Confidence Wealth & Insurance Solutions January 12, 2017 1 Comment

Surviving Financially When You’re Unemployed

What is it?

When you lose your job, you may have to put yourself on a financial diet. Just as losing weight is simple if you eat less (and exercise more), staying afloat financially is simple if you spend less. Is this process going to be easy? No, of course not. But it can be done with a little self-discipline, some creativity, and a lot of planning.

Plan for a six-month period of unemployment

It’s hard to know how long you’ll be unemployed. You may find a new job within a matter of weeks, or it may take you months. However, it’s best to plan for a worst-case scenario, probably six months. Most likely, you’ll find a job sooner, and you can throw the rest of your plan in the trash. But, if you don’t find a job quickly, at least you’ll be prepared.

Follow the plan

When you’ve come up with a financial plan, stick to it. Like any diet, you’ll be tempted to cheat by spending a little more money than you should. You may even find that as time goes by, you want to change your plan a bit. That’s OK. Your plan is designed to be flexible so that you don’t feel too burdened by something that seems unworkable.

Adjust your expectations

No, finding a new job is not going to be easy

First, despite the number of appealing job ads you see in the Sunday paper, finding a new job is not going to be easy. Even if you’re one of the lucky few that’s working in an occupation that’s in high demand, finding a new job is probably going to take at least a few weeks and maybe months. Your job search may look something like this:

Week One: Send out ten resumes, and wait for the phone to ring.
Week Two: Send out ten more resumes, and wait some more.
Week Three: Send out five resumes for jobs you really want and five for jobs that you really don’t want. The phone rings. It’s your mother.
Week Four: The phone rings. Then it rings again. You line up two job interviews. You send out three more resumes.
Week Five: You have two interviews, and send out five more resumes. You’re called for a second interview at one of the jobs.
Week Six: Good news! You’re hired! Bad news: You can’t start for two more weeks.

As you can see, even a successful job search can take a while, even if you’re a good candidate in a good job market. Prepare yourself for this by drawing up a financial plan as soon as you lose your job.

Expect that life is going to change

When you lose your job, you probably won’t be able to live the same way you lived when you had a job. If you try to live the same way, there’s a good chance you won’t survive financially. If you’re unemployed for only a few weeks, your life might not change radically. Perhaps you’ll only need to spend a little less on groceries, go out to eat once every two weeks instead of once a week, and then dip into your savings account. But if you’re unemployed for months, or if your basic living expenses are high, you’re going to have to take a more radical approach to survive. You may have to sell your house, your car, or take a temporary job. Prepare yourself mentally for this.

Map out your priorities

How desperate are you?

Desperation can trick you. Things that you once said that you’d never do, seem more and more appealing as time passes and you can’t find a new job. When you started your job search, maybe you said “I’ll do anything to survive, but I won’t sell my Jeep!” Four months late, you’re saying, “OK, maybe the Jeep has to go, but I’ll never disconnect my cable.” Hopefully, you’ll never reach the point where you say, “I’ll declare bankruptcy, but only Chapter 13, not Chapter 7!” After all, you do have some pride, don’t you? What are the things you will and won’t do, will or won’t sell to survive financially? At this point, do yourself a favor and map them out.

Remember, diets (even financial ones) don’t last forever

Keep in mind as you plan for unemployment that even though you’re on a financial diet, no diet lasts forever. At some point, you’ll find another job and the crisis will pass. Therefore, you want to be especially careful that the decisions you make now aren’t shortsighted. Do what you can to survive, but only do what you really have to.

Example(s): When Jeff was feeling especially desperate one day, he sold his lawn mower at a garage sale for $75. Two weeks later, he landed a job at a software company, and his lawn had grown six inches. Jeff was forced to spend $350 for a new mower.

Draft a survival budget

The next step is to draft a survival budget. If you currently have a budget, use that as a guide. If you don’t, you’ll have to start from scratch by listing all your income and expenses. A survival budget is a bare-bones version of a regular budget. What you want to end up with is an idea of what income you need to actually survive. Start by listing your expenses and your post-employment income. Remember to include only expenses that are necessary; eliminate any items that are luxuries or that you could reasonably do without.

Find ways to increase your income

There are many ways to increase your income while you look for a new job, some of which you should look into immediately, and others only when you are truly desperate.

Unemployment insurance

One of the first places you should look for income when you lose your job is your state’s employment office. However, you can only receive unemployment benefits if you meet certain eligibility criteria. Mainly, you must be involuntarily unemployed. This means that if you’ve quit your job, you have no chance of receiving unemployment benefits, but if you’ve been laid off or fired (but not for misconduct), you should definitely check into it. Benefits and regulations vary from state to state, so it’s hard to say how much you’ll get. But if your application is approved, you should begin receiving benefits quickly, often within a week or two.

Severance pay

You may be eligible for severance pay if you are laid off. How much you receive will depend upon your employer’s policy. You may have the option of receiving a lump-sum payment or a continuation of salary. If you take a lump-sum payment, you’ll have immediate control over your money, but you may lose your employee benefits. If you take a continuation of salary, you may keep your benefits, but you’ll have to trust the company that laid you off in the first place to stay financially sound.

Savings

If you’ve planned ahead, you may have an emergency fund set up that’s equal to three to six months of living expenses from which you can borrow when you need to supplement your income. This is a great source of income … if you have it. Many people don’t, and are surprised to see how fast a savings account can be depleted when it’s used as a source of funds for everyday expenses.

Credit insurance

You probably don’t have credit insurance that will make your bill payments when you’re unemployed. However, if you have any doubt, call your mortgage company, or credit card companies to find out or check your billing statements. Perhaps you inadvertently signed up for such protection, which adds a few dollars to your payment every month. However, you may have to wait for a while before receiving benefits.

Part-time or temporary job

If you get a little more desperate, you should think about taking a part-time or temporary job to supplement your income. This may be a good idea for two reasons. First, you’ll feel less stress if you know that you have at least some regular income coming in. Second, you may even be able to parlay a part-time or temporary job into a full-time job, or gain experience that will help you in your job search. Third, you’ll be able to schedule interviews relatively easily, if you can decide where or when you want to work (as you can with many temporary assignments). Even if you take a job that you feel doesn’t have career potential, you’ll feel better just doing something besides sitting around the house worrying.

Have a yard sale

Depending upon what you have to sell, having a yard sale can be quite lucrative. If you look around your house, you’ll be surprised at how much you own that you really don’t need. Make a list of things you want to get rid of, and list them in order of priority. If you’re really desperate or if you don’t care about an item, price it accordingly. If you don’t want to sell it unless you get a good price, keep that in mind as well. Also consider consigning items at a shop if you have specific things to sell.

Sell your house, or rent it

As a last-ditch attempt to remain solvent, selling your house can be advantageous if you can raise a lot of cash this way and if you want to reduce your monthly cash outlay over the long-term. It’s not a good short-term way to raise cash because it will take time to implement, and it has long-term consequences. After you accept an offer on your house, you could have trouble if you change your mind, and the impact on your family will be far-reaching. If you want to temporarily reduce what you pay for housing, however, you may want to consider moving to an apartment (or cheaper housing) and renting out your home for a year or two.

However, any decisions you make in this area should be made carefully, and only after considering the true cost of your decision and how much you can actually get out of the deal.

Withdraw money from your tax-deferred retirement account

Withdrawing money from your tax-deferred retirement account (e.g., an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan) is an option you should consider only as a last resort to avoid bankruptcy. In general, any money you withdraw from a tax-deferred retirement account will be taxed as ordinary income for the year in which you make the withdrawal. In addition, you may have to pay a 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawal if you’re under age 591/2. The IRS allows exceptions to the penalty tax under certain conditions, however.

Tip: If you are considering taking funds from your IRA or retirement plan, you should consult a tax advisor regarding the specific tax treatment of your withdrawal, because not all of it will necessarily be taxable. For example, if you have ever made nondeductible contributions to your traditional IRA or after-tax contributions to your employer’s plan, a portion of your withdrawal may not be subject to tax. Also, qualifying withdrawals from a Roth IRA are totally tax free, and even nonqualifying withdrawals may not be fully taxable (since Roth IRAs are funded only with after-tax contributions).

Borrow from the cash value of your life insurance policy

If you have a life insurance policy with cash value, consider borrowing the cash reserves. You’ll have to repay the money, but not right away.

Borrow from relatives

Borrowing from relatives can be difficult. Not only will you have to put aside your pride, but you’ll also have to contend with the consequences. Your relatives may be generous, but there’s a chance that their generosity will backfire. What if you can’t pay the money back? What if you eat out one night? Will they secretly (or vocally) hold this against you? If you do borrow from a relative, clearly outline the terms of the loan in writing, if necessary. That way, you’ll reduce the chance for a future conflict.

Reduce expenses

Increase deductibles on auto insurance

Check with your insurance company to find out how much you could save per month on your auto insurance premium if you increased your deductible. However, remember that if you get into an accident, you’ll have to pay the deductible out of pocket. Will you be able to come up with a large amount of cash while you’re unemployed? Balance the risk with the benefits.

Sell your car

While many people consider a car to be a necessity, you may be able to dramatically reduce your monthly expenses by selling yours–they are expensive to drive and maintain. Not only do you have to pay for gas and upkeep, but in many cases, you also have to pay insurance premiums and monthly car payments. This can add up to several hundred dollars per month–money you could really use when you’re unemployed. Keep in mind, however, that if you have a loan on your car, you might owe more than your car is worth; if you sell your car for less than the loan balance, you’ll still have to make payments until the balance is paid off (or take out another loan to pay off the car loan balance). Also, if you get another job, you may need to buy another car, and many lenders require a certain length of employment before they give you a loan. Investigate your options thoroughly before you sell your car.

Selling your car may also be a good way to raise a large amount of cash quickly. This will depend, of course, on whether you own your car, whether you have a loan for it, and what your car is worth. Again, this is a decision to make carefully. If you have a loan, call your bank to find out the procedure to follow, because until your bank releases the title, you don’t really own the car. They can also tell you the book value of your car and your loan balance. If you own your car outright, research its value at the library or on the Internet, and decide what price to charge.

Negotiate with your creditors

If you find that you’re having trouble paying all your bills, seriously consider negotiating with your creditors. Assuming that you have good credit, you may find it relatively easy to reduce the interest rates on your credit cards, skip a payment or two on your car loan, or reduce your monthly payments temporarily. To do this, you’ll have to put aside your pride and admit that you’re having financial difficulties. You’ll be in a much better negotiating position, however, if you call your creditors before you get into financial trouble. Some creditors will turn you down, but most will negotiate with you. If you wait until you’ve already missed more than one payment and the creditors are calling you, you’ll have more trouble making your case. If you need help negotiating with your creditors or managing your debt, you may want to call a nonprofit credit counseling organization, such as the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS). For further information on CCCS, call (800) 388-CCCS.

Caution: If your creditor agrees to let you skip payments or pay reduced amounts, honor the terms of your agreement, and keep in close contact with your creditor’s representative. Otherwise, your good credit may be ruined.

Discontinue discretionary expenses

You probably pay for a lot of things you don’t really need. For instance, think about canceling magazine subscriptions, extra phone services, credit cards you don’t use that have an annual fee, health club memberships (if possible without incurring a large cancellation fee), auto club memberships, cable television, and Internet service (although this can help you find a job). You may even save a few dollars a month by switching banks if you currently pay monthly checking fees. Every little bit helps.

Tip: If you’re billed annually for some of these things, you won’t save any money unless you cancel them at renewal because you won’t ordinarily get a refund.

Limit long-distance calls

If your long-distance bills are high, put yourself on a phone budget. Vow to spend no more than a certain amount (say $25 a month) on long-distance. To keep track of your calls, keep a notebook next to your phone so that you can easily see when you’ve reached your limit.

Strategies to consider if you have more time to prepare

Often you lose your job with little warning. However, if you’re being laid off or plan to quit your job, you may have time to save money for unemployment by using the following strategies.

Establish a home equity line of credit

If you have enough time, consider establishing a home equity line of credit, if you have enough equity in your house (20 percent is often the minimum), and if you can find a bank that will loan you money without charging you closing costs. With a home equity line of credit, you’ll pay interest only on the portion you use. However, the bank may charge you an annual fee or require that you take a certain draw on the line up front. You may even be able to use the line to pay off credit cards or loans that carry a higher interest rate, and consolidate your debt. You’ll still have to make a monthly payment, however, so make sure you’ll be able to afford it before you put your house on the line. In addition, beware when lenders claim that your home equity line of credit will be tax deductible. Although this may be true in many cases, you should consult your tax advisor to find out whether it will be true in your case.

Caution: Use caution when using your house as a debt management tool. If you can’t pay your loan back, you may lose your house.

Reduce contributions to retirement or education funds

Once you know you are going to lose your job, stop contributing to any savings plans that you’ll have trouble accessing, or that aren’t necessary. These include retirement funds, education funds, and Christmas club accounts.

Decrease your withholding

Consider increasing your withholding allowances to reduce the amount that is taken out of your paycheck. Deposit this extra money in a savings account. Of course, be careful that you don’t claim more allowances than you are entitled to. When you get a new job, you should look at your tax liability for the year. It’s possible at that time that you’ll have to increase your withholding to make up the difference.

Plan a financial strategy

Once you’ve mapped out your priorities and drafted a bare-bones budget, you’re ready to come up with your own six-month financial strategy. After you’ve formulated your own strategy, post it somewhere (maybe on the refrigerator) where you can use it everyday to chart your progress.

Confidence Wealth & Insurance Solutions December 21, 2016 1 Comment

Setting Up a Support Network When You’re Unemployed

What is an unemployment support network?

An unemployment support network is a group of people, organizations, or resources available to help you cope with issues that unemployed people must face. Setting up a support network when you’re unemployed is important for several reasons. First, when you lose your job, your ego is likely to be damaged, and you’ll benefit from the encouragement and perspective that talking to others can bring. Second, if you plan on returning to work, you may need help finding a new job or exploring a career change. Third, if you’re an older unemployed worker thinking about retiring rather than seeking another job, you may need the advice of others who have experienced retirement firsthand. Whatever your reason for needing support, you can easily find it if you know where to look.

Emotional support

When you lose your job, you’ll most likely turn to your friends and family for emotional support. Another option is to find or form a support group (also called a self-help group) to share information and provide emotional support to one another.

Finding a support group

If you live in a metropolitan area, finding a local support group should be easy. Look in the Local or Community sections of your newspaper or contact your local community center, college, or university to see if it sponsors support groups. You can also try the American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse website www.mentalhelp.net for information on starting or finding a self-help group in your area.

Job-hunting services and assistance

Rather than go it alone, you may choose to find a job using an employment professional or a government agency or community organization. Some employment professionals will charge you a fee for their services, while others do not. Government job services are free but may offer only basic assistance. Community organizations may sponsor free or low-cost services, which are sometimes tailored to the needs of specific groups.

For-fee services

If you are having trouble marketing yourself, you might consider paying someone to help you. You can, for instance, hire image counselors to teach you how to dress professionally, rewrite your resume, target your job search, and rehearse interviewing. Or, in a tight job market, you might use a for-fee job placement agency. You sign a contract with the agency, under which you promise to pay a flat fee or a certain percentage of your first year’s salary and in turn, the agency promises to find you a suitable job. Whatever your reason for paying someone to help you find a job, be careful. Before you sign a contract, know what you’ll get for your money. How hard will the company work for you? What kind of guarantee does it offer? What specific services does it offer? In particular, check the company’s reputation. Make sure that it has been in business in the same location for several years, and call the Better Business Bureau (if the agency is a member) and ask for references or published statistics on its placement success rates.

Fee-paid services

Headhunters and recruiters: If you work in a high-demand occupation or you are a professional with a few years of experience, you may be able to find a job through a recruiter or a headhunter. In fact, one may come looking for you! Headhunters or recruitment professionals are usually paid by companies who use them to find qualified employees. Most headhunters specialize in finding employees in a particular field, and they expect you to be flexible. They may not want to talk to you, for example, unless you are willing to relocate. They also may not be interested in you if you are changing career paths or if you don’t match their area of specialization and requirements.

Caution: A recruiter can seem like your best friend when you are unemployed. Remember, however, that the recruiter is also a salesperson, and you are the product. Don’t be upset by a recruiter’s reluctance to talk to you unless you are a seasoned professional, and don’t be misled into thinking that a job offered through a recruiter is necessarily the best job for you or the only good way to find a job.

The temporary or permanent placement agency: Another type of fee-paid employment service is the temporary or permanent placement agency. You sign up with an agency and specify the type of position you are looking for, and it tries to match you with a job opening. You’ll work for the agency, not for the company unless the company buys your contract from the agency. This means that you won’t be eligible for any company benefits or perks. Some agencies specialize in placing candidates in a certain industry (banking, for instance) while others are generalists. A good employment service will be responsive to your needs, offer training and benefits (if necessary), and won’t mislead you about the jobs they usually have available. Some companies publish “teaser” jobs in the paper that probably won’t be available when you call the agency because they are designed to lure you in to fill out an application.

Caution: Although taking a temporary job is a good way of supporting yourself for a short time or even finding a permanent job with a good company, you’ll probably find that the pay is relatively low. However, you may be able to negotiate a better rate of pay if you are a good, qualified candidate.

Government agencies and community services

Your local employment office (where you apply for unemployment insurance benefits) may assist you in finding a new job, or there may be programs set up in your community to help displaced workers, low-income workers, senior workers, or veterans. Check your telephone directory under Job Services, Employment Services, or Social Services. Your local college or university may also sponsor career-counseling seminars or courses that are open to the public even if attendees are not enrolled in a degree program.

Outplacement assistance

If you have prior warning that you will be losing your job, you can do several things to make unemployment easier. First, if you’re being laid off, find out if your company has outplacement assistance. You may be able to attend seminars or speak with a job counselor one on one. Next, if you plan on looking for another job, ask about your current company’s policy regarding employment verification and references. If a potential employer calls and asks about your work history, what information will the company give out? In addition, are your coworkers or supervisors allowed to give professional and/or personal references? If you’re leaving the company because you’re moving or being laid off, don’t forget to ask everyone you know who might have leads on job openings for introductions to managers or executives at other companies.

Other job-hunting resources

The Internet

Many Internet sites are devoted to the needs and concerns of the job-hunter. These sites offer career counseling, networking opportunities, job fairs, and lists of available jobs (including on-line applications). Some popular sites are Monster (www.monster.com), Headhunter.net (www.headhunter.net), and the Career Resource Center (www.careers.org). When you’ve lined up a job interview, you can prepare for the interview by researching the company on-line under the company name. You may be able to pull up press releases, articles about the company, or even financial information. You may have to pay an extra fee for the latter. Information about public companies is readily available, while information about private companies can be difficult to find.

Libraries and bookstores

If you go to the library or a bookstore, you’ll find many books on job hunting and career counseling. These books can be quite useful, particularly if you’ve been out of the job market for a while or you need help in a particular area. You can also buy or read local and out-of-town newspapers that advertise jobs.

Friends, family, and acquaintances

One good way to find a new job is to tell everyone you know that you’re looking for one. Your friends, family, and acquaintances may know about jobs that are presently open within their companies or about job opportunities that might be available in the future. They may also be able to put a good word in for you with a manager or the human resources department. Some companies use a very formal process to hire (first open the job to current employees, next advertise the job to others), while others hire more informally.

Special considerations for retirees

There are many resources tailored to your needs if you are an unemployed older worker looking forward to a relaxing retirement, searching for volunteer opportunities, thinking about working part-time, interested in opening your own business, or facing health concerns. You can find support groups in your community or on the Internet to help you adjust to retirement. There are also a multitude of organizations set up just to help you find the resources and information you need.

Important Disclosure

Confidence Wealth & Insurance Solutions November 4, 2016 No Comments

Investors are Human, Too

In 1981, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller published a groundbreaking study that contradicted a prevailing theory that markets are always efficient. If they were, stock prices would generally mirror the growth in earnings and dividends. Shiller’s research showed that stock prices fluctuate more often than changes in companies’ intrinsic valuations (such as dividend yield) would suggest.¹

Shiller concluded that asset prices sometimes move erratically in the short term simply because investor behavior can be influenced by emotions such as greed and fear. Many investors would agree that it’s sometimes difficult to stay calm and act rationally, especially when unexpected events upset the financial markets.

Researchers in the field of behavioral finance have studied how cognitive biases in human thinking can affect investor behavior. Understanding the influence of human nature might help you overcome these common psychological traps.

Herd mentality

Individuals may be convinced by their peers to follow trends, even if it’s not in their own best interests. Shiller proposed that human psychology is the reason that “bubbles” form in asset markets. Investor enthusiasm (“irrational exuberance”) and a herd mentality can create excessive demand for “hot” investments. Investors often chase returns and drive up prices until they become very expensive relative to long-term values.

Past performance, however, does not guarantee future results, and bubbles eventually burst. Investors who follow the crowd can harm long-term portfolio returns by fleeing the stock market after it falls and/or waiting too long (until prices have already risen) to reinvest.

Availability bias

This mental shortcut leads people to base judgments on examples that immediately come to mind, rather than examining alternatives. It may cause you to misperceive the likelihood or frequency of events, in the same way that watching a movie about sharks can make it seem more dangerous to swim in the ocean.

Confirmation bias

People also have a tendency to search out and remember information that confirms, rather than challenges, their current beliefs. If you have a good feeling about a certain investment, you may be likely to ignore critical facts and focus on data that supports your opinion.

Overconfidence

Individuals often overestimate their skills, knowledge, and ability to predict probable outcomes. When it comes to investing, overconfidence may cause you to trade excessively and/or downplay potential risks.

Loss aversion

Research shows that investors tend to dislike losses much more than they enjoy gains, so it can actually be painful to deal with financial losses.²Consequently, you might avoid selling an investment that would realize a loss even though the sale may be an appropriate course of action. The intense fear of losing money may even be paralyzing.

It’s important to slow down the process and try to consider all relevant factors and possible outcomes when making financial decisions. Having a long-term perspective and sticking with a thoughtfully crafted investing strategy may also help you avoid expensive, emotion-driven mistakes.

All investments are subject to market fluctuation, risk, and loss of principal. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost.

¹The Economist,“What’s Wrong with Finance?” May 1, 2015

²The Wall Street Journal,“Why an Economist Plays Powerball,” January 12, 2016

Important Disclosure

Confidence Wealth & Insurance Solutions June 20, 2016 No Comments

[Motivation Monday] Enjoy Your Journey

Life has unexpected bends, some are delightfully surprising, and others… well, aren’t. But either way, as long as we’re on the road of life, there’s plenty to see and to experience and to be discovered by each one of us. And if we keep moving forward, letting our will carry us, we’re in for one fantastic journey.

Life is the ultimate road trip. For some people, the road is straight with just a few bumps along the way, but for most of us, that ride is full of curves, rough patches, and unexpected fun.

However your journey is, the key to living an inspired life is to explore it, own it, and keep moving forward. Bask in the precious privilege that is to be alive.

Here are our best tips that will allow you to keep moving forward and enjoy your journey while doing so.

1. Look for beauty and knowledge.

Just like when you find yourself contemplating how stunning the view is during a road trip, much of the beauty of life is in the details that could easily go unnoticed. Our world is filled with wonders, but we’re often simply too busy and don’t pay them the attention they deserve.

If you want to add more spark to your life, we suggest that as soon as you wake up, you take a couple of minutes to appreciate all the beauty that’s around you, and don’t be afraid to add to it during the day: look for beautiful art for your home, buy some flowers, take a picture of you smiling — the possibilities are endless. To honor knowledge, mentally list the things you learned during the day, just before you go to sleep. Try this little appreciation exercise every day, and you’ll soon start feeling more blessed than ever.

2. Focus on your destination but make sure to enjoy the ride as well.

Goals and desires are great because they keep us focused and give us a sense of purpose. But not everything’s about reaching a specific goal. Make sure to also enjoy the ride! After all, it’s during the process of achieving something that you make mistakes, learn, and become who you are. Arriving at your destination is wonderful, but aren’t the stories that happen during the journey the ones that stay with you the most?

3. Be prepared.

Like how you take precautions before going on a trip in order to enjoy it even more, you should also do that in your life’s journey. Being prepared for possible outcomes can reduce your stress and allow you to know where you’re standing. Take care of your health, invest on your self-growth, nourish your relationships, and last but not least, get your finances in order.

Being mindful about your economy will make you feel receptive to new experiences and adventures because the very act of being financially fit empowers women.

Life comes with many challenges and surprises, some of which we can’t really control, so let’s get up close and personal with the ones we do have a say over.

4. Respect your authenticity.

Everyone’s journey is different simply because each and every one of us is a unique human being with individual sets of qualities and flaws. This might seem obvious, but how many times have you compared your life to somebody else’s? It’s okay to admit it, we’ve all been there.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are authentic and that the path we’re on is not everyone’s cup of tea — but the great thing is, it doesn’t have to be!

We recommend that you stop comparing yourself to everyone else and get comfortable in your skin. Knowing that our journey is only our own makes all our characteristics and quirks even more endearing.

The next time you get caught playing the comparison game, try to relax by taking a deep breath and shaking the extra weight off your back. Opt for (self-) kindness and remember that you don’t have to be at the same crossroads someone else is … or at the very least, not now.

5. Follow your curiosity.

Following one’s curiosity is an undemanding way to find the things that make you feel alive and vibrant. Although having your priorities straight is always a good idea, being open to explore new things (from recipes, to clothes, to hobbies, to actual trips) is a great way to keep your inner light on.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert encourages curiosity and compares multi-passionate people to hummingbirds that move feely from flower to flower and from tree to tree. This approach usually creates complex, rich, and satisfying lives. Even if you know exactly what you want, it’s still okay to take on new adventures and projects once in a while.

Is there something you’re curious about that you haven’t tried? Be a hummingbird and go do it. It may just be exactly what you need right now.

Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and enjoy your journey at your own pace.

You’re the only you who exists. Enjoy your journey.

Confidence Wealth & Insurance Solutions June 6, 2016 No Comments

[Motivation Monday] Life Is A Circle

Life’s seasons change. For all of us, life is a rollercoaster. Sometimes we’re happy; sometimes we’re sad; and sometimes we wonder how we’ve survived. The only thing we can know for sure is that life is full of both ups and downs.

Sometimes we anticipate life’s turns. Certain changes are foreseeable or desirable. You understand your child will eventually leave home for college, for marriage, or for a new job in another state. You hope to become a grandparent. Perhaps you’ve planned for the day you retire.

It’s the unexpected changes that are hard. No one wants to become a widow. No one wants to lose a job. Few actually want a divorce. These changes are painful. You didn’t expect or want them. These changes blindside you. Often they feel like more than you can bear.

Coping with life’s uncertainties is challenging. One change may lead to another. You may have to move. You may be forced to change goals, change jobs, change friends.

Yet there is one constant in the midst of change: our approach to it. We can choose how we react to change. We can elect to use change to better ourselves, or we can let it defeat us. Allow change to make you better. You can learn to handle this in a healthy way.

Start by releasing your resistance to it.

Let go of the past so you can change the future

Many of us hate change because we gaze at the past with nostalgia. We decide that the way things were must have been better. We do not see that focusing on our personal history stunts our future. Dwelling in the past is tantamount to inviting misery and unhappiness into your life.

Do not let the pain of change make you wallow in self-pity. Do not fear change.

Through change, you grow.

When something hurtful happens, allow yourself a moment to suffer the pain, then, rise. Move on. Pushing through pain allows you to circle back to joy.

Remember that there will always be something that can block your happiness; it’s how you look at that something that counts. Confronting your emotions and rejecting the negative will help you to move on toward your future. More important, when you focus on the future, you circle back to life’s good things.

Discovering a positive approach

Unexpected changes can catch us off guard, but change also gives us the opportunity to better ourselves. Our lives may not be what we had predicted; unexpected events may make us sad or mad. But if we focus on the negative, we lose life’s beauty. Instead of letting the sting of life imprison us in despair, choose hope.

You can have the life you deserve by embracing and rolling with change. When you make this conscious choice, you allow yourself the time and space you need to heal. You learn to appreciate the bad because it led to the good.

If it seems like the bad outweighs the good, sit down and make a list. Put the good on one side and the bad on the other. Over time, you will notice the columns balance.

Remember to keep smiling and you’ll feel better.

Make yourself a promise here and now. Promise yourself that you’ll stop doubting yourself and that you’ll believe in “full circle.”

You are the author of your life; you write every line of your story. Trust that your story will be a best seller. Be happy with who and what you are. You deserve it.

Embrace your friends

Good friendships are give and take. Sometimes when something bad happens, we learn the friendships we have are not what we thought. Develop the courage to see this so you know when to let old friendships go. Perhaps you need to take a breath and wait. Life has a funny way of putting the right friends into our lives at the right time.

Remember that even though you are going through a hard time, your friends may not have it easy either. Your process may include helping another who is going through similar changes. Your life returns to you tenfold when you focus on the needs of others.

Redefine your wealth

We often think about wealth solely in terms of finances.

But being wealthy is so much more. We can be wealthy in our friendships, in our pursuits, and in our life choices.

Wealth is relative. However, if you feel financially insecure, take these steps.

Think about the things you want to do monetarily, then set up a budget. If you’ve never made a budget before, there are many ways to learn. Tools online can help you create one. A financial advisor can also assist. All you need is pen, paper, and information about your income and your expenditures.

Decide where you want to be next week, next month, six months, and a year from now. Allow wiggle room for unexpected changes. Keep to your budget as much as you can. Set small goals and allow yourself small setbacks.

Welcome back to your life

Yes, it takes time to go from stressed to calm. It takes time to get comfortable with a ‘new’ life when the old one takes an odd, unexpected turn.

Take heart. No matter how bad things get, a moment will come when suddenly you’re on top and then over that seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

Your dedication and commitment will always see you through.

You’ll know when you’ve come full circle. It will be a beautiful moment. You’ll gaze back at the road you have travelled and think, “Wow, I made it through.” What once looked like a terrifying path, was actually a short, beautiful passage.

You have the strength and power to change the course of your. You can grow flowers with anything life throws your way. You may walk through mud to get to the garden, but oh, what a lovely garden. Life is an unending circle that includes and is enriched by both sadness and joy.

(310) 824-1000