Monday, April 30, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"You have to do it yourself, no one else will do it for you. You must work out your own salvation."

Charles E. Popplestone

Have a great week everyone and stay positive!

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Illustration: Kagan McLeod

Friday, April 27, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."

Charles R. Swindoll

Have a fabulous weekend everyone and be safe!

Why You Should Put Yourself First

Relationship expert Iyanla Vanzant says it's not selfish to put yourself first—it's self-full. Find out why Iyanla says you have to be good to yourself first if you want to be of service in life.

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How To Get Unstuck From Your Story

Having one story in your mind about yourself can trap you in a world of pain. So how do you become unstuck? Watch as relationship expert Iyanla Vanzant shares three steps to help you tell a new story.

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Iyanla Vanzant Defines Pain

Pain isn't just a physical ache. Watch as Iyanla Vanzant shares her definition of pain and how it can manifest itself, and reveals how we can all stop the pain.

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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul."

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Great Tips For Becoming A Morning Person

Ever wonder why you're able to stay up until 2 am, while your best friend can't make it until 10 pm? It has everything to do with your internal clock, says Tracey Marks, M.D., an Atlanta-based psychiatrist and author of Master Your Sleep: Proven Methods Simplified. "Most people's internal clock has 24 hrs, but if it's a little longer, then you will be pulled in the direction of not feeling tired until later and later each evening." Don't fret night owl-it is possible to train yourself to be more alert in the mornings than in the evenings. Here's how.

6 Tips That Can Help You Manage Your Time Like A Boss

In case you haven't heard, " like a boss " is the newest jargon put in place by the younger set to express a certain level of proficiency and expertise in a specific area. For me, my proficiency, expertise and 'bossiness' fall in the realm of time management --so much so that my middle name is Punctuality (okay, not really). I am "that friend". You know, the one who is 15-minutes early all the time, and I still manage to get everything done in a day that I need to, 98.75 percent of the time. So, if you want to know the secrets of my time management success, read on.

8 Ways Your Job May Be Killing You

How many times have you thought, "This job is going to kill me"? The truth is, you may have been right. For better or worse, a person's job plays a critical role in his or her mental and physical health. The good news is that there are some things about work that are good for you, too.

From increased risks of heart disease to longer life spans, the numerous drawbacks or benefits to health that come with working have been revealed by various studies across the globe.

Here are eight ways your job, including your decision to hold onto it or leave it, affect your health.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"ETERNAL OPTIMISM and CONSTANT BELIEVING IN YOURSELF are THE ONLY KEYS TO SUCCESS, JOY, and TRUE HAPPINESS IN LIFE!"

Chris Zapata Viado

What Would It Take For You To Be Still?

How can you learn to slow down time, quiet the mental chatter, and savor life's breezes? With mindfulness, one snowcapped mountain meditation at a time.

5 Ways To Feel More Alive

It's the best way to reacquaint yourself with life's simplest pleasures—the scent of lilacs, the sight of the sun rising and setting and the taste of fresh-baked bread.

Simple Yet Astounding Ways To Calm Down

If you're so crazed that you have to pencil in time for a deep breath, here's how to become more relaxed—and efficient—in less than a minute. All together now: Ahhhhh...

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Illustration: Jillian Tamaki

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"Be grateful always and live your life like today's your last. Have no regrets, just pure appreciation."

Chris Zapata Viado

Have a wonderful week everyone and stay positive!

Tony Robbins: 5 Ways To Live A More Courageous Life

The life coach and host of Breakthrough with Tony Robbins believes in living a passionate life, a life in which fear is a counselor, not a jailer. Here, he shows us how to "step up" during our most intimidating moments:

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Photo: George Burns © Harpo

How To Tell The Difference Between Your True Self And Your Everyday Self

It's important to be yourself. We're all told that, and it's true—we know the damage done by being false to ourselves and to others. But I'd like to suggest that to "be yourself" goes much deeper. Most people don't know how much wisdom and power resides in the self, which is not the everyday self that gets mixed up with all the business of life, but a deeper self, which I call, for simplicity's sake, the true self.

Bishop T.D. Jakes: 4 Mistakes That Keep You From Finding Your Purpose

Living on purpose, as I define it, is to become aware that we were all created to serve some specific function in life. Some of these purposes might be lofty, attracting the accolades of the world. Some of these purposes may be down-to-earth, such as raising a child, teaching or engaging in some other activity that may not be as acknowledged by society but is still significant.

Get A Life! A 3 Step Guide To Getting Your Life Back On Track After Losing Your Job

by Chris Zapata Viado

If you've just recently lost your job, don't feel bad. You are not alone. Millions of people, not only in the U.S., but even in Europe are out of work. The U.S.' and Europe's Economic Turmoil has unfortunately taken its toll on a lot of people.

The bright side is, it's not the end of the world! There are plenty to be grateful for that most of us take for granted or not even consider as important in our lives, but they are. Family, friends, our health, are just some of the things that we can be grateful for! Okay, yes being grateful for all of them is fine and dandy, but the reality is you are still unemployed. Don't panic, you still have options!

Though I'm not a therapist by any means nor recently lost my job, but as an entrepreneur, my businesses have unfortunately been affected as well by the economic downturn. Therefore, I had to learn how to adapt and cope with the economic changes in order to get by and survive.

Here are some tips that I would like to share with you that I've used and found beneficial. Hopefully you'll find them valuable as well:

3 "A's" to Remember

1) ACCEPTANCE

2) ASSESSMENT

3) ACTION

ACCEPTANCE

Okay, so you just lost your job...SO WHAT?! GET OVER IT! I know these are pretty harsh words but it's the truth. And TRUTH HURTS! The point is, it's not the end of the world. LIFE GOES ON and so should yours. You can't sit there every single day feeling sorry for yourself because guess what...it's not healthy for you and it will definitely not pay your bills! Self-pity and denial will take you nowhere! So the very first step in this process is ACCEPTANCE. Accept the fact that you lost your job and move on with your life. I know it's easier said than done. Though losing a job is something that never happened to me in my entire working career, I too had experienced NOT HAVING A JOB by personal choice. Nevertheless, not having a job is not a very good feeling. But so much for negative feelings. What this article is about is how you can get yourself back on track AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after losing your job. The good news is that it's not as hard as you might think it is. As long as you keep your positive attitude, be determined, patient, and most of all resilient, YOU'RE GONNA BE JUST FINE! So relax and don't panic! Just take it one step at a time.

Right now you're probably saying to yourself "I'm really trying my hardest to get over losing my job but it's not easy. I still don't understand why I got laid off when I'm such a hard-working, dedicated, and loyal employee!"

Well, that's all good and dandy. But to better understand why things happen, let me explain a little bit about "Outsourcing" and "Lay Off". While these two words have different meanings, the end result is the same in any business. "The company is cutting cost to save money at the expense of their employees losing their jobs, period."

As an entrepreneur (employer) myself, I had to make some tough decisions in the past. And this includes "downsizing" or "laying off" people. It had to be done for the survival of my business, and of course myself. It's not my proudest moment, I can tell you that for sure. But at the end of the day, if I didn't do what I needed to do, more people would've been affected, most likely including losing my business. It's nothing PERSONAL against my employees, it's just all tough BUSINESS decisions I had to make. So, what I'm trying to say to you is DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL. It's not something that you did or didn't do. It's just something that the company you were working for had to do, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less. So don't feel bad at all!

With that said, let's move on to the next "A"

ASSESSMENT

Before lining up at your local unemployment office, there are several things that you should assess first.

1) Your Financial Situation If you have any savings in the bank, find out exactly how much you have then create a monthly budget. Create a monthly budget that includes your housing (rent or mortgage), car payment, insurance (health, car, etc.), and food. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND scrapping your UNNECESSARY EXPENSES for now such as going out to dinner, movies, shopping, etc. By minimizing your unnecessary expenses, it will help you stretch your savings a little longer while you're getting yourself back on track. After you create your monthly budget, figure out how long your savings in the bank will last you so you can plan your next move.

2) Your Skills Line up your skills. On a piece of paper, write down ALL your skills that you're good at. This isn't exactly your resume, but rather just an outline of your qualifications as an evaluation so you know where to go next. This will also help you discover that maybe it's time for you to re-invent yourself and perhaps learn new skills to improve your marketability, or for some self-fulfillment purposes to say the least. Let me give you some examples of what I'm talking about.

Let's say that you worked in manufacturing (cars, electronics, shoes, clothing, etc.) industry and you lost your job. Ask yourself these questions:

- "What equipment and tools did I use and know how to use?" - "What computer software and program did I use and know how to use?" - "What are my additional duties and responsibilities other than my daily task?"

Okay, let's say your previous work involved administrative duties, ask yourself these questions:

- "What computer software and program did I use and know how to use?" - "What are my additional duties and responsibilities other than my daily task?"

So, do you get my point? The more you know about your skills, the better you'll be. If you need or want to learn new computer skills, there are several websites on the internet that offers FREE Online Computer Learning Classes. Here are a couple of them:

• GCF Learn Free

• MIT Open Courseware

After you've made your ASSESSMENT, the next step is for you to take some ACTION.

ACTION

Based on your financial situation assessment, you can now determine if going to your local unemployment office is needed. If you feel that you need financial assistance, explore all your options of receiving help from the government, not only unemployment financial help but also look into food stamps and housing assistance.

If you are in the U.S., here are some government websites that you might be interested in:

* US Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance

* US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

* US Department of Housing and Urban Development Rental Assistance

Whether you decide to seek help from the government to get back on your feet or you want to do it on your own, make sure that you keep yourself pre-occupied. You can do this by constantly learning something new, such as computer skills. Computer skills are and will always be needed and sought by employers. So, the more computer skills you learn, the better off you'll be.

If starting your own business is in your mind, it is also a good choice. There are lots of home based businesses that you can do from the comfort of your own home. You may want to consider reading my book "Outsource Yourself! A Practical And Step-By-Step Guide To Starting A Work From Home Business". My book is full of invaluable information, from getting your necessary business documents to getting your clients! Click here for more information about the book.

Here are some other information that you might find interesting:

• Obama to Congress: Time to Help Small Businesses

• US Small Business Administration

Good luck to you and hang in there! Remember, it's not the end of the world. Be STRONG and stay POSITIVE ALWAYS!

Read More Personal Finance Articles

Friday, April 20, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"LOVE is the key to SUCCESS. Passion and Love of what we do or who we're with defines HAPPINESS, and HAPPINESS is SUCCESS."

Chris Zapata Viado

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and be safe!

How To Fulfill Your Dream

If you don't have a dream, start thinking about what the dream for your life is. Start believing that just having a dream begins the process of fulfilling it. You can do it if you're willing to let every step you take move you in that direction. Remember, you deserve the best life has to offer.

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Why Tererai Trent Embodies Oprah's Lifeclass Lessons

In 2009, Oprah first met Tererai Trent, who she says is the essence of every lesson talked about on Oprah's Lifeclass. Raised in a rural Zimbabwean village, Tererai grew up without much hope for the future. But she persevered and went on to obtain her bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctorate. Tererai is the perfect example of why it's never too late to become everything you dream.

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The Real Reason Behind Oprah's Lifeclass

Oprah explains the real reason why she wanted to have this show and do Oprah's Lifeclass: so you will start to understand that there is a greater power guiding the universe. And once you tap into that, you then have that power.

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Eleanor Roosevelt

6 Toxic Money Mistakes You Should Avoid

You think sugar is toxic? These six money mistakes will kill your financial life faster than a couple of gallons of high-fructose corn syrup.

"Consumers who learn how to avoid common financial missteps will be better prepared and have a much brighter financial future," said David Jones, president, Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. What toxic money mistakes do you need to avoid?

5 Smart Ways To Disagree With Your Boss

Criticizing your boss can be tricky. Most good managers don't want a "yes man," or woman, but you need to be able to share a dissenting opinion without ruining your relationship. Criticize in the right way, and you'll communicate better. Then, you'll be that much closer to becoming his go-to guy or gal. Here are 5 smart ways to get your point across.

Dangerous Phrases That Can Hurt Your Career

I've written before about how important it is to observe email etiquette in the office to avoid annoying your boss and coworkers. And while it's a good idea not to write vague subject lines, to put the action item at the top of the message, and to answer all of the questions in an email, not just the easy ones, there's another important element to consider in communication at work: The actual content of your messages.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way."

Les Brown

Entrepreneurs' Secret Anti-Stress Weapon

A new study shows even small amounts of meditation relieve stress and boost health. No wonder many business bigwigs turn to it.

Science and religion are often at odds, but at least occasionally there is convergence. Buddhist monks and devoted yogis have long contended that meditation reduces stress. A recent study agrees, even if the practice is stripped of any particular spiritual belief.

4 Ways To Get Out Of Panic Mode

It’s easy to get caught up in the crazy day-to-day activities of your business. But if you never set aside time for some serious planning, it’s almost impossible to get out of panic mode. Here are four things you can do to help keep your company on track.

7 Big Marketing Mistakes To Avoid

These goofs can stunt your revenue and growth, and maybe even put you out of business.

In the decade or so that I've been writing about sales and marketing, I've interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs inside small and medium-sized companies.

I've also watched to see which companies grow, and which companies falter and fail. After a while, it's impossible not to see a pattern of what works and what doesn't–particularly when it comes to sales and marketing.

Here are seven marketing mistakes that I see cropping up over and over again.