Useful Links

In regard to my previous post about preparing for emergencies and not "Sweating the Big Stuff," I have some useful links that you might enjoy.

The first is about 10 small business ideas that could help provide supplemental income or employment if the need or want should ever arise. These are all free or very low cost business ideas that could give you a great little extra boost to the monthly bottom line. Hopefully you find these useful.

Also, on a positive note, the unemployment rate has fallen below 10% in many metro areas around the country. This is good news and with the stock market rising, we're seeing a recovery in the economy. We're not completely out of the dark yet, but it's coming!

Some Thoughts on Good Neighbors

Happy Wednesday everyone (otherwise known as hump day)! I hope everyone is well today.

Having great neighbors has it's many myriad of benefits, not the least being kindness and help in times of need. Our neighbors are no exception, and in the 2 years that we've lived in our house, we've had the good fortune of getting to know all of our neighbors. We are lucky, I just want to preface with that.

We have a neighbor across the road that, should anything drastic happen or fail in the house, he's always been available to help. There really is no price for that and the amount of thanks never seems adequate. He enjoys it the same way I like to help people and I've come to accept that. Our neighbor right next door has become a pretty good friend and when he's in town (lately he's been traveling to Miami for work) we often will grill out and share dinners, etc. Occasionally I'll hop the fence and have a couple beers talking as well. Our other neighbors are all kind and we'll occasionally get an invite for dinner or to come over and have a beer. Some have even brought plants over for Evelyn because they know of her love of gardening and want to help her out.

In the past, I have been friends with my neighbors and even to the point of dog sitting for each other when we went on vacation or just out of town for the weekend, but we seem to have hit the jackpot with great neighbors this time around. One of the main reasons that we love our house so much is because of all of them. It makes living here that much better and you never have to worry about what you're neighbors are going to do, or think, or say. In fact, not once have I worried about this.

We're also not a "keep up with the Jones's" kind of neighborhood, which is also quite refreshing. I have no desire to keep with others' appearances, possessions, or whatever it may be, so this works out well for me. We enjoy a life of friends, family, and enjoyment in each other, so this all is great. Modesty is a quality that I never knew I enjoyed so much until we were surrounded by it. Good stuff.

Have a great rest of your week and happy October tomorrow!

Cheers.

Don't Sweat the Big Stuff

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances" ~ Martha Washington

Easier said than done, I know! But, what if we could all just let the big stuff roll off of us like the small stuff (or try to any way)? That would make our lives much less stressful right. Well, setting ourselves up to deal with the big stuff makes that a lot easier. If we all prepare (again, easier said that done) then we can potentially deal with the big stuff much easier.

For instance, a big ticket problem could be a car breaking down. If we set up an adequate savings for emergencies, we don't sweat this car breakdown nearly as much. It still stings to have to spend the money to fix a car, but it's not as bad when we can actually pay for it. This can be as easy as taking $50 per month and just stashing it in a savings account where you don't look at it.

Another example would be losing a job. Again, having adequate savings could relieve us of this big problem, but also having other skill sets (going back to school, taking certification classes, apprenticing, freelancing, starting your own company, etc.) can help offset this major problem that could rear it's ugly head. Having a source of secondary income is also a good way to offset this, but that's not always practical for every person or family. Right now is a fantastic time to start a company with the economy in the shape it's in. It doesn't cost nearly as much to be a competitive player in the economy today. Competition may be stiff, but you'll never know until you try. Trying is the hardest part.

The dreaded "big stuff" that can't be so easily dealt with is tragedy within your circle of family or friends. This is where other relationships and your faith (whatever it may be) can get you through. Have a solid foundation with your family, friends, etc. and they'll be the rock that you lean on.

As I hold myself more accountable as a result of this blog, I learn more and apply more all the time. I've got the savings in place now, I have a secondary source of residual income in case I lose my job, and I'm trying to lean more on others for support. Life is good and hopefully the big stuff (and the small stuff) won't affect me like it has in times past.

Here's to overcoming the big stuff!

Cheers!

Lonely Planet Cycling Guides

If you love to travel and love to take your bicycle along, check this out: Lonely Planet Cycling Guides for Britain, France, and Italy are out now. Pretty cool and what a fantastic way to see these countries!

Social Networking

Hey all! Happy Sunday to everyone.

I am a big user of Facebook and Twitter because they allow me to stay apprised of the happenings with the people I care about. This includes people outside of my circle of friends and family with the intended purpose of learning more and having links to other items of interest. I really truly feel like I learn a lot from the networks that I'm in as my peers (and non peers as well for that matter) let me know or will just post bulletins of items that may interest me. This usually leads me to read or discover something I wouldn't have otherwise explored. Pretty cool.

The other great benefit to these social networking sites is that you become regularly engaged with a lot of people who are employed or have connections in fields of interest. Right now that's especially important as our nations unemployment levels rise and many are finding themselves without jobs. It's all about who you know out there and being able to notify friends, family members, and business peers immediately on social sites such as Facebook and Twitter gives you a unique advantage that is a larger scope that we probably realize. Your friend could tell others and the circle of separation could grow to include important people that you may have never even had a chance to meet otherwise. Pretty cool technology that we have out there now!

I was very resistant to Twitter initially because I thought, "why would I want to follow the ongoings of so many people?" Well, as it turns out, you can pretty much find a wide scope of people that share the same interests as you and people post links to articles, blogs, videos, music, ideas, sites, etc. The potential is huge. Since I've started this blog, I've met so many people through Twitter and this that I wouldn't have otherwise crossed paths with. That's cool because I'm an admitted "life learner" and love to read and absorb new information.

Check these sites out if you haven't already and start building your network of people. You'll be surprised what you discover and really, you don't have to spend a lot of time on either to get your money's worth (which is no cost of course). In fact, I spend little time on twitter and see big rewards with it and I'm also finding some cool links that inspire me in many facets of my life. Have fun!

Have a great week!

I Just Run

Hey all! Happy Thursday to you. I hope this day finds you well in mind and spirit.

As a runner, I have a mantra that I use while in my "zone." I tell myself that the pain of running for 30 minutes is only a small portion of my day (when the pain gets bad anyway, otherwise I just think about my day and what's going to happen) and it will be worth it after I'm done. This "mantra" can be applied other places in life as well though. When having to go to meetings that waste your time, or going to activities that you don't really want to do, just think: it's only 30 minutes of my day and it will pass on just like the previous 30 minutes. Running is something that I enjoy quite a bit (weird, I know) because it's my meditation time and my reflection time. I get my blood flowing, my brain thinking, and my body in motion to get through the day. It's good for me in my body and mind. Cycling is similar as well. I connect with that sport nearly the same way as running, but the aspect that I like best about running is that it's simple and pure. You only need your running clothes (for whatever season or place) and your running shoes. There are things that you can add (like an mp3 player, or sweat bands) but their not necessary to running. This simplicity goes right in line with my philosophy of un-complicating life.

An awesome tool that I find handy when running is here at WalkJogRun. You can map out your routes and figure out how far you are running anywhere. Pretty awesome.

Just like all the successful people in this world tell us, anything worth attaining is worth working hard for. I've definitely found this to be true, of course, but I think you really get it the older you get. The closer I get to 30 (next month), I understand that life's got some serious challenges and speed bumps but nothing is really too difficult if you surround yourself with the right people and the right attitude. Would you agree?

Do you have an activity that you do that puts you in your mantra? What challenges you and inspires you?

Have a great rest of your week!

Life of Dogs

Hello and happy Wednesday (otherwise known as hump day)!

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."
~Woodrow Wilson

Dogs have it made! They lay around all day, doing not much of anything and have us, their care-takers to make sure their lives are good. Walks when they want them, go outside and chase squirrels when the moment calls, eat their food when they please, etc.

My thought regarding this, other than my own jealousy at not being brought in to the world as a dog ( Ha... :-) ), is that we could learn a thing or two from our "man's best friend." First, they love unconditionally and I know that all of us could benefit from some unconditional love from time to time. Who wouldn't. Secondly, the live their lives in the moment. If something happens, they get excited. If something doesn't happen, it's not like they get in a huge uproar about it. Point being, complications aren't really an issue with dogs because they don't really have them. My whole idea with creating this blog was to find simplicity and peace in my life through streamlining it. Finding the basic needs and obligations and sticking to them. It seems that a dogs life is all about this.

This is not mentioning the fact that dogs get about 14-16 hours of sleep a day. We could all use more sleep. Maybe not that much, but definitely more.

Oh to be a dog. :-)

Cheers!