Mindfulness helps us put some space between ourselves and our reactions, breaking down our conditioned responses. Here’s how to tune into mindfulness throughout the day:

1. Set aside some time. You don’t need a meditation cushion or bench, or any sort of special equipment to access your mindfulness skills—but you do need to set aside some time and space.
2. Observe the present moment as it is. The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. Easier said than done, we know.
3. Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgments arise during our practice, we can make a mental note of them, and let them pass.
4. Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.
5. Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.

That’s the practice. It’s often been said that it’s very simple, but it’s not necessarily easy. The work is to just keep doing it. Results will accrue.

References:

1. https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/

Relying on a single source of income can be risky, as unforeseen circumstances can lead to financial instability. By diversifying your income sources, you not only increase your earning potential but also create a safety net in case one stream dries up.

Whether it be starting a side hustle, investing in the stock market, or monetizing your skills, having multiple income streams gives you financial flexibility to better weather economic storms.

Take control of your financial future by diversifying your income streams and setting yourself up for success!

Below are seven income sources you can pursue:

1. Earned Income – this is the money you receive in exchange for your time, skill and labor.
2. Profit Income – this is the money you earned from sales or providing products and services.
3. Rental Income – this is the money you earn when you rent out a property you own or collect rental income from an investment.
4. Portfolio Income – this is the money you earned from investments from stocks, dividends, bonds and interest.
5. Royalty Income – this is money you received from sources such as royalties or through a contractual agreement for work.
6. Passive Income – this is money you earn through channels that don’t require your active participation.
7. Capital Gains – this is money you receive when you sell a capital asset such as real estate or stock.

https://links.myneurogym.com/think&growrich-jafb

“If you truly want to change your life, you first must be willing to change your mind.”

How to make the crucial leap from faith to action in bringing your dreams to life.

Believe in yourself…Have faith and be confident in your abilities. But faith alone is often not enough. You require Applied Faith.

The greatest application of applied faith is learning the art of keeping your mind focused on what you want.

You need to know how to transform belief into action, and faith into real-life plans.

Application, Enthusiasm, Action are the three keys required to do more than just adapting a “believe in yourself” mindset–but to actually become the person you want to be.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/goalachieverswithjohnassaraf/permalink/839508644520679/

5 lessons from Napoleon Hill’s book “The Law of Success”

1. Definiteness of Purpose: Success starts with having a clear and definite purpose. You should have a specific goal in mind and should work towards it with persistence and determination. Without a clear goal, you are unlikely to achieve success.

2. Self-Confidence: Self-confidence is paramount in achieving success. He explains that a person should have faith in their abilities and trust themselves to succeed. Without self-confidence, a person is likely to give up or be easily discouraged when faced with obstacles.

3. Mastermind Alliance: The power of collaboration and the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people who share a common goal. A Mastermind Alliance is a group of individuals who work together towards a common purpose, and this kind of collaboration can lead to greater success.

4. Applied Faith: Faith in yourself, others, and a higher power are crucial for success. Applied faith involves taking action towards your goals while believing that success is possible. It’s importance to persist in the face of adversity.

5. Personal Initiative: Successful people are proactive and take action towards their goals, rather than waiting for opportunities to come to them. And, they take responsibility for their actions and decisions.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9 NIV

A new study shows that many people go into debt because they disregard that the money is not really theirs.

January 22, 2020 | by Drew Calvert

In 2019, U.S. consumer debt reached an all-time high, surpassing levels last seen during the 2008 financial crisis. Such debt takes many forms, including mortgages and student loans. But credit card debt alone exceeded $870 billion, and most of that is the result of discretionary spending. Why are so many Americans needlessly putting themselves in the hole?

The answer might lie in the psychological profile of the debtor, according to Stephanie M. Tully, an assistant professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business. In a recent paper, Tully and her coauthors found that not all consumers feel the same way about available financing.

On one side of the continuum are those who perceive borrowed money to be entirely their own, and thus are more willing to spend it freely. On the other side are those who perceive such funds as decidedly not their own. This latter group is more likely to see the money as belonging to the bank, and thus more conservative about how they spend the money.

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad; Poor Dad, likes to say that, “Assets feed me, liabilities [debt] eat me.”

If you have to borrow money, it means you can’t afford what you want to buy. Even though, by the way, that’s not true, right? It’s not true. I

You can and probably should definitely use debt to buy real estate when it makes sense. Or, you can use debt when it makes sense to buy a business. Be smart with money such that money doesn’t leave me. And debt is a way for money to leave you and enslave you.

References:

1. Drew Calvert, That Money You Borrowed? Remember Who Owns It, Stanford Graduate School of Business, January 22, 2020. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/money-you-borrowed-remember-who-owns-it

Meta Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has great advice for young people; he encourages you to focus more on building relationships than being ‘objective focused’ on such things as wealth, career or a big house

Recently, Zuckerberg said that his initial ability to launch Facebook back in 2004 wasn’t because he dropped out of college or abandoned any of his other interests. Rather, the Meta CEO said, it was due to the personal connections he made and relationships he formed while he was still in school.

Who you spend time with in college, Zuckerberg said, is “the most important decision” any student can make on campus. “You become the people you surround yourself with,” he explained. “I think probably people are too, in general, objective focused, and maybe not focused enough on the connections and the people who they’re basically building relationships [with].”

Zuckerberg said that he still tries to prioritize relationships over objectives today. That applies especially when hiring at Meta, he said: When evaluating a job candidate, he imagines what it would be like to work for that person, instead of being their boss.

“I will only hire someone to work for me if I could see myself working for them,” he said.

Zuckerberg believes that If you befriend or work with people who share your values on a human level, you’ll be more likely to smoothly achieve your personal or work goals together.

It’s all about finding personal compatibility, he said, not unlike “choosing friends or a partner.”

Source:  Brian S. Wesbury, Chief Economist and Robert Stein, Deputy Chief Economist

Date: 8/7/2023

What would you do if you won the Mega Millions?  It’s now up to a record $1.55 billion!  We would start a not-for-profit to educate people not to play the lottery.  Why? Your odds of winning are 1 in 302.6 million…you are 70 times more likely to die in a shark attack than win this lottery.

But it’s even worse than that because only 50% of the proceeds of ticket sales go into the prize pool.  Half of your “investment” is gone the second you buy a ticket.  The other half is gone when they do the drawing, unless lightning strikes, which is unfair to lightning because you are more likely to get hit by real lightning.  In other words, it’s a total waste of money.

But people still play, and dream.  We think about this because government sponsors this crazy lottery at the same time it shirks its own fiduciary responsibilities.  Things have become so bad that last week, Fitch (a bond rating firm) downgraded US Treasury debt from AAA to AA+.

Fitch said they downgraded the US because of massive deficits, “fiscal deterioration” and “erosion of governance.”  Obviously, this downgrade, like the one by Standard & Poor’s in 2011 created political heat.  We hope it creates action.

Following the June 2, 2023 vote to suspend the debt ceiling for two years, the Treasury borrowed $1.1 trillion in just two months, pushing total debt from $31.5 trillion to $32.6 trillion.

Why has it borrowed so much?  Because tax revenue is falling rapidly at the same time spending is soaring.  During the first nine months of Fiscal Year 2023 (through June) revenue is down 11.0% versus the same period in FY2022, while spending is up 10.5%.  The deficit through June is $1.39 trillion, already above the 2022 full year deficit of $1.37 trillion.  With July, August and September still to come, we expect the deficit in FY2023 will be about $1.8 trillion.  It’d be much higher than $2 trillion, but it will be held down artificially because the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s illegal college loan relief plan.

Apparently, government has no desire to act responsibly.  During COVID, lockdowns – which we argued fiercely against – were forced on businesses and workers, and compensating them for the economic damage that ensued was necessary.  But what many don’t realize is that the money we borrowed from future generations and then used to pay workers was taxed.  The government artificially increased its revenue by taxing the very money it borrowed and handed out.  That’s why revenues are collapsing right now, the taxable handouts are over.

On the other side of the ledger, once government starts spending more, it rarely gives up the higher budgets.  Emergency spending becomes permanent spending.  It did so after the 2008/09 financial panic and it seems to be happening again today.  So, while the White House claimed victory in bringing the deficit down last year, this year it is moving in reverse.

The Federal Government is spending 25% of GDP, and never in history (no matter what tax rates existed) has the budget been balanced when spending is above 19.5% of GDP.  Why?  Because the bigger the government gets, the harder it is to grow, which reduces tax receipts.  With spending so high, budget deficits have become permanent.  And this will only get worse as entitlements for seniors (Social Security and Medicare) eat more and more of our GDP in the years ahead.

Which brings us to an important point.  Like playing the lottery, politicians know our fiscal path is unsustainable, but still spend.  And voters support them anyway.  Yes, you paid into entitlement programs, but your taxes were used to pay the prior generation of retirees.

Meanwhile, these programs distort our decisions.  Why carefully save resources for retirement when the government has promised to take care of us?  People spend more and save less; they take flyers on the lottery.  Economic growth is reduced from what it could be, and living standards grow more slowly.  It’s a vicious circle and the Fitch ratings cut is appropriate.

Both parties are responsible.  And to fix it, both parties need to be involved.  We can “Fitch” about “governance” all we want, but the politicians who use every tool they can to reduce spending are at least trying to fix things.  Someone may get lucky and win the lottery, but fixing our budget fiasco will take more than luck.  Nothing should be off the table.  It’s time to cut spending, before it’s too late

August 7 is National Purple Heart Day, honoring the men and women who have been wounded or killed while serving our country.

Approximately 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded to combat-wounded veterans over the years, the Disabled Veterans National Foundation reports.

The Purple Heart medal is bestowed on those service members who were wounded or killed in service to their country. In short, they bled for America.

Please take some time to reflect on their sacrifice.

8 Deep Philosophy Quotes on Life & Mindset

1. pic.twitter.com/XkeK6JlsNf

— Best of Philosophy (@BotPhilosophyQ) June 9, 2023