Goals to Meet on the Path towards Personal Financial Security

Can money buy you happiness? That is a question asked by people for centuries. Ancient Egyptians buried themselves with their treasures to ensure happiness in the afterworld. In this century, it seems people are working themselves to the grave to get enough money to fill their needs.

Clearly, there is a definitive relationship between feeling in control of your finances and feeling happy about your finances and your life. Control over your finances plays a definitive role in controlling your life's happiness. Obviously, it is something worth striving for everyday. Here is some advice to achieving that kind of financial bliss. 

•        Add a little organization? No one likes a reactive work environment. Reacting from crisis to crisis is not the best way to go about your work day. You’ve lost all faith in the concept of multitasking and work is piling up costing you time, money, and unneeded stress. The key to any successful business is being proactive. Start today and get yourself organized by cleaning up all that paperwork on your desk as a starting point.

•     Invest sensibly? Perhaps your mother told you one time “nothing saved equals nothing gained” when you were young. Truer words have never been spoken. It applies to all aspects of business. Think about your life after retirement. If you never invested into anything like a 401K then you have no retirement. We’re living long lives and you’re going to need more money saved up than ever before. Start saving and investing.

•     Less will do you. Hey, this is America where bigger is ALWAYS better, right? Well, not always. Just because something is the biggest, the best, or the newest doesn’t mean it will work for you. This is one of the main reasons we are seeing more and more people declare for personal bankruptcy. Control your urges and you’ll control your bank account.

•      Find work that fits? If you like your job and truly enjoy waking up everyday to go to the office, then there is a good chance you’ll live longer and make more money. In other words, it can pay to be happy. (Yes. I am aware that was a lame joke!)

•     Talk about money like it was gossip? There is nothing wrong with talking about money. The more we talk about it, the more we may learn something new. Plus, we keep too many secrets about money. Money is the leading cause of divorce in America. Talk about any money and financial concerns honestly, and save the fights for the in-laws.

•        Set goals? Seems like a pretty basic concept, if you know where you want to go then the easier it will be to get there. It is much easier to have a plan and stick to it for yourself than it is to treat everyday like a new adventure. Set a few long term goals to reach and some short term ones, as well.

•      Are you spending responsibly?? Some of us have a little problem with spending more than we make, especially you shopaholics out there. You know who you are! Keep track of what you spend any money on for a month and try to cut out anything unnecessary.
 
04/2008 By: Bill Healey http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Goals-to-Meet-on-the-Path-towards-Personal-Financial-Security/250320

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Missing your sweets on your gluten free Diet? Here is a great recipe for Gluten free Chocolate chip Cookies for those on a wheat free, gluten free diet. 

Quinoa Choc-chip cookies
Half cup Lactose free butter or margarine
(could try using light olive oil/veg oil if not available)
3/8 cup of raw sugar
3/8 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
half teaspoon salt
half teaspoon of bi-carb soda
pinch of baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
6 oz or a pack of Lindt dark choc broken into small bits
(1 pack is a LOT, so may want to use about 3/4 of the pack instead)
3/4 cup gluten free flour
(potato 1/4, rice bran 1/4, brown rice flour 1/4)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 Quinoa flakes
1 teaspoon Xanthum gum

 

Heat the margarine in the microwave mix with a beaten egg and sugar. Mix all dry ingredients together and add the margarine, egg and sugar to this. Mix well till you have a stiff mixture. Grease a baking tray and drop small teaspoons of the mix onto the tray. Bake at 180 c until golden brown.

Alternative Recipe:

1/4 cup Tapioca flour
1/4 cup rice bran
1/2 cup Quinoa flour
1 cup Quinoa flakes
1/4 cup rice flour
half teaspoon xanthum gum
pinch baking powder
half teaspoon bi-carb baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup margarine
Lindt dark choc pieces

 

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat egg and sugar together and add to heated margarine, and vanilla. Then mix all in together till you get a stiff mixture. Drop onto greased baking tray and bake for 13 mins at 180 c / until golden brown.

 

04/2008 - Hayden Barile - Howard is the owner of www.glutenfreehealth.com, the BEST place to find Gluten Free information! - Article Source: www.ArticleBiz.com

10 Ways to Improve Your Listening Skills

A good communicator must first be a good listener. However, while listening is a skill that is rather easy to acquire, it is often the one skill that is ignored. There are several advantages to effective listening:

* It can diffuse a volatile situation.
* It shows respect to the speaker.
* You just might learn something.
* It can lead to a revealing and interesting discussion.
* It is just good manners.

If you are lacking in the listening skills department, though, there are some things that you can start doing today to become a better listener. These tips can enable you to become a better listener and communicate at a higher level.

1. Make and maintain eye contact. Maintaining eye contact is an indication to the speaker that you are listening, but keep it at a level that is comfortable for both you and the speaker.

2. Face the person with whom you are communicating. When someone is talking to you, you can at least face them and give them the courtesy of looking at them. This indicates to them that you are listening and it eliminates potential distractions for you.

3. Get rid of distractions. Turn off the TV, put down the book, close the door and pay full attention to your speaker. Distractions can interfere with important pieces of what is being communicated to you. Your concentration should be on what the speaker is saying to you and you want to give them complete attention.

4. Let the speaker know that you are listening. Nod and give verbal acknowledgments appropriately. If you nod vigorously the entire time that the speaker is talking, it will distract both of you and indicate to them that you are not really listening at all. A simple 'yes' or nod and smile may suffice.

5. Think about what the speaker is saying, not what you are going to say next. Many times it is a natural tendency to think about what you are going to say when someone else is talking. You may be trying to form your comeback to what they are saying. In doing so you will most certainly miss some vital information if you aren't really listening.

6. Do not interrupt. You should not interrupt for several reasons. For one, you may only be getting just a part of what they want to tell you when you interrupt, two, it shows that you are not listening and three, it is just plain rude. If you have to grab a piece of paper and take notes about what is said, do it, and the address your concerns when it is your time to talk.

7. Maintain an open mind When the speaker says something that goes against your beliefs, your mind may want to scream in protest, but try to keep an open mind and listen to their defense and argument. You just might learn something.

8. Ask questions to make sure that you understand. Ask questions to clarify what is beingsaid. This way you can make sure that you understand what the speaker is saying.

9. Keep your body language neutral. Crossing your arms, putting your hands on your hips and turning away from the speaker are all indications that you are not listening, thus hindering your own ability to listen effectively. Keep your arms down at your sides and lean your body slightly in toward the speaker. This increases your listening ability and lets the speaker know that you are listening to them.

10. Realize that sometimes just listening is enough. Sometimes people just want to be heard without any response. Remember that it is OK to just listen from time to time.

04/2008 By: Bill Urell http://www.articlebiz.com/article/100964-1-10-ways-to-improve-your-listening-skills/

Proverbs 24:6