2010 July

The Financial Ten Commandments

Posted On July 16, 2010 Leave a Comment

Every now and then, I need a dose of money management wisdom. How about you?

Here’s a list of “The Financial Ten Commandments,” taken from a message given by Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church (located in the Chicago area) in January, 1999.

I thought this list was interesting when you think of how our money decisions today will impact, for good or bad, our lifestyle design process, and our future lifestyle.

The Financial Ten Commandments

Thou shalt work hard.
Thou shalt establish a plan.
Thou shalt avoid debt like the plague.
Thou shalt distinguish between needs and wants.
Thou shalt determine when enough is enough. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Money Leave a Comment

Life Long Learning

Posted On July 14, 2010 Leave a Comment

Are the skills that got you where you’re at today the ones you’ll need to achieve your goals and dreams tomorrow? I think many of us would admit that the answer is no…and that’s why life long learning is so important.

Earlier this week, Chris Brogan talked about this on his blog, which got me thinking about the fact that not all skills are created equal. Some are more important than others. Some are way more important than others.

I grew up in Southwestern Michigan where a cherry farm has hosted the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship for 37 years. Rick “Pellet Gun” Krause (pictured), who won the 2010 competition earlier this month, is a 16-time champion. His winning spit this year was 51 feet, 3 inches!

I have to give him credit – this is an achievement. I don’t know how far I can spit a pit, but I know it’s [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Personal Growth Leave a Comment

Be Still, Find God

Posted On July 11, 2010 Leave a Comment

If you’re new to Life Compass, on Sundays I write on Spirituality, Faith and Ethics. Here’s why.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

A few days ago, I was in northern Michigan for a conference. I arrived in town the night before at 7:00 PM and checked into the hotel. Usually, I turn on the TV and watch the news and get caught up on the world’s events.

This time, I thought I should get outside, enjoy the warmth, and watch the sunset. So, I grabbed a book, checked my iPhone for a map that showed the nearest lake, and was off.

It was only a five minute drive to the nearest lake, where I found a park and some benches that overlooked the lake and the sunset. I sat there just over an hour reading the book. It was a quick [Read more...]

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Handling Stress and Changing Expectations in Marriage

Posted On July 10, 2010 1 Comment

After 18 years of marriage, I have a new wife. Gratefully, this one’s much better than the old one. Let me explain. Before she slaps me.

Last week, my wife and I enjoyed a dinner out to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. During the course of our conversation, she made an interesting observation about our lives:

Nearly everything about us has changed.

And boy, was she right. I am not the man she married. And she is not the woman I married. In fact, here are just a few of the changes that have happened throughout our marriage so far (most have [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Family, Life Change 1 Comment

The Best Jobs for Teens & Young Adults: This May Surprise You!

Posted On July 9, 2010 2 Comments

What are the best jobs for teens and young adults these days? Given the skyrocketing unemployment rates for young workers ages 16-24, the best career option for young adults may be self-employment…becoming a young business entrepreneur!

According to a new report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, entitled “Understanding the Economy: Unemployment Among Young Workers,” one in five young workers was unemployed in April 2010, a significant increase from prior to the recession when one in eight young workers was jobless.

The 19.6 percent unemployment rate for young workers ages 16-24 in April 2010 is the highest unemployment rate for this age group since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking unemployment data in 1947.

The report also shows that: [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Be Your Own Boss, Family 2 Comments

The Secret to Self-Motivation? Fake it Until You Feel it.

Posted On July 8, 2010 Leave a Comment

Last time, in Struggling with Self-Motivation: Why Most Days I’d Rather Sit on My…,we talked about the battle that goes on in our minds between two competing desires:

1. The desire to be productive
2. The desire to be lazy

I don’t know about you, but I find it incredibly easier to do things, even hard things, when I feel like it and have the self motivation to do so.

The problem is that, sometimes, I just don’t feel like doing the things I know I need to do. There’s no emotion, passion or drive to do them, so they don’t get done.

I’ve observed that something interesting happens if I make myself do what I ought to do, even though I don’t feel like it. I start to feel like it.

Eugene H. Peterson, in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, said, [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Action, Inspiration & Motivation Leave a Comment