsmann Foundation, which analyses the financial consequences and, for the first time, also possible declines in growth for Germany as well as for 42 of the most important industrial and emerging countries until the year 2020 in the wake of a departure from the Euro by Greece or other crisis-stricken countries. The scenario calculations present the authors of the study with some serious concerns.
"For Greece, the scenario would involve national insolvency, a massive devaluation of the new Greek currency, unemployment, falls in demand and many other problems, effects that will quickly show their mark on its direct trading partners. In the Southern European country alone, the ensuing losses of growth would amount to 164 billion euros or 14,300 euros per person by the year 2020. The 42 top national economies in the world would already have had to absorb total losses amounting to 674 billion euros in total."
Read more of this study.
The Spiegel Online International wrote an article on the same day, October 17 related to this study, titled:
'Devastating Impact'
Euro Exit by Southern Nations Could Cost 17 Trillion Euros
In this study, it is said that if Spain, Portugal and Greece exit the eurozone, the US economy will be exposed to a loss of 2.8 trillion euros through 2020.
A German think tank, Bertelsmann Stiftung, on October 17, 2012 wrote, "Greece’s Withdrawal from the Eurozone Could Cause Global Economic Crisis."
Below is an excerpt from this study:
"Greece’s exit from the Euro bears the risk of kindling a wildfire throughout Europe and possibly even on an international level and may result in a worldwide economic crisis. Countries affected would include not only Southern European nations or EU members, but also the USA, China and other emerging countries. This was the conclusion reached by a national economic assessment conducted by Prognos AG on behalf of the German Bertelsmann Foundation, which analyses the financial consequences and, for the first time, also possible declines in growth for Germany as well as for 42 of the most important industrial and emerging countries until the year 2020 in the wake of a departure from the Euro by Greece or other crisis-stricken countries. The scenario calculations present the authors of the study with some serious concerns.
"For Greece, the scenario would involve national insolvency, a massive devaluation of the new Greek currency, unemployment, falls in demand and many other problems, effects that will quickly show their mark on its direct trading partners. In the Southern European country alone, the ensuing losses of growth would amount to 164 billion euros or 14,300 euros per person by the year 2020. The 42 top national economies in the world would already have had to absorb total losses amounting to 674 billion euros in total."
Read more of this study.
The Spiegel Online International wrote an article on the same day, October 17 related to this study, titled:
'Devastating Impact'
Euro Exit by Southern Nations Could Cost 17 Trillion Euros
To read the Spiegel Online article, click here.
October 24, 2012
Best Buy warns on profit; U.S. unit head to leave
The writing is on the wall. Internet shopping is the trend of the future.......that is why Best Buy the biggest electronic brick and mortar store is on the verge of disappearing and become irrelevant.
See below article from Yahoo Finance.
By Dhanya Skariachan and Martinne Geller
(Reuters) - Retailer Best Buy Co Inc (BBY) on Wednesday warned earnings and same-store sales would fall for its fiscal third quarter, and said the head of its U.S. business will leave as it starts to restructure under a new chief executive.
Best Buy shares fell 6.8 percent in after-hours trading. The news came less than a month before the unofficial start of the biggest selling season of the year for the No. 1 U.S. electronics chain.
U.S. business president Mike Vitelli will exit at the end of the current fiscal year in early February with a lump-sum payment of $1.45 million. The executive vice president of U.S. operations will also depart.
The move is the first big structural change under new CEO Hubert Joly, who was brought in as the company grapples with the rising trend of shoppers who treat its stores like showrooms for cheaper online retailers.
Read more.
See below article from Yahoo Finance.
By Dhanya Skariachan and Martinne Geller
(Reuters) - Retailer Best Buy Co Inc (BBY) on Wednesday warned earnings and same-store sales would fall for its fiscal third quarter, and said the head of its U.S. business will leave as it starts to restructure under a new chief executive.
Best Buy shares fell 6.8 percent in after-hours trading. The news came less than a month before the unofficial start of the biggest selling season of the year for the No. 1 U.S. electronics chain.
U.S. business president Mike Vitelli will exit at the end of the current fiscal year in early February with a lump-sum payment of $1.45 million. The executive vice president of U.S. operations will also depart.
The move is the first big structural change under new CEO Hubert Joly, who was brought in as the company grapples with the rising trend of shoppers who treat its stores like showrooms for cheaper online retailers.
Read more.
October 23, 2012
The Energy Vitamin
From the isotonixblog.marketamerica.com
The Energy Vitamin
Author: kerriwhatley
A lot of people think of B vitamins also known as the energy vitamins are more like keys that unlock the energy we all long for.
Fatigue, irritability, poor concentration anxiety and depression—all can be signs of a B vitamin deficiency. That’s because compounds in the B complex are needed for everything from the healthy maintenance of brain cells to the metabolism of carbohydrates, which is the brain’s source of fuel. B’s are also necessary for production of neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and conduct messages through the brain.
The B complex includes B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, pantothenic acid, biotin, B12 and folate, also known as folic acid on vitamin bottles. It also includes choline, a nutrient found in eggs that is needed to produce cell membranes and may slow age-related memory loss.
It is impossible to say what B vitamin is the most important.
Read more.
The Energy Vitamin
Author: kerriwhatley
A lot of people think of B vitamins also known as the energy vitamins are more like keys that unlock the energy we all long for.
Fatigue, irritability, poor concentration anxiety and depression—all can be signs of a B vitamin deficiency. That’s because compounds in the B complex are needed for everything from the healthy maintenance of brain cells to the metabolism of carbohydrates, which is the brain’s source of fuel. B’s are also necessary for production of neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and conduct messages through the brain.
The B complex includes B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, pantothenic acid, biotin, B12 and folate, also known as folic acid on vitamin bottles. It also includes choline, a nutrient found in eggs that is needed to produce cell membranes and may slow age-related memory loss.
It is impossible to say what B vitamin is the most important.
Read more.
October 22, 2012
Study shows $1.2 trillion gap for U.S. public pensions
From The Chicago Tribune
October 15, 2012
Underfunding estimates in line with previous studies
The largest 100 U.S. public pension funds have around $1.2 trillion of unfunded liabilities, about $300 billion above the nearly $900 billion they reported themselves, according to a new actuarial study to be released on Monday. The pension systems reported a median funding level of 75.1 percent.
The study by the actuarial firm Milliman, which used different ways to value assets and measure liabilities, finds an aggregate level of funding of 67.8 percent.
But Milliman, one of the world largest actuarial firms took a close look at U.S. public pension funding for the first time, and said the multibillion-dollar difference was good news.
Rebecca Sielman, the report's author, said results should reassure the public that America's public pensions in general are accurately reporting their funding shortfalls.
Read more.
October 15, 2012
Underfunding estimates in line with previous studies
The largest 100 U.S. public pension funds have around $1.2 trillion of unfunded liabilities, about $300 billion above the nearly $900 billion they reported themselves, according to a new actuarial study to be released on Monday. The pension systems reported a median funding level of 75.1 percent.
The study by the actuarial firm Milliman, which used different ways to value assets and measure liabilities, finds an aggregate level of funding of 67.8 percent.
But Milliman, one of the world largest actuarial firms took a close look at U.S. public pension funding for the first time, and said the multibillion-dollar difference was good news.
Rebecca Sielman, the report's author, said results should reassure the public that America's public pensions in general are accurately reporting their funding shortfalls.
Read more.
October 21, 2012
Vitamin B12 promising for Hepatitis C, study finds
From Isotonix Blog
Vitamin B12 promising for Hepatitis C, study finds
Author: chakefaye
Vitamin B12 has been always been a component to achieving overall optimal health, and it’s also useful in supporting cell maintenance. Adding vitamin B12 to your daily diet has significant benefits; however, it has also now been found that vitamin B12 may be a major component in the treatment of Hepatitis C Virus, according to new, promising research.
Professor Gerardo Nardone from the Department of Clinical and Experiment Medicine at the University of Naples, along with his team of seven researchers, recently conducted a study to provide proof that the B12 vitamin can greatly help treat those infected with Hepatitis C. The study followed 94 Hepatitis C sufferers at random, with some receiving standardized treatment and others receiving the same treatment with the addition of vitamin B12 supplementation.
Read more.
Vitamin B12 promising for Hepatitis C, study finds
Author: chakefaye
Vitamin B12 has been always been a component to achieving overall optimal health, and it’s also useful in supporting cell maintenance. Adding vitamin B12 to your daily diet has significant benefits; however, it has also now been found that vitamin B12 may be a major component in the treatment of Hepatitis C Virus, according to new, promising research.
Professor Gerardo Nardone from the Department of Clinical and Experiment Medicine at the University of Naples, along with his team of seven researchers, recently conducted a study to provide proof that the B12 vitamin can greatly help treat those infected with Hepatitis C. The study followed 94 Hepatitis C sufferers at random, with some receiving standardized treatment and others receiving the same treatment with the addition of vitamin B12 supplementation.
Read more.
October 20, 2012
The Power Profile: Keith and Kim Doyle
From thepowerprofiles.com
keith & kimdoyle
Field Vice President
"Why would you not want to get paid on every dollar you are already spending? If common sense is so common, why do so few people have it?"
If you dream of being your own boss, working with great people and living debt free while having plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, please read on!
We initially resisted the offer to become Independent UnFranchise® Owners with Market America. Even after we had signed the Distributor agreement, we didn't understand the Market America concept. We really thought this company was like one of those multilevel companies out there. We were wrong! It took about six months to figure out that Market America is the most powerful business opportunity in America today. We now get paid from thousands of stores through the most powerful shopping portal in the world.
keith & kimdoyle
Field Vice President
"Why would you not want to get paid on every dollar you are already spending? If common sense is so common, why do so few people have it?"
If you dream of being your own boss, working with great people and living debt free while having plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, please read on!
We initially resisted the offer to become Independent UnFranchise® Owners with Market America. Even after we had signed the Distributor agreement, we didn't understand the Market America concept. We really thought this company was like one of those multilevel companies out there. We were wrong! It took about six months to figure out that Market America is the most powerful business opportunity in America today. We now get paid from thousands of stores through the most powerful shopping portal in the world.
Read more.
October 19, 2012
The Road to Retirement
From The New York Times Sunday Review
EDITORIAL
The Road to Retirement
Published: September 15, 2012
Even before the Great Recession, Americans were not saving enough, if anything, for retirement, and policy experts were warning of a looming catastrophe. The economic downturn and its consequences — including losses in jobs, income, investments and home equity — have made that bad situation much worse.
And yet, judging by the presidential campaign, this clear and present danger is a political nonissue.
Medicare, of course, is an issue. But Social Security, a critical source of income for most retirees, is barely mentioned, though the parties have sharply different views on how to improve it. The Democratic platform correctly acknowledges that it can be strengthened and preserved, implying that a modest mix of tax increases and benefit cuts is needed. The Republican platform vows to “give workers control over, and a sound return on, their investments.” That sounds like privatization, which would be cruel folly.
Neither side, however, is grappling with the fact that the nation’s retirement challenges go well beyond both programs, and that most Americans, by and large, cannot afford to retire.
Read more.
October 17, 2012
Power Profiles: Amber Yang & Michael Lu
from thepowerprofiles.com
amber & michaelyang & lu
Executive Field Vice President
We came to this country 15 years ago to pursue higher education and a better life. Twelve years later, with three master's degrees between us, we found ourselves in a rat race with no way out. Our situation kept getting worse and worse.
We became more depressed and started losing hope. We evaluated other opportunities to try to get out of our difficult situation, but our options were very limited. We lost all our money in the stock market and had no money to start anything, and we didn't have any experience to begin additional careers. We couldn't afford any risks because of our mortgage, car payment, student loans and two kids to raise.
At our most desperate time, our dear friend Liu Min shared this business opportunity with us. We jumped in right away, not because we understood right away (we are still learning now), but simply because it offered some tax benefits.
Read more.
October 16, 2012
US Debt 16 Trillion and counting....
It is now official.....our national debt is now more than $16 trillion dollars! That is a mind boggling number.
To appreciate it or not to appreciate it....a trillion, the BIG Trillion number, is so huge...imagine this:
If you spend $1 every second without taking a break, it will take you 31,688 years to spend that much money.
Or, if you spent $1 million dollars every day from the day Christ was born, today in the year 2012, you would have only spent $734.38 billions dollars!
My imagination fails me to think we owe this much money - $16 trillion! Let's get the printing machine ready. It will be one busy money printing machine.
But wait - how many trees we have to kill?
To appreciate it or not to appreciate it....a trillion, the BIG Trillion number, is so huge...imagine this:
If you spend $1 every second without taking a break, it will take you 31,688 years to spend that much money.
Or, if you spent $1 million dollars every day from the day Christ was born, today in the year 2012, you would have only spent $734.38 billions dollars!
My imagination fails me to think we owe this much money - $16 trillion! Let's get the printing machine ready. It will be one busy money printing machine.
But wait - how many trees we have to kill?
October 14, 2012
New Vitamin D research points to added heart benefits
From Isotonix Blog
Author: chakefaye
Vitamin D deficiency has traditionally only been linked to low levels of adequate sunlight, poor bone health and osteoporosis. However, there have been many studies conducted over the recent years explaining why vitamin D has been proven to be much more important in an individual’s overall body and heart health.
Dr. Peter Brondum-Jacobsen recently conducted a study linking low levels of vitamin d to a higher risk of mortality and heart-related problems. The study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology followed 10,170 individuals over the course of 29 years. Through this research Dr. Brondum-Jacobsen and his team were able to link inadequate vitamin D levels to a higher risk of heart disease and higher mortality rates among those with insufficient vitamin D levels.
Read more.
October 13, 2012
Study: Iron deficiencies linked to mother-child bond
From the Isotonix blog
Author: chakefaye
Iron deficiency has always been looked to as an adverse contributor to mothers and children during pregnancy. Low iron levels have been linked to pre-term delivery, low birth weight and increased maternal mortality.
In a recent nine-month long study of iron deficiency conducted by Dr. Laura Murray-Kolb of John Hopkins University, it has been revealed that low iron levels can potentially affect a mother’s ability to bond with her children after birth. In North America, it’s believed that at least 53% of new mothers are deficient in iron, as stated by the World Health Organization.
Read more.
October 12, 2012
How High Will the Retirement Age Go?
From US News Money Retirement
How High Will the Retirement Age Go?
It’s increasing, but by how much depends on individual circumstances
By DAVID FRANCIS
June 11, 2012
Last week, Robert Benmosche, chairman of the insurance giant American International Group (AIG), said an increase in the retirement age was unavoidable. What surprised many is how high he predicted the age would go.
"Retirement ages will have to move to 70, 80 years old," Benmosche told Bloomberg. "That would make pensions, medical services more affordable. They will keep people working longer and will take that burden off of the youth."
Read more.
October 11, 2012
Power Profile: Beverly Ku
From thepowerprofiles.com
Beverly Ku
Accounting/Finance/Insurance
Supervising Coordinator
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
I was a former CPA and had worked in the public and private accounting sector for PriceWaterhouseCoopers and NBC, Inc. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home to raise my three kids for about nine years.
It was a tough decision to make because we went from a healthy two-income family to only one living in Bergen County, N.J. with increasing expenses. At the nine year mark, we found out that my husband was going to lose his job as an IT director for a major marketing and media research company that he had worked at for over 10 years. His company was outsourcing their entire IT department to India and had laid off over 4,000 employees. At that time, little did we know that he would be out of a job for almost four years. It was a real tough job market out there. His job was our only source of income. How many of us rely on only one source of income? Are you prepared when that one source runs out? Multiple streams of income is a smart financial move for everyone.
Fortunately, at the same time that we found out he would be out of a job, we were approached by a friend with the Market America business opportunity. When one door closes, another door opens. Originally as a favor to our friend with a possibility that we could generate a little income, we started our business. We had no experience owning our own business nor knew anything about network marketing/direct sales. In the beginning, lacking any training, I started to build the business without much success. It wasn’t until I attended one of the company’s big conventions at the persistence of my friend did I truly understand the potential of the business, what my business was and how to build my business correctly.
The convention was the turning point in my life. I knew that I found a vehicle where I can help so many people while achieving my dreams of living a life not dictated by a boss, the sound of an alarm clock, or the lack of enough time and money. I wanted both time and financial freedom. I want my husband and I to be able to spend time with our three kids going anywhere we want, when we want and doing what we want without any time or financial constraints.
Most of us have all been programmed by our parents and society to go to school, get good grades and then get a good job. Will our jobs pay our living expenses? Yes, but will it change our lifestyles? NO. Will our jobs continue to pay us if we needed to take a leave of absence to care for our loved ones who are sick? NO. Will our jobs continue to pay us when we can no longer work due to unforeseen circumstances or retire? NO. Will our jobs pay our kids when we are no longer around? NO. The answer is YES to all of the above with our Market America business.
Is it worth it to build this business? Absolutely. It makes more sense to work hard for a few years and enjoy ongoing income than it is to work till we are 67 years old in the hopes that we saved enough to last us.
If you have no time and/or money, it is all the more reason for you to build this business. Don’t let those reasons be your excuses not to build your Market America business. Dare to dream big. What are your dreams and what are you doing today to help you achieve them?
Currently doing business in: the United States of America.
Beverly Ku
Accounting/Finance/Insurance
Supervising Coordinator
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
I was a former CPA and had worked in the public and private accounting sector for PriceWaterhouseCoopers and NBC, Inc. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home to raise my three kids for about nine years.
It was a tough decision to make because we went from a healthy two-income family to only one living in Bergen County, N.J. with increasing expenses. At the nine year mark, we found out that my husband was going to lose his job as an IT director for a major marketing and media research company that he had worked at for over 10 years. His company was outsourcing their entire IT department to India and had laid off over 4,000 employees. At that time, little did we know that he would be out of a job for almost four years. It was a real tough job market out there. His job was our only source of income. How many of us rely on only one source of income? Are you prepared when that one source runs out? Multiple streams of income is a smart financial move for everyone.
Fortunately, at the same time that we found out he would be out of a job, we were approached by a friend with the Market America business opportunity. When one door closes, another door opens. Originally as a favor to our friend with a possibility that we could generate a little income, we started our business. We had no experience owning our own business nor knew anything about network marketing/direct sales. In the beginning, lacking any training, I started to build the business without much success. It wasn’t until I attended one of the company’s big conventions at the persistence of my friend did I truly understand the potential of the business, what my business was and how to build my business correctly.
The convention was the turning point in my life. I knew that I found a vehicle where I can help so many people while achieving my dreams of living a life not dictated by a boss, the sound of an alarm clock, or the lack of enough time and money. I wanted both time and financial freedom. I want my husband and I to be able to spend time with our three kids going anywhere we want, when we want and doing what we want without any time or financial constraints.
Most of us have all been programmed by our parents and society to go to school, get good grades and then get a good job. Will our jobs pay our living expenses? Yes, but will it change our lifestyles? NO. Will our jobs continue to pay us if we needed to take a leave of absence to care for our loved ones who are sick? NO. Will our jobs continue to pay us when we can no longer work due to unforeseen circumstances or retire? NO. Will our jobs pay our kids when we are no longer around? NO. The answer is YES to all of the above with our Market America business.
Is it worth it to build this business? Absolutely. It makes more sense to work hard for a few years and enjoy ongoing income than it is to work till we are 67 years old in the hopes that we saved enough to last us.
If you have no time and/or money, it is all the more reason for you to build this business. Don’t let those reasons be your excuses not to build your Market America business. Dare to dream big. What are your dreams and what are you doing today to help you achieve them?
Currently doing business in: the United States of America.
October 10, 2012
Product Spotlight: Resveratrol
From Isotonix Blog
Author: oliviamungal
The American Chemical Society released a study revealing bountiful health benefits associated with resveratrol, a compound found naturally in red wine. In order to get the same amount of resveratrol in red wine as you would in Isotonix® Resveratrol, the average person would need to consume three bottles of wine a day. The ingredient Isotonix Resveratrol uses in its supplements is Resveravine®, which is a more concentrated form of resveratrol, and it ensures that the body reaps the benefits of resveratrol without the ill effects from three bottles of wine.
Read more.
Author: oliviamungal
The American Chemical Society released a study revealing bountiful health benefits associated with resveratrol, a compound found naturally in red wine. In order to get the same amount of resveratrol in red wine as you would in Isotonix® Resveratrol, the average person would need to consume three bottles of wine a day. The ingredient Isotonix Resveratrol uses in its supplements is Resveravine®, which is a more concentrated form of resveratrol, and it ensures that the body reaps the benefits of resveratrol without the ill effects from three bottles of wine.
Read more.
October 9, 2012
What if.......?
What if? These two words are used extensively in all disciplines.
E.g.:
What if interests rates continue to rise? How does that affect your portfolio?
What if another 10 percent of the population goes on welfare? What happens to the economy?
What if the wind velocity increases to 100 miles per hour? How would that affect the spanning bridge?
What if there is an outbreak of West Nile in Long Island? How long before it reaches New York City?
In our own lives, we may ask:
What if I lose my job today? How long will my savings last?
What if I save this much per month? What would my savings look like in 2 years?
What if I move home with my parents? How fast would my savings grow?
What if I skip work for one week?
What if I got really sick?
What if, are two powerful words that can help us make projections and assist us in our planning, decision making and execution of the plan. But how often does one use the "what if" scenarios?
Take, for example, work - our every day, must get up and go to work daily routine. No exceptions, unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth. The way things are, most of us expect to work 40 to 45 years or more before retirement.
But what if, someone comes along and present you with a part time 2 to 3 year plan towards early retirement? Would you consider working part time along side your 45 year plan? What would you do? Walk away, laugh at this ridiculous notion and think this person is nuts? Or would you at least investigate? What have you got to lose?
What if, you can actually retire in 2 to 3 years following the plan, doing something that requires not too much effort, spending 8 - 15 hours per week, with little start up cost? What would you have missed if you say bah hambug to this 2 -3 year plan? A life time of missed opportunities! Instead of retiring after working 40 to 45 years at age 65 when your body begins to deteriorate with aches and pains, you retire at your prime! You will have more time with your family, spend your time doing the things you really love, more time for community work helping others, or travel the world. Of course, there is effort involved - how much you are willing to invest your time and energy during these 2 to 3 years? But the efforts are very well worth it - for no one will be able to take away from you, your success, once you reach that goal!
E.g.:
What if interests rates continue to rise? How does that affect your portfolio?
What if another 10 percent of the population goes on welfare? What happens to the economy?
What if the wind velocity increases to 100 miles per hour? How would that affect the spanning bridge?
What if there is an outbreak of West Nile in Long Island? How long before it reaches New York City?
In our own lives, we may ask:
What if I lose my job today? How long will my savings last?
What if I save this much per month? What would my savings look like in 2 years?
What if I move home with my parents? How fast would my savings grow?
What if I skip work for one week?
What if I got really sick?
What if, are two powerful words that can help us make projections and assist us in our planning, decision making and execution of the plan. But how often does one use the "what if" scenarios?
Take, for example, work - our every day, must get up and go to work daily routine. No exceptions, unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth. The way things are, most of us expect to work 40 to 45 years or more before retirement.
But what if, someone comes along and present you with a part time 2 to 3 year plan towards early retirement? Would you consider working part time along side your 45 year plan? What would you do? Walk away, laugh at this ridiculous notion and think this person is nuts? Or would you at least investigate? What have you got to lose?
What if, you can actually retire in 2 to 3 years following the plan, doing something that requires not too much effort, spending 8 - 15 hours per week, with little start up cost? What would you have missed if you say bah hambug to this 2 -3 year plan? A life time of missed opportunities! Instead of retiring after working 40 to 45 years at age 65 when your body begins to deteriorate with aches and pains, you retire at your prime! You will have more time with your family, spend your time doing the things you really love, more time for community work helping others, or travel the world. Of course, there is effort involved - how much you are willing to invest your time and energy during these 2 to 3 years? But the efforts are very well worth it - for no one will be able to take away from you, your success, once you reach that goal!
October 4, 2012
From "7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
Below is excerpted from the book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," by Stephen R. Covey.
Independence versus Interdependence
"True independence of character empowers us to act rather than be acted upon. It frees us from our dependence on circumstances and other people and is a worthy, liberating goal. But it is not the ultimate goal in effective living.
Independent thinking alone is not suited to interdependent reality. Independent people who do not have the maturity to think and act interdependently may be good individual producers, but they won't be good leaders or team players. They're not coming from the paradigm of interdependence necessary to succeed in marriage, family, or organizational reality.
Life is, by nature, highly interdependent. To try to achieve maximum effectiveness through independence is like trying to play tennis with a golf club - the tool is not suited to the reality.
Interdependence is a far more mature, more advanced concept. If I am physically interdependent, I am self-reliant and capable, but I also realize that you and I working together can accomplish far more than, even at my best, I could accomplish alone. If I am emotionally interdependent, I derive a great sense of worth within myself, but I also recognize the need for love, for giving, and for receiving love from others. If I am intellectually interdependent, I realize that I need the best thinking of other people to join with my own.
As an interdependent person, I have the opportunity to share myself deeply, meaningfully, with others, and I have access to the vast resources and potential of other human beings.
Interdependence is a choice only independent people can make. Dependent people cannot choose to become interdependent. They don't have the character to do it; they don't own enough of themselves."
----- "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," pages 50-51.
Jean Paul Getty: I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people's efforts than 100% of my own efforts.
JR Ridinger: If you help others succeed, you will automatically succeed.
If you form a team of 10 people and each person spends 8 hours a week working with you, you would have a cumulative 88 hours of work, including your 8 hours - that is more than 2 weeks worth of work in one week by spending only 8 hours each person! This is the power of leveraging other people's time and effort!
Food for your thought!
October 3, 2012
Conformity
Why do you work?
Why do you get up in the morning?
Nineteen out of twenty people have no idea, according to Earl Nightingale, a well known motivational speaker. If you ask them, they will say everyone gets up in the morning and everyone goes to work. They do it because everyone is doing it! In other words, we are all conformists!
Why do you wait till you are 65 years of age before you retire?
Because the government sets the retirement age at age 65 when you are old and in ill health. Most of us Americans by the time we reach age 65, will be popping pills for all kinds of old age ailments. Is this what you call retirement, the golden age? The government actuaries had this all figured out and they are thinking of raising the retirement age to 67! So why are we not looking to jump off this ill conceived retirement age?
Because we all conform!
JR Ridinger, an entrepreneur, has been preaching to the masses since 1992, "Come work with me and retire in 2-3 years!"
Why so few people took his bait? Not only are we skeptical but our conforming minds completely shut this "absurd" idea out. So what happened to those "gullible" enough to take JR's bait? They are all wealthy creating a lifestyle with complete time and financial freedom. Those who thumbed their noses at his idea continues to make a living, trading in their time for a paycheck, trying to make ends meet!
Earl Nightingale in his video, "The Strangest Secret," quoted from the book, "Man's Search For Himself," by Rollo May, "The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity!"
He continues, "It is conformity, people acting like everyone else without knowing why, without knowing where they are going that prevents people from succeeding."
According to Earl, "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal."
In other words, a person without a goal is like a rudderless ship, drifting in a vast ocean and going nowhere. Whereas, a ship equipped with a captain who charts his course with his crew will reach his destination 99.99 percent of the time!
The key to success, as Earl puts it, is someone who is progressively realizing a worthy ideal. The key to failure is when you are like a rudderless ship, just drifting in the sea of life. So go ahead, make a goal, think about it every day and most of all Do not Conform!.
Marcus Aurelius: A man's life is what his thoughts make out of it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: A man is what he thinks about all day long.
We become what we think about. Think Time and Financial Independence!
Why do you get up in the morning?
Nineteen out of twenty people have no idea, according to Earl Nightingale, a well known motivational speaker. If you ask them, they will say everyone gets up in the morning and everyone goes to work. They do it because everyone is doing it! In other words, we are all conformists!
Why do you wait till you are 65 years of age before you retire?
Because the government sets the retirement age at age 65 when you are old and in ill health. Most of us Americans by the time we reach age 65, will be popping pills for all kinds of old age ailments. Is this what you call retirement, the golden age? The government actuaries had this all figured out and they are thinking of raising the retirement age to 67! So why are we not looking to jump off this ill conceived retirement age?
Because we all conform!
JR Ridinger, an entrepreneur, has been preaching to the masses since 1992, "Come work with me and retire in 2-3 years!"
Why so few people took his bait? Not only are we skeptical but our conforming minds completely shut this "absurd" idea out. So what happened to those "gullible" enough to take JR's bait? They are all wealthy creating a lifestyle with complete time and financial freedom. Those who thumbed their noses at his idea continues to make a living, trading in their time for a paycheck, trying to make ends meet!
Earl Nightingale in his video, "The Strangest Secret," quoted from the book, "Man's Search For Himself," by Rollo May, "The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity!"
He continues, "It is conformity, people acting like everyone else without knowing why, without knowing where they are going that prevents people from succeeding."
According to Earl, "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal."
In other words, a person without a goal is like a rudderless ship, drifting in a vast ocean and going nowhere. Whereas, a ship equipped with a captain who charts his course with his crew will reach his destination 99.99 percent of the time!
The key to success, as Earl puts it, is someone who is progressively realizing a worthy ideal. The key to failure is when you are like a rudderless ship, just drifting in the sea of life. So go ahead, make a goal, think about it every day and most of all Do not Conform!.
Marcus Aurelius: A man's life is what his thoughts make out of it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: A man is what he thinks about all day long.
We become what we think about. Think Time and Financial Independence!
October 2, 2012
Are We Healthier?
What is your first thought when you see this headline article in the business section of the New York Times by Catherine Rampell?
Visiting the Doctor Less, but Spending More on Health
According to this NY Times article:
"The average annual number of times Americans visit medical providers has been falling over the last decade, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. But their overall spending on health care is still rising.
Among Americans 18 to 64 years old, the average person visited medical providers 3.9 times in 2010, compared to 4.8 times in 2001."
The chart below, from NY Times, shows Americans, both healthy and in poor health, visiting doctors less frequently in 2010 than in 2001:
Note: Data on medical services utilization are not available in the SIPP for 2006, 2007,
and 2008. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation,
2001 Panel, waves 3, 6, and 9; 2004 Panel, waves 3 and 6; and 2008 Panel, waves 4 and 7.
Chart from “Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010,”
by Brett O’Hara and Kyle Caswell.
The NY Times article continues:
"Visits to the doctor and other medical providers may be falling, but health spending is still substantially higher today than it was a decade ago, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Expenditure Survey."
Chart above from NY Times.
Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey.
What do you think, or rather, what is your observation?
Are we healthier these days because the stats show we are visiting the doctor less?
Or are we cutting back on doctor visits because it costs more per doctor visit?
Do you personally have any health concerns?
Visiting the Doctor Less, but Spending More on Health
According to this NY Times article:
"The average annual number of times Americans visit medical providers has been falling over the last decade, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. But their overall spending on health care is still rising.
Among Americans 18 to 64 years old, the average person visited medical providers 3.9 times in 2010, compared to 4.8 times in 2001."
The chart below, from NY Times, shows Americans, both healthy and in poor health, visiting doctors less frequently in 2010 than in 2001:
Note: Data on medical services utilization are not available in the SIPP for 2006, 2007,
and 2008. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation,
2001 Panel, waves 3, 6, and 9; 2004 Panel, waves 3 and 6; and 2008 Panel, waves 4 and 7.
Chart from “Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010,”
by Brett O’Hara and Kyle Caswell.
The NY Times article continues:
"Visits to the doctor and other medical providers may be falling, but health spending is still substantially higher today than it was a decade ago, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Expenditure Survey."
Chart above from NY Times.
Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey.
What do you think, or rather, what is your observation?
Are we healthier these days because the stats show we are visiting the doctor less?
Or are we cutting back on doctor visits because it costs more per doctor visit?
Do you personally have any health concerns?
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