Article By Kevin L. DeWitt
How do you deal with criticism? I think the first reaction for most of us is to defend ourselves, or worse yet to lash back.
Yet, while criticism can be taken as hurtful and demoralizing, it can also be viewed in a positive way: it is honesty, and it can spur us to do better … to improve.
The following suggestions are areas I am working on in my life. I am nowhere near perfect when it comes to accepting criticism, and I have the same impulse as everyone … to knee-jerk a reaction. Nevertheless, this is what I strive for: Read More »
Article By Kevin L. DeWitt
Are the in-boxes in your life stressing you out?
Our lives are filled with “in-boxes” … from email in-boxes to your to-do lists to voice and text messages to a variety of different in-boxes in social networks such Facebook to work applications to RSS readers and bookmarked “to-read” articles and more. Whew!
For many people, managing all these in-boxes is stressful, never-ending, and complex. And for many more, simply checking their in-boxes is addictive.
So, how do we simplify things? How do we clear our in-boxes and let go of the stress of managing them all? Read More »
Article By Kevin L. DeWitt
Sometimes when we’re in debt, it feels like we’re drowning, trying to stay afloat, and yet we don’t know how to get out of the turbulent waters we find ourselves in. If you feel yourself being pulled under by the current of debt, there’s hope: by using a Debt Snowball, you can pull yourself out.
This article might seem too simple for those who regularly read about personal finances, but sometimes it’s good to review the basics, and for those who haven’t read much about debt elimination, this can be a life saver.
The basic idea of the Debt Snowball is that you apply an extra amount of money every month to your smallest debt until it’s paid off, and then take the amount you were paying for that debt and apply it to the next biggest debt, and so on until you’ve paid off all your debts. It sounds simple, but it’s very powerful, and it’s something that I’m using a modified version of it now to get myself out of debt.
Here are the basic steps:
- List all debts from smallest to largest.
- Commit to pay the minimum payment on each debt.
- Find an extra amount, on top of the minimum, that can be applied towards the smallest debt — this amount is your “snowball” amount.
- Pay the minimum payment plus the extra amount towards that smallest debt until it is paid off.
- Then, add the old minimum payment from the first debt to the extra amount, and apply the new sum to the second smallest debt — your snowball amount has just gotten bigger, and will get bigger after each debt is paid off.
- Repeat until all debts are paid in full. Read More »
“Following your heart and achieving your dreams requires you to feel what is inside yourself.”
Article By Jennifer Snelling
Do you know what you deserve in life?
Think of the people who have lifted you up, encouraged you, and loved you unconditionally. What would they want for you? What would they encourage you to do?
Do you deserve any less than those things?
The key is to see yourself from a loving point of view. Don’t talk yourself out of your goals by dismissing them as unrealistic … or by telling yourself that a person like you could never accomplish them. After all, if they are your ideas, you obviously are the right person for them. They belong to you and you alone. Read More »
Article by Chris Bennett
Even to most amiable of people, mental ruts seem to find their way to the forefront of any given personality. Signs of such an impersonal emotion are strong amounts of irritability and discontentment mixed with downright ill tempered attitudes. These traits more than likely do not represent who you are, hence the term ruts.
For me, mental ruts are extremely frustrating because I am consistently on the go and my life moves very fast. So I ask … how is it possible to not only find a simplistic way of relieving that unwanted crabbiness but also find a way to channel that off-putting energy to good use?
The answer is helping others by volunteering your time. It creates a strong sense of self- worth and helps bolster your self-esteem. Rest assured there are countless ways to get involved in any number of activities in and around your community. If you have a church, hen this is always a great place to start as most churches organize volunteer projects throughout their communities. Read More »
