Well it’s the New Year and now is a great time to make some New Year resolutions. What are your resolutions for 2009? Do you believe in doing New Year resolutions? I know there are mixed views out there regarding this…some love this time, some people cheat themselves this time of the year and others think New Year resolutions is a joke.  We all have opinions and are free to feel whatever we like, right?

I on the other hand I love this time year. It gives me a start date and end date to really reflect on my life and makes come changes. For me the New Year resolution is a motivator for life changes. I truly take some time to reflect back on my previous year and decide what makes me happy and what bothers me, I then come up with a new plan. I have been doing this even more the last few years because I am getting older and life is quickly passing. I also will make joint changes or goals with mutual friends or with my boyfriend. Then we have each other to push towards our goals for the new Year.

Reflect…

Last year my New Year resolution was to be a better friend. That was a big thing for me because as we grow older we tend to loose sight of the ones we love and care for most. While this needs to be mutual thing, I made an agreement to myself that I would at least try to keep in touch on my end and if my friends do the same great and if not, then there’s not much I can do. While I did do a lot better this year with keeping in touch and even went to visit a few friends. I did not manage to keep in touch with everyone as much as I had hoped.  This year was a challenging year for me mentally, financially and emotionally, while this is no excuse I will not be as hard on myself. However I will continue this resolution into 2009.

This brings me to my new 2009 goals for the year, as always I will continue to keep good health and improve health in some areas. I had a few health problems in 2008 so I am and have been making strides to a better mean. I am also going to try to take more courses during a semester and hope to graduate sooner. It is hard to work 60 hrs a week and make 2 or 3 classes, but I was laid off and trying to find new employment. I only hope I find a good job with a better schedule so I can focus more on school. And for my last goal for 2009, I am going to improve my finances and start to save more money. I am going to really focus on what I spend, make sure I am smart buying and become more stable with my self.

While I hope everyone has goals to work on for 2009, whether you call them New Year goals or just goals in general for a better life…I wish you all the best of luck and a Prosperous New Year!

Friends it’s about time that someone mentions the overuse of the word "friend." It seems that people today have become nearly as obsessed with this word, as they have with the word "love."

I am half way through the semester and the day to day stress with work and life has me drained. As I am sure many of us are going through the same things with the economy turmoil, however I cannot help but to think my world seems as if it is crashing down on me. I wake up every day with butterflies in my stomach wondering if today is going to be the day they let me go at work. And these are not good butterflies either. This is just not healthy, I can not eat well, can not sleep well and it is just draining me. Ahhhh…

I can say one positive thing about school is that it gives me a positive sense of security because once I am finish I will have a degree to back me up in my career search.  However right now I do not have that and that is what scares me more than anything in the world. I am on my own with no family to help me if something goes wrong. I know people who have been laid off and it has been months and still no job. What will I do? I am continuously searching the internet and applying to jobs in hopes one bites if something does go wrong with work.  If anyone out there knows of anyone in Orlando that is hiring, please let me know.

As for school my classes are going great! One of my classes is in Customer Service which I really like. It makes some interesting points which causes me look at my job a little differently every time I learn something new. I have also learned there are companies out there that need lesson in training their staff with customer service skills; some people are horrible when it comes to service. I deal with people all day long whether they are clients or candidates looking for employment.  It is very important to treat everyone with excellent customer service no matter what the situation is. I speak with people everyday who are laid off from work and they are stressed; relying on us to find them a job. Sometimes they get upset and irritated because we can’t find them a job quick enough. This then can cause certain people to lashes out. I tell my colleagues it is still very important that they do not take this to heart and should treat them with respect; having empathy. It is only their fear that is making them react this way and we are the only people who can speak with them and give them a sense of security.

My teachers are great and the students in my classes are great too! So far the grades are still up there and I hope to continue on the same path.  All I can do is take one step at a time and pray I make it through the crazy times. Who knows when things will start to turn around. If anyone else is going through the same things; my heart goes out to you and your loved ones.

Strength & Courage

We did it! We the Democrats won the election and we have a lot of work to do. I say we because it takes more than one man or woman to clean up the mess our economy is in. One thing we need to keep in mind is Obama is not going to turn this Country around over night. It took eight years to mess it up and it could take a-another eight to clean it up. The more support we have from the Americans/citizens the quicker we can turn things around.

Yes, I agree Obama has a lot of work to do himself. He made a lot of promises to Americans and he needs to stand true to his word. I am sure we are all frightened about what the next few years will bring. Obama is a smart man and if he wants to go down in history not only as the first African American President, but a darn good one then he will stand true to his word. Besides I really feel we needed some change in the White House and things happen for a reason…

As Veterans Day just passed with the new President in office, Obama already announced his first step towards change. More than 90% of homeless people are US Veterans and most of them fought in Vietnam. He is going to commit to taking care of the new generation of Veterans. He quoted “On this Veterans Day, let us rededicate ourselves to keep a sacred trust with all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America: that America will serve you as well as you have served your country.”  My father was a Vietnam Veteran and I have always felt this country did not support him as if he stood frontline for his Country; instead he had to work harder and go through a lot of mental distress. When my father died the government did nothing…However if I wanted to go to the Post office and fill out a 3 page form with information I wasn’t sure about, they would mail a flag to me. How sad is that? My father experienced things in his life that you would hope your child never has to experience…There are some many young men and women fighting for our country witnessing death, hunger, cruelty and much much more. I hope he stands true to his statement and really starts to show support to the new Veterans of our country.

What are some of the things that you would like to see Obama change?

For the first time in my 31 years of my life I made a contribution to my country and it felt great! Whether or not my vote makes a difference I will never know. However to me I made a difference and I am proud of it. It is going to be a long night while waiting for the states to turn in their electoral votes and I can not wait for the results.

I did early voting in the Downtown Orlando Library on Friday last week.  I was amazed to see so many voters there to make a difference in the world. The voters were from all nationalities and all different age levels. There were actually a lot of young voters there not to mention many of them were of Latin decent and African American voters which was great! I wish I had started voting years ago, if only I had a little more guidance to express the importance of it. Therefore I want to express how important it really is to be such a big part of history. Do not listen to the discouragers that say your vote will not make a difference because they are just trying to discourage you.  Obviously it will make a difference.

While standing in line I talked to some nice people with a lot of great points and different views on the US. They all had a lot of anger balled up inside waiting for someone to ask them for their thoughts. I am almost afraid too because everyone has such different views and the average American is truly angry.  One gentleman was a US veteran and he was carrying a lot on his shoulders. He kept on and on about how the government is so money driven that they have lost real sight of the citizens and what is important for them.  It is pretty sad to have a veteran think so un-highly of his country much like this gentleman. My father was a Veteran who fought for his country and they did nothing in return for him. This still goes on as young people spend years in the military and when ready to get out into the real world it is nearly impossible. This is truly sad and should not be allowed to happen. Why would anyone want to support a country that does not support them in return?

November 4, 2008 will be a big part of history and I hope many good things come from it. This country is hurting and it needs some positive energy in the white house. We need someone that is going to commit to their promises and really try to make a difference in the world.  We need someone that honors their citizens and respects all of them for who they are and not what they have. Talk is cheap and any of us can provide that; I could run for president and offer greater support than what has been in the seat for the last 8 years. We need a President that wants to save the world from Global Warming and will do whatever it takes to make it happen. We need CHANGE… My vote is for Barack Obama…Who did you vote for?         

With the election on the forefront of every American’s mind, a woman voter may have more to think about than the average “Joe Sixpack” (a phrase recently coined by vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin).  For instance, some political discussion has taken place regarding positions of each candidate with regard to the Roe v. Wade ruling and its standing in allowing a woman the right to choose abortion.
 
As a woman, having the right to decide whether to carry a baby has been an entitlement to me.  Although I have not personally had to apply such right in my own life, knowing the right is mine is critical to my sense of security and safety, particularly in a society with high crime rates.  Additionally, the medical community today pushes pharmaceuticals to every patient without fully understanding the potential side effects to an unborn fetus.  These uncertainties are concerning and reinforce my opinion that a woman should have a right to decide.
 
Just recently, I watched the struggles of a friend trying to get pregnant in her 30’s.  To explain in detail, this friend had tried for several years to get pregnant, to no avail.  However, on this particular month, she did all the right things.  She charted her ovulation and every single detail to make sure that nothing was overlooked.  Too afraid to excite her husband unnecessarily, she carried this burden alone, with the exception to a few trusted friends.  Suddenly, she started to possess pregnancy symptoms.  However, an early blood test suggested she wasn’t pregnant.  At this point she was relieved for not having excited her husband about something that did not exist.  The only problem was, my friend was convinced she was pregnant.  She recognized changes in her body which were unexplainable.  Another week passed and my friend performed another blood pregnancy test that provided another negative test result.  Although she had missed her cycle, there was no accurate explanation to the cause and the physician’s solution was for my friend to take medication to restart her cycle.  She couldn’t help but question whether she was indeed pregnant but too recent for the tests to detect.  The physician’s nurse couldn’t offer a solid answer.  The point is, there was no guarantee she wasn’t pregnant.  A woman knows her body and physicians know their tests, but sometimes one or the other is wrong.
 
I’ve mentioned my friend’s struggles to point out that even today, in America where land is “free” and your destiny is whatever you make it…, modern medicine continues to be puzzled by many unanswered questions.  If the nurse couldn’t tell my friend with certainty that she wasn’t pregnant, how could she make the decision to “restart” her cycle?  Likewise, my friend ultimately had the right to make that decision.  Flipping the coin, what if my friend WAS pregnant and learned of a pending deformity of the baby.  Shouldn’t she have the right to make that choice?
 
With the election nearing, it’s only appropriate that American’s should consider all things pending.  Women voters especially have more factors to consider than whether our candidates are “soccer moms” and dress well, but rather, “will they truly represent ALL of a woman’s best interests?”  If you are a woman, you have a RIGHT TO CHOOSE…on November 4th.

It’s that time of year folks…you got it, election time.  Much like any other American, it’s time when we are all considering which political view we share and which direction we will vote on November 4, 2008. 
 
So, I ask…”where are you on the political forum?”  If you haven’t been following the political debates, you have missed quite a bit that I most certainly can’t enlighten you on.  However, I would urge you to check out … to update yourself on the all encompassing list of issues.  I will, however, give you a brief summary on a couple key issues that have recently been discussed in our latest presidential debate.
 
In short, we have John McCain as our Republican candidate running against Barack Obama, our Democratic candidate.  Both candidates agree that change is imperative to pull America out of the financial crisis we are in; however, Obama specifically uses “change” as his motto to encourage Americans for a better economic future. McCain, however, is struggling with avoiding the image of following the economic and political policies of our current President, George W. Bush.  For that reason, McCain is hoping to encourage Americans that his policies are different from those policies which have landed America in its current recession.
 
During the third presidential debate, Obama spotlighted several key issues of his campaign, including his intent to lower taxes for the average American citizens who make less than $250,000.00 per year, to implement an energy efficient environment, and, among other things, to minimize unnecessary combat.   McCain’s campaign goals include the redistribution of insurance funds to the insurance providers, with the intent to lower American’s insurance costs, as well as his interest in continually helping other countries with their military needs. 
 
Needless to say, this merely touches the many different issues between these two candidates.  The point remains…we are approaching an election and it’s time for every citizen to do his or her own research, familiarize oneself with the key issues and your relevant stance, and most importantly, VOTE.  Stay tuned until November 4th!

Have you ever sat down and really looked at your spending? I have been financially comfortable until this last year and have reached a point where I need to look at what I am spending before hand. This is a really big must have for me, but it is not going to be easy. I have the same amount of money coming in as I have going out…Yikes

In the last two months I have noticed my money cushion diminishing at a high rate. Having the money cushion is great, but it tends to hide what you are really spending because everything is flowing comfortably. Well, let me take that back because if I balanced my checking account like I should I would have noticed these things a long time go. However this is not the case so going forward I need to be smart and make some wise life altering decisions.

I am not sure if any of you what Opera, but she had a show on last week that talked about saving and spending money on necessities verses wants. Her guest talked about stretching the dollar to get its maximum benefits. Most of the families are cutting corners because of the economy and challenges they have all had, but there was one family who has been living this way for years. This family only lives on the necessities, the husband car pools to work, mom bargain shops for groceries and tons on other cut backs are made. They live on an income of $58k a year with a family of 6. This is amazing and I highly recommend going to Opera.com to check it out – they give great tips to follow.

On the same show there was a lady who has mastered the bargain shopping to a whole other level. This lady gets 3 papers every Sunday and cuts out the coupons and then matches those with items on sale at her local grocery store. Basically she is saying that you need to base your meals on the food that is on sale. This lady had a $137 grocery bills before coupons, but after the coupons the bill came to $37. Wow…that is amazing.

All of the ideas they were giving seem difficult, time consuming and just plain challenging, but I think once you create a pattern and new habits; then things will appear to be easier. I have reached a point were I do not have a choice, I need to learn how to cut back on spending and start saving. The other thing is to get rid of the credit cards. Credit cards should only be for emergencies and nothing else.

So I have first calculated my monthly spending and then looking to see what I can cut back on or get rid of. My next step will be to figure out the grocery bill shopping because I spend a lot on food here, food there and so on. I am always open for help ideas so if anyone knows of any great ideas on savings please let me know.