Posts published during June, 2008

June 29, 2008

Simple Ways to Inspire Your Partner


Helping a friend of mine browse the net for some custom wedding rings, I realized that there is a simple way by which someone can inspire his partner, his friends and his family. Just by using thoughtful quotes and verses that people can apply daily, one communicates a world of thoughtfulness and blessing to another. The wonderful things about verses is the way they are written; poetic, and extremely riveting.

Like this one from Proverbs 30:18-19
There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.

With just six lines, a person can communicate the marvel that is living and loving. This could easily be placed on parchment paper, handwritten, and then framed for the home office. Or in my friend’s case, and other brides like her, inscribed on custom wedding bands so that the message stays with their spouses everywhere he goes. It’s a reminder of how we use motivating words to goad us into being the best we can be daily.

In fact, I myself am inspired by just a few words from a Latin proverb. Before I work on my online business, I read it twice (I wrote it on the cover of my daily planner). It boosts my determination to go through the motions of building an online presence, building credibility, and to subsequently earn enough for my family’s needs.

If there is no wind, row.

During high times, like when I was working for a company and money would come constantly on a bi-monthly basis, and Christmas bonus would pour every December, I admit to being a spendthrift, a wayward splurging diva. My decision to go against the tide and find myself again by embarking on another adventure means that I embrace HARD WORK. I am the captain of my soul, my finances, my life and my ship.

I am rowing now with everything that I have until the next strong wind propels me further, then I’ll row some more.

June 28, 2008

Strategies to Save Money: Dealing with Debt

Pleasure and self love may translate to some as buying things for yourself or pampering. Pampering is wonderful, you give yourself that one sliver of happiness during the time when you are down. The only thing is, what do you use to pay for things that you pamper yourself with? Is it the money you have now or the money you will earn tomorrow? Right. Credit card, that little plastic that you keep in your wallet, is the 2-sided blade that you wield whenever you spend.

On the up side, it will allow for more spending and more giving to yourself and your family. The downside is that you risk your future peace of mind by swiping the card. One common question in dealing with credit card bills is this:

Why did I buy so much stuff I don’t even need?

The answer to this is simple: during the time that you unsheathed the card, you thought you needed all of the things that you bought. You know, when we really want something, we can justify buying it in our most eloquent inner voice.

Here’s a formula I use to suppress that inner voice for good. I use my credit card only for necessities, never for luxury. I have cash for luxuries, and when I really feel like it, I use it to buy things that will make me feel elated. When I see my wallet progressively getting empty, a mental mechanism kicks in and I just stop spending. Credit is invisible money, you don’t really feel it dwindling down.

Debt reduction is something that people can do, if they suppress that petulant inner voice that will somehow override cold logic if you let it.

June 21, 2008

Too Busy to Pamper: Simple Self Love Practices

Self love by definition means doing things to pamper yourself, increase your productivity and rid yourself of all that makes you uncomfortable, or worse, depressed. it’s tantamount to doing yourself a favor by taking control of the factors that affect your comfort. Being a provider who works at home and dealing with pressure all the time can make one forget about taking care of oneself. If it’s been weeks since you last did something that will make you happy, but can’t do anything about it because you simply have no time to take a break for now, there are still simple day-to-day things that you can do to pamper your body, your mind and your emotions.

Sleep and Exercise. Reserving a certain amount of energy to do crunches or stretching exercises every once in a while will keep the blood flowing and you active. Exercising also gives you the natural boost you may be needing. Substitute coffee break with exercise break every once in a while.

Sleep is the most powerful antidote to stress. My experience during the first week after I quit my job proves that sleeping on a regular basis makes me more productive. There were times in the past when I felt like a programmed robot going through the motions of work and chores, but there’s a part of me that knew how creative I really am. Sleeping regularly brought that creativity back. My mind’s more flexible and I am now able to do mental aerobics again, i.e. brainstorming on what to write about, exploring a topic from different angles etc.
Eating right. I am most productive when I eat right, and at regular intervals. Intermittent eating or not eating at all so that one may ‘do more work’ is extremely counterproductive. Have short snacks and plenty of fluids. This way, your body will not have to worry about starving and all your energy will be devoted to thinking.

June 19, 2008

Let’s Talk About Education

One can never learn enough in a lifetime. This is particularly true for learning addicts like me who just itch at the thought of continuing an education or taking up a complimentary course. Exploring a subject in depth, getting to speak another language perhaps, or simply expounding on a topic you are passionate about brings fulfillment that doesn’t just come. Earning another degree is priceless, not only as a career move, but as a personal development thrust as well. Why stop learning about something you feel strongly about?

I took my enrichment subject from a nearby school, and attending class again was much more worth it than spending time doing nothing, or spending cash on shopping. I was satisfying a need that I know will make me happy. I took up another language, French, and it seemed impossible to learn at first. Interest, more than intellect is a bigger factor in continuing education. No matter how much mind power you put in, if the burning passion to learn the subject isn’t there, the education will not be effective.

Now that we’ve covered some personal requirements that you may need to consider before taking up your next course, or supplementing your current knowledge about your passion, let’s discuss logistics. Going to class daily can be tedious for learning addicts who need to go to the office, do some gardening etc. Sometimes the effort to take the long commute to school is the turn off that keeps people from pursuing further education.

I look into online school programs, like those of University of Phoenix, that offer several courses of interest to professionals and new students. They do have physical locations in various states and cities, if you prefer to go to school rather than study online. Still, the option for an online, home-based course is convenient. You dictate your own study time and the only limit to what you can achieve is yourself. If you’re not one to procrastinate, the online school is for you!