2 Highly Effective Financial Abundance Principles

By Matt Zavadil -

The average person never receives a proper financial education when it comes to succeeding with personal finance. Understanding that, how in the world will you find success when it comes to your own financial abundance when you've never been taught all the correct financial principles?

Whenever you see someone struggling to keep their personal finances together, it's because they haven't followed the steps that lead to success. Don't feel bad if this has just described you and your life to this point. You can turn all this around by simply following the next couple of keys that lead to prosperity. It really isn't all that hard. It just takes a little dedication to your future happiness.

The very first strategy you must understand is the importance of paying yourself first. Don't you always find a way to get your rent or mortgage paid each month? You put food on the table and make sure your kids have clothes to wear, right? But you don't pay yourself first. You must start doing this. Don't make the mistake of counting on your job or the government to help you retire. In this new day and age, most of us are on our own.

So, pay yourself first. Every single month, set aside a part of your income toward your future. Don't use the excuse that you have nothing left to work with. You don't tell your mortgage company this excuse, so why are you telling your future self this?

If things are really tight at the moment, there are companies that will allow you to start investing into an IRA for as little as $25 a month. If things are so tight that even $25 is too much, then you have some serious life choices ahead of you, such as discovering ways to increase your income stream.

You'll also want to put a little away into an emergency account so you can eventually lay off the credit cards. Which leads into the second personal finance rule. Right away, make sure you make getting out of debt a huge priority for yourself. Debt is financial cancer. There's no other way to say it. You must make it a priority to pay off all debts and then stay out of debt.

If you want financial abundance, you need to change your mindset when it comes to debt. Our society has become one that accepts debt without question. This must change for you and fast. It's not all right to go buy that big screen TV on credit just because you don't have the discipline to save for it first.

Think of debt as the way that you rob your future self of life, liberty and happiness. Yes, it's that important. Unless you want to never retire, work until your dying day and become a bitter person looking back, develop a plan to get out of debt today.

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Matt Zavadil: Take the two keys to financial success you've just learned and make getting out of debt your top priority at this time in your life. Once you finally get out of debt, then use those old payments to pay yourself first and fund your retirement.

(ArticlesBase SC #3319847)

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Daily Inspiration - September 22, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"I don't feel old. I don't feel anything till noon. That's when it's time for my nap."

-- Bob Hope

"I'm saving that rocker for the day when I feel as old as I really am."

-- Dwight D Eisenhower

I think age is like any other circumstance or thing on which we place judgment.

Of course, these common things that we say to others and also say to ourselves are really affirmations. You are as old and tired as you decide you're going to be and that is it. Age has nothing to do with it. The mind doesn't age.

I'm a month or so away from 61 years of age and truly I feel 35. I act 35 (only wiser and smarter!). I feel great and I know it is just a decision to feel that way. I just decided many years ago that I wouldn't get any older than 35. I liked 35 and it was a sweet combination of maturity (some) and spunk. I just decided it was me and it still is today.

I remember asking an old man once how old he was in his head. He was 85 if I remember correctly, but he said that he felt 45. He decided the same thing and just chose a different time--and he looked and acted 45 with a few more wrinkles. I've now asked that question to old people many times and the responses are quite telling!

There is no rule that you must act your age, no matter what your mother used to tell you. Make up your own. Keep the one you like best and just live it!

I was in the bank yesterday making a deposit (I like deposits!) and an older lady came in and was walking slowly and uncomfortably. It wasn't busy and she didn't want to walk all the way around through the maze, and asked to come straight to the front and get behind me. I said, "sure. You can get in front of me if you like, I'm not in a hurry." She said, "No, that's okay, I'm just old and didn't want to walk all the way around." I said, "no problem." Then she said, "I'm 71 years old and when you're in your seventies, you have to expect to be tired and have problems." I looked at her and with a smile, replied, "Why?" She looked a bit puzzled because most people I'm sure just agree with her when she says that. Then, she said, "well, I don't know. . ." The conversation was over, but she wasn't getting any of that old and tired stuff from me.

What Causes A Panic Attack To Occur?

By Elizabeth Hayes -

A panic attack is an intense feeling of foreboding and dread that lasts from a few minutes up to an hour. Typically sufferers can feel confused, fearful and tense, as well as physical symptoms of choking, shortness of breath or dizziness.

Panic attacks have been shown to be hereditary, but there is no significant evidence to show that this is due to genetics. The onset of a panic disorder can occur at any age and to anyone, but it is most likely to develop in women with above average intelligence.

Those who suffer from panic attacks are more likely to have had parents who have expressed a heavily cautious view of the external world. This can lead to physiological problems for the child.

There are also biological triggers – other conditions can leave sufferers more prone to anxiety attacks, most notably post traumatic stress disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. Even periodic depletion of vitamin B caused by a tapeworm infestation can cause a person to begin experiencing panic attacks.

Some people suffer from these attacks directly associated with exposure to an object or situation they gravely fear. This can be a phobia, but others can suffer from a "situation bound panic attack" – when a person has experienced a panic attack in a certain situation when presented with the same situation again the sufferer can be more likely to experience a similar attack.

These situations for example could include being in a stressful educational environment, a relatively normal work environment where the sufferer needs to appear normal or perform their duties well, or in the case of the military, extreme stress can occur when it comes to re-deployment into the field.

Recent studies point to a lack of assertiveness in panic attack sufferers – their interactions with other people tend be polite, respectful and passive. Whilst this is not a problem in itself, it does pose the possibility of the person feeling unable to voice their views, and therefore a feeling of unimportance and isolation.

A panic attack sufferer can also begin to avoid situations where they fear a panic attack is a possibility, exacerbating the problem of isolation and un-assertive behavior.

Panic attacks can also be brought on by medication such as Ritalin. Usually this is a temporary effect. When a person addicted to alcohol or drugs begins to come off their drug they may experience strong withdrawal effects, which can include panic attacks and anxiety.

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Elizabeth Hayes : If you would like to read my article "Symptoms Of A Panic Attack" then click here; http://www.panicreliefsolutions.com/.  And for more information on panic attacks and anxiety disorders, visit my website at http://www.panicreliefsolutions.com?.


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Daily Inspiration - September 21, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden."

-- Plato

Lighten up!

It's supposed to be fun!

The Real Reasons Why People Are Always Late

By Gian Fiero

I know them. You know them too: People who are always late. It seems like no matter what the situation or event, they just can't seem to be on time. Some use a litany of excuses to justify their chronic tardiness, but the worse offenders are not only comfortable with being consistently late, but expect you to be accepting of their impunctuality as well.

Not only is their behavior selfish, it's also disrespectful.

People who are always late rob us of the most precious and valuable commodity that we own: our time. The time you spend waiting for someone to arrive is time that can be better spent doing a myriad of things; productive things in fact. When you are sitting idle it's because your time is being viewed as less valuable than the time of the person you are waiting for. After all, you are going to be honored with their company, so waiting is a small price (and inconvenience) to pay for such an enormous pleasure, right?

The truth of the matter is, no one - no matter how punctual - is always punctual. This is due to circumstances that can not be controlled such as a massive car pile-up on the freeway, being held hostage during a bank robbery, being stuck on an electric light rail vehicle while commuting during a power outage. Tardiness does happen rarely, not occasionally, to the most punctual of people.

When punctual people are tardy, they have reasons for why they are late; not excuses for why they are never on time. There's a difference. The person who is always late can realistically attribute their irritating impunctuality to one of several causes:

1.) Arriving anywhere on time requires preparation (the process of actually leaving point A), departure (from point A), and travel time, (from point A to point B). It's all geared toward a timely arrival at point B.

The vast majority of people who suffer from chronic tardiness arrive at their destinations late because they fail to properly plan (which also means taking driving /commuting conditions under consideration when estimating travel time), which delays their time of departure; thus making them late.

Not being properly prepared, or experiencing a disruption in the preparation process, results in tardiness as well. Though planning is the solution for many, it gets up-ended when people lack organizational skills.

Just the process of getting ready-to-go requires organization. (People with small children should take heed.) It should be done the night before. Selecting wardrobe and items needed for the following day puts you closer to departure when you wake-up. Failure to do so prolongs the preparation process, and can delay your departure. The end result? You are late - despite driving excessively fast in an attempt to make up for time lost during travel time.

2.) Then there's tardy offender number two. The worst kind. They just don't give a damn about being on time. Many (narcissistic) people like how it feels to have others anxiously awaiting their arrival. It makes them feel special, and in fact, empowered. Some even believe (though most won't admit) that the party (or whatever it is) doesn't start until they arrive.

When others are waiting on them it feeds their ego (or arrogance). This is why many celebrities like to arrive "fashionably late." It's proof positive (for them) that they operate under different guidelines and are not held to the same social standards; therefore, they don't have to extend the same social courtesy.

Ironically, the worst offenders (even celebrities) can, and frequently do, show up to certain appointments on time such as court hearings or airplane flights when required. This suggests that punctuality and priority go hand-in-hand.

Curing the impunctuality of the worst offender is obviously a more daunting task. The thing to remember about people who are always late is that they are well aware of their problem; and their problem is not for you to solve.

What do you do when you find yourself in the undesirable position of repeatedly waiting for someone? Leave. That's right. Set a grace period of say 7-15 minutes, and go back home, to work, or wherever you need to go.

Once you've made it clear that you value your own time - and will not have it wasted - you can restore the balance of respect in your relationship with your impunctual friend, and hopefully, send a clear and loud signal to them that always being late is not cool, and it's not acceptable.

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Gian Fiero is a seasoned educator, speaker, and consultant. His clientele spans multiple industries and professional genres. He has also taught at the high school and college levels, and is recognized as a growth expert in his field. Gian has been helping minds and businesses grow for over 20 years.



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Daily Inspiration - September 20, 2010 (Anthony Robins Week)

By Terry Minion -

"As I began to explore the power of vocabulary, I still found myself fighting the idea that something as simplistic as changing the words that we use could ever make such a radical difference in our life experience. But when my study of language intensified, I came across some surprising facts that began to convince me that words absolutely do filter and transform experience."

-- Anthony Robbins

from "Awaken The Giant Within"

Ever really listen to phrases or words that people use regularly? I remember listening to my parents and the phrases they used often. I picked them up and used them habitually myself until I was awakened to the power of those phrases. Many of you may even find some of these that I heard and picked up from your childhoods: When asked how you are doing? I would hear, "fair to midlin." When asked about money, I would hear, "do you think money grows on trees? or "we can't afford that." When asked about the weather, "it's yucky outside." As I look back and remember many of these phrases, I see that the vast majority of them are negative. Much of the focus was on what was wrong, what others were doing to us, and so on.

As I grew older and began really studying personal development, I started thinking about my own word choices, how often I used the f-word and more. Then, I got Awaken the Giant Within and it really opened my eyes to how to change your picture of things by changing your language.

Some of the first things I changed (even if I didn't actually feel it at the moment), was the most common responses, such as, when someone asks you, "how are you?" We know they don't really mean it, but I would shake things up a bit by saying something they didn't expect. I might say, "off-the-chart awesome! How about you?" I would make it extremely positive and put some emotion into it as well. It was fun and I still do it 25 years later, and the main benefit is that I changed and those statements became true.

I began changing other words that I commonly used. Tony has a couple of lists to make choices from to change the whole feeling from negative to positive, from lifeless to exciting and so on. In a chart on page 226, he changes a word confused into curious. I love this one: from pissed off to tinkled. I've used that one many times and especially talking to myself. Or this: from fear to wonderment, frightened to inquiring, frustrated to fascinated, hurt to dinged. Love the last one. Image this: "I'm so mad, she really hurt me" turned to this: "I'm so disenchanted, she really dinged me." It's laughable now. What a difference changing a few words makes to, as Tony calls it, your state, or your point of view.

Some people will think you've lost it. That's okay. It really wasn't worth having to me. Today, the weather is overcast and drizzly. Someone said to me that it was yucky today and I responded that I was excited and was absolutely loving this change. They stopped talking. What they wanted was agreement, but I cannot oblige them, or I would be back in that old way of thinking.

When people say that we don't create our own world, I have to heartily disagree. We do and we do it every minute of every day in some of the most taken for granted kind of ways using our habitual language and habitual thinking. What is really awesome to me about that realization is that if someone wants to change their world, it is so easy to do and changing some of the language we use will help begin the process. Try it for a week and see for yourself.

Daily Inspiration - September 16, 2010 (Anthony Robbins Week)

By Terry Minion -

"What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are."


"You see, it's never the environment; it's never the events of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events--how we interpret them--that shapes who we are today and who we'll become tomorrow."

-- Anthony Robbins

The more I study and experience, the more it comes back to me that everything we experience and draw to ourselves comes from thought and what we believe, which is just a thought we keep thinking.

People can do the most amazing things when they believe they can--even if it is only an imagined belief or a temporary belief. I didn't really believe that I could walk on hot coals bare footed and not get burned, but I had a imagined belief and a temporary belief through suggestion and training. Now, I don't need the temporary any more, I believe, because I experienced it.

It is absolutely amazing what can be done with thinking it can be done and focusing on the imagination of having already achieved it. The greatest golfers and other athletes visualize their success prior to participating in the event itself. We can do the same, yet most of us rarely, if ever, make deliberate use of it. Many of us, instead, seek answers in the environment, events, authority; you know--reality. Yet it is the imagination that will help the most in making a change.

We do this all the time now. It's just that the imagination is used too often to imagine the worst, to build on the problem by focusing on it and continuing to speak of it or them. If we want to turn this around, we just use the same tools, but with a different perspective.

More old fashioned marriage: Keeping it Together

By Joseph Phillips-

Fourteen years of marriage! Even when I really take the time to study it, I have no clear answer as to how we made it this far. I have asked my wife and frankly, I don't care for the way she laughs before answering me. After all is said and done, she is no clearer on how or why we are approaching our ivory anniversary than I am.

How odd that I seem preoccupied with discovering the source of our longevity. Perhaps I should stop asking questions and thank my maker; the less I know the better. However, I can't help but wonder. We hear so often about the divorce rate and marriages. The streets of Los Angeles are littered with marriages that went stale at about the same time as the wedding cake. All of us know couples that did not make it this far. We are friendly with couples that may not make it much further.

I recently came across a bit of research that may shed some light on at least one road to marriage success.

Bradford Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia, analyzed three national studies and concluded that couples who attended regular Christian church services were "35% less likely to divorce than those couples who did not." Not only do couples stay together longer, it also appears as if they are engaged in happier and healthier marriages. In addition, men attending regular church services are more active in the lives of their children than are men who are not. Wilcox does not comment on those Jewish couples or Muslim couples that attend regular services. I suspect, however, that the results may be similar.

Ultimately, marriage must be more than a mere social contract, more than a vehicle for the purpose of coupling and more than a simple expression of the natural affection that a man and woman may feel for each other. Lust is an intoxicating asset, but will never be enough to carry a couple through the tough times. The couples I know that have long lasting marriages are committed to an idea of the marriage union as representing an institution greater than the sum of its parts. For these couples, to marry is to dedicate one's life to a higher calling. Similar viewpoints are far more likely to be held by people of strong religious faith.

Of course, to paraphrase a popular saying, stuff happens. Two grown people living together, bringing with them all of their childhood baggage and disparate personalities attempting to merge two lives into one is difficult. And this before outside influences like money problems, sickness or unemployment. My marriage has certainly been no exception.

My wife and I have been around the corner and back again. Our marriage has at times resembled something from a Wes Craven film; call it "Nightmare on Elm Street." Happily, both my wife and I can point to the exact moment the rough road of our marriage began to smooth out; we began attending church services every Sunday. Soon afterwards, we both gave our lives to Christ. That was the turning point.

Our marriage is by no means perfect. I am certain my wife will confess that I continue to occasionally get on her last nerve. We are, however, more in love than ever and most importantly more committed than ever; 14 years in and eagerly looking forward to the next 14.

Like most couples, we married with hopes that it would be forever. Like other newlyweds, we began to build a family weaving our hopes and dreams together into an epic narrative. No doubt this is why most of the divorced couples I have known - my parents included -- suffered mightily during their break-up. Dreams and hopes do not die easily. When it seems that in spite of our best efforts we will fall short, we despair.

Faith is not a panacea. A 35% lower rate of divorce does not mean no chance of divorce. It does, however, suggest there is truth in the old adage that in navigating the trials that are inevitable with marriage; "the family that prays together stays together."

*Republished from 2008

Daily Inspiration - September 16, 2010

By Terry Minion

"Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach."


"There is no such thing as failure. There are only results."

-- Anthony Robbins

I think I have truly learned the lesson that there is no such thing as failure, only a result. I read about Edison and many others who essentially failed their way to success. I'm currently reading an excellent book (hard to put down) of someone else who failed his way to success and he's young and still has a many more in him I'm sure. The man is Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, and the book is Delivering Happiness - A Path To Profits, Passion, and Purpose. I love reading stories like that--and there are tens of thousands of them.

Another lesson learned is to stay committed to the project, goal, idea, and stay flexible on how it will get done. I know in our Upward Trend business, we've stayed with the overall objective, but we have modified the path to fulfillment several times and most recently completely redesigned the business toward that end. That same "success story" is told in hundreds of books I've read of people like Conrad Hilton, Andrew Carnegie, Harvey Firestone, Alfred Sloan, Thomas Edison and the list goes on and on.

There's two other words for this: Tenacity and Resiliance. Considering the company I mentioned, it has got to be a very successful strategy.

To drink or not to drink? That is the question.

By Craig DeLuz

One of the most controversial and misunderstood issues in the church is whether or not it is a sin to drink alcohol.

Here we review what the Bible says about the consumption of alcohol and how you can decide whether or not it's ok for you.

(Click Here To Listen)