Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Save Your Financial Life...Foolishly

I've been a fan of The Motley Fool since 1999. Their irreverent style of presenting practical information about investing, financial management, retirement planning, etc., is accessible, refreshing and even entertaining.

Having had my share of, um, interesting financial challenges -- including a brief bout with identity theft -- a recent piece by Elizabeth Brokamp, the Fool who writes the weekly "Ask Mrs. Riches" column, caught my eye. It was titled, "Save Your Financial Life," and highlighted the following 10 points:
1. Shred old documents.
2. Use a credit card with a small limit.
3. Get it in writing.
4. Review your monthly statements.
5. Prepare for disaster.
6. Choose your PIN wisely.
7. Guard your Social Security number.
8. Opt yourself out of all pre-approved credit-card offers.
9. Be vigilant while using the Internet.
10. Protect your computer's security.

I shan't elaborate on these points here [that'd be bordering on plagiarism]. Suffice to say, Ms. Brokamp and her fellow Fools offer up lots of actionable tips -- tips that anyone can instantly learn and apply, simply by registering with
The Motley Fool. [It's free!]

If you'd like further info re the above points, you'll find it -- plus lots more -- in the
Motley Fool GreenLight "Money Answers" archive, which features more than 100 articles on personal-finance topics from taxes to credit to beginning investing, organized by subject and life stage. For access to this content, plus the current newsletter, back issues, members-only discussion boards, and advisor blogs, take a free 30-day trial to GreenLight today!

Full disclosure: Kari Larson has no financial stake in trumpeting The Motley Fool's apt attempts "To Educate, Amuse & Enrich™." She simply appreciates their vast wealth of info, and the opportunity to help others prosper prudently.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Happy AD/HD Awareness Day!

Editor's Note: OK, truth be told, yesterday [Sept. 20] was National AD/HD Awareness Day -- a fact I didn't discover till day's end [8 p.m. CT], when I was simply too focused on doing something relaxing; e.g., watching the two-hour Season 2 finale rerun of "Grey's Anatomy." Sorry about the belated greeting. I'll try to make future greetings more timely...

As America marks the third official celebration of National AD/HD Awareness Day, it's important to note that 15 million people -- that's 5% of all boys, girls, men and women of all races, socioeconomic classes, religions, etc. -- are affected by the "disorder." Some people are quick to dismiss ADD as nothing other than an excuse for being "lazy," "stupid," "selfish" and/or "crazy." Truth be told, this insidious condition is real, and far more pervasive than most folks choose to believe.


AD/HD's Challenges, Gifts and Myths

I have ADD -- which, unfortunately, I didn't discover till adulthood. Now, I'm going to do all I can to educate, enlighten and inspire other ADDers, and inform people that ADD's most common manifestations -- e.g., restlessness, impulsivity, distractibility, think-outside-box creativity, sharp intuition -- are challenges and gifts to be faced head-on and embraced for all their inherent worth. [BTW, ADDers think outside the box because we can't think inside the box!]


From time to time, ProsperNow will feature tidbits about ADD and optimizing mental health -- something that can benefit anyone who's truly committed to living a prosperous life. For now, I'll simply start by briefly noting some of the myths surrounding ADD -- compliments of the astute folks at
ADDitude, the premier magazine devoted to exploring AD/HD:

* Myth #1: AD/HD isn't a real medical disorder.

* Myth #2: Children who are given special accommodations becase of their AD/HD are getting an unfair advantage.

* Myth #3: Children with AD/HD eventually outgrow their conditon.

* Myth #4: AD/HD affects only boys.

* Myth #5: AD/HD is the result of bad parenting.

* Myth #6: Children who take AD/HD medication are more likely to abuse drugs when they become teenagers.

* Myth #7: People who have AD/HD are stupid or lazy -- they never amount to anything.


Click here for elaboration on these myths. Stay tuned for features about some of the people, past and present, whose keen insights and very lives have debunked these notions and created far-reaching, win-win-win wealth in myriad forms.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Create a Healthy Balance

True prosperity is much more than chasing the almighty buck 40-plus hours per week. It's about balancing work, play, family, friends, social time, and time to simply be. Sometimes -- this weekend, for instance -- one is blessed with multiple options for being inspired by others.

Are You Ready for Some Football?
In case you haven't heard, last night's Miami Dolphins-Pittsburgh Steelers game kicked off Week 1 of the NFL's official 2006 season. Sunday through Monday evening, you have 15 -- count 'em, 15! -- additional chances to watch grit and teamwork in action on gridirons from coast to coast. Here's the complete 2006 NFL schedule. Check local TV listings for specific broadcast times and channels.

Tennis, Anyone?
Andre Agassi, bless his heart and spirit of a champion, is out of U.S. Open play -- and, in fact, now officially retired from tennis altogether. Still, as of this posting, two and-a-half days of 2006 U.S. Open tennis action remain from the newly renamed USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in Flushing Meadows, New York. You'll find each day's schedule of play here, and the TV schedule here.

How About a Road Trip?
OK, so maybe football and tennis aren't quite your thing. How about a vicarious road trip with twentysomething college graduates exploring next-step career and/or life options by traveling across the nation in an RV to interview folks from all walks of life? Here's info about the PBS series, "Roadtrip Nation." Check local TV listings for broadcast times and channels.

Finally, while recharging your batteries this weekend, contemplate these words of wisdom from tennis legend Billie Jean King: "Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozy -- and don't be afraid to hit the ball."

Have a winning weekend!

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Cash In On Google [Plus Other Search Engines, Too]

Yesterday, we touched on the negative effects of stress on the mind and body. For a lot of fine folks, finances are a major life stressor. If you happen to be in need of -- or simply want -- additional cash flow, I'm here to tell you that truly vast income-generating opportunities await you via good ol' Google and the Internet.

Google [NASDAQ: GOOG] is so much more than a fantastic global search engine. You know all those "sponsored ad" links that appear on the websites you visit? Well, someone [e.g., Fortune 500 corporation, not-for-profit, small-business owner] paid to place those little ads. Meanwhile, the website earns money each time they appear, visitors click on the links and/or when those visitors actually purchase something after clicking on the links.

GoogleCash System Generates Nonstop Wealth
Suffice to say, this perpetual cash-generating system -- including Google AdWords and Google AdSense -- is much better explained by Chris Carpenter, who created a dynamic e-book called GoogleCash to help virtually anybody tap into the win-win-win wealth of Google's innovative advertising solutions. You don't need a website, product or anything besides a little time, access to a computer that's connected to the Internet, and a relatively small amount of start-up cash. [Chris started out with just $10 and two hours per week.]

Yes, it's truly possible to launch your very own GoogleCash business now. Chris will show you how, via his step-by-step GoogleCash guide -- plus his FREE GoogleCash newsletter and five-day e-course. Don't postpone your financial dreams and desires any longer. Let Chris guide you through the infinite pay-for-placement profit-generating opportunities available from Google and other search engines -- today!

Go forth and prosper!

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Long-Term Stress Weakens Immune System, Shrinks Brain

Summer's unofficially over. Students of all ages are back in school. Most folks are back to regular 40-hour-plus work weeks. And there's nary another vacation in sight till, maybe, next summer. As we Minnesotans say: Uff da!

What if you're a first-year college student just learning to juggle studies, dorm life, roommates, homesickness [c'mon, just a little] and social pressures? What if you're among the increasing number of men and women [OK, truth be told, mostly women] sandwiched between being a parent to your kids and a caregiver to aging parents? What if you've been down-sized/right-sized and haven't been able to find a decent-paying job [preferably, with good benefits] to support your accustomed lifestyle and fill your gas tank? What if you're a senior citizen whose many friends have either moved away or died? What if you're stressed out, lonely and depressed? Triple-uff da!!

Psychoneuroimmunologists Illuminate the Mind-Body Connection
There's mounting evidence that any stress you might be experiencing could have serious long-term effects on your immune system. Psychologists in the field of psychoneuroimmunology have shown that one's state of mind directly affects one's state of physical health, too. In fact, stress of any significant duration -- from a few days to a few months or years -- can slow healing of wounds; reduce natural killer cells, which fight tumors and viral infections; and, through too much wear and tear, ravage the immune system. Factor in depression, and you've got a direct link to heart disease, too.

The good news? Conscientious stress management and developing solid interpersonal relationships with health-minded friends can greatly benefit one's daily heath -- from beating the common cold, to speeding recovery from surgery. Bonus: It's been shown that stress management will also prevent your brain from shrinking [!] -- and, thus, help maintain your thinking and memory skills.

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Take Time to Breathe and "PowerPause"
In future postings, we'll address the far-reaching elements of sound stress management; e.g., good nutrition, getting enough sleep, exercising, cultivating healthy social ties, etc. For now, we'll turn to the fine folks at Yoga Journal for some tips on the very basic act of breathing for relaxation. Then again, if you have three minutes, a "PowerPause" will help you achieve the joy, success and true happiness you deserve.

Stay safe and be well!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Welcome to ProsperNOW!

First off, if you're here seeking get-rich-quick schemes, you've come to the wrong place. Go do a Google search for, say, "instant riches," and you'll get no fewer than 4,250,000 other possibilities; e.g., payday loans, lottery tickets, scratch games.

ProsperNOW is about building sustainable [read: enduring, long-term] wealth -- in your banking/investment/trading accounts, body, mind, and creative spirit. [Note the small "c" and small "s"...You shan't be preached to here, either!]

Is that really possible? you ask. Yep -- as long as you're willing to suspend cynicism and disbelief, and indulge the notion that you do, indeed, deserve to have total wealth/prosperity/abundance, health and fulfillment in your life. [Humor me, here, OK?] Just let go of the wheel-spinning, stuck-in-neutral negativity and decide to move forward -- today, before you waste more precious time, energy and, perhaps, money.

Go Climb a Pyramid
Let's start with bottom-line basics. In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that human beings have a "hierarchy of needs" in the form of a pyramid: 1] Physiological [biological needs]; 2] Safety; 3] Love/Belonging; 4] Status [esteem]; and 5] Actualization.

The first four [lower] levels are grouped together as deficiency needs associated with physiological needs, and the top level -- actualization -- is termed growth needs associated with psychological needs. While our deficiency needs must be met, our being needs are continually shaping our behaviour.

The basic concept is that the higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus once all the needs that are lower down in the pyramid are mainly or entirely satisfied. Growth forces create upward movement in the hierarchy, whereas regressive forces push genetically predominant needs further down the hierarchy.

Why this Psych 101 lesson here? Well, because whether you're a student, retiree/pensioner, entrepreneur, small-business owner, artist and/or someone who aims to grow your family/household's current income, it's doable -- and necessary -- to identify additional sources of income in order to start moving up Maslow's pyramid toward true actualization.

Am I saying that financial wealth = actualization? No! I'm simply saying that, if you don't have the financial means to provide the food, shelter, clothes, gasoline for your car [!], education [!], health care [!], insurance [!], etc., for yourself and/or your family/household, you're on the lower levels of Maslow's pyramid, and probably don't have the safety, security and peace of mind that you desire.

Today's Wealth-Generating Idea
Want an idea for generating income now? You've likely heard that the Internet offers a wealth of such possibilities -- especially in the realm of search engine marketing. The stats are compelling:
* PEW Internet and American Life Project estimate that more than 38 million will use a search engine on an average day.
* According to recent findings by JupiterResearch, search is the second-most ubiquitous online activity behind e-mail, with 76% of online consumers using a search engine monthly.
* Another study by iCrossing reveals that most adults who buy online rely on search engines to research their purchases. Approximately 88% of adults who purchase items online conduct some sort of online research at least sometimes prior to completing their purchase; 67% of U.S. adults who research online before making a purchase decision use search engines as a research tool; and 40% of those conducting online research go to search engines first.
* Research by eMarketer reveals that at least one-fifth of Internet users will use a search engine four or more times in a day. Further, eMarketer estimates that online retail revenues are projected to grow to $139 billion by 2008 -- a 19% increase from 2005.

"Warp Speed Wealth" = Internet Riches
The good news? You don't need your own product, inventory or even a Web site to be an Internet marketer. All you need is an outstanding mentor/trainer like Derek Gehl, whose "Warp Speed Wealth" [AKA "Freedom Income System"] can totally change your life in just THREE MONTHS...or even faster!

Derek's "Warp Speed Wealth" system takes you by the hand, and guides you step-by-step, showing you exactly how to QUICKLY set up your very own Internet business, and potentially make $100,000... $500,000... $2,500,000 or MORE! It comes complete with four [4] instructional DVDs plus four [4] guidebooks, which contain over 189 pages of the exact same strategies that Derek and his Internet Marketing Center team have used to generate over $54,700,000 in online sales!

To take a sneak peek and discover how you can "test drive" Derek's proven system, visit:
http://www.marketingtips.com/warpspeed/t/895093


Signing Off...
Thanks for dropping in to ProsperNOW today. Before signing off, I ask that you patronize ProsperNOW Partners and ProsperNOW Mall merchants. When you do, at least 10% of all commissions will go to Rochester, Minn.'s Diversity Council, to support its far-reaching Prejudice Reduction Workshops.

Go forth and prosper!
____________________

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