Ballooning National Debt

After years of steadily increasing deficits and debt, federal spending has skyrocketed, taking U.S. debt to levels not seen since World War II.

According to the U.S. Treasury, the national debt is approaching $35 trillion.

What does that mean for the country, its citizens and the future?

Many economists warn that a rapidly growing debt load could diminish U.S. economic growth, restrict government spending on vital programs (e.g., military, Medicare, Social Security, etc.) and increase the likelihood of financial crises.

Currently, interest payments on the National debt consumes a quarter of the annual fiscal budget.

High debt-to-GDP ratios can slow down economic growth, leading to lower wages, increased inflation, and higher taxes.

While the National debt of $34 trillion figure seems daunting, it’s essential to consider inflation. As the economy grows, the debt naturally increases. However, addressing the fiscal budget deficit remains crucial.

The national debt indirectly affects citizens through policies, taxes, and government spending. It influences interest rates, inflation, and overall economic stability.

Over the long-term, managing the debt sustainably is vital for future generations. Balancing spending, revenue, and economic growth will determine the country’s financial health.


References:

  1. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-national-debt-dilemma

Good Habits to Embrace

The biggest improvement in your life will come when you realize that happiness and contentment are just a byproduct of good habits.

Say No by Default

Your time’s precious: don’t give it to people who don’t deserve it. Especially to Energy Vampires who drain your energy.

Conquer FOMO and put yourself first – make it your rule of thumb that  if it’s not a “no brainer” yes, then it’s a no.

Choose Writing Over Complaining

Complaining isn’t attractive – it repels ambitious people and fosters a negative mindset.

Write down your thoughts instead: you’re forced to think slowly and deeply so your irrationality loses its edge.

It’s the therapy your therapist uses.

Prioritize Nature

A study of 20,000 people in the UK found that 120 minutes/week in nature improved health and well-being.

It’s the planet’s greatest healer.

Whenever you’re in a rut, time in nature will always spark the return of color to the gray.

Pay it Forward

Random acts of kindness boost well-being:

• Holding the door for someone
• Picking up trash outside
• Giving a compliment

The world’s a closed system: if you send waves of positivity out, they’ll find their way back to you.

Maintain Relationships

Human connections are the fabric of life – but you need to be intentional with them amidst life’s chaos.

So schedule time weekly for thoughtful texts and calls to those you’ve neglected.

It’s a couple of minutes with an ROI you’ll measure in years.

Focus on Your Health

I’m convinced most mental health problems are actually physical health problems. Everyone I know who:

• Eats well
• Exercises daily
• Drinks enough water

Has a Teflon mind that repels all negativity.

https://x.com/masculinepath04/status/1810924943191806061

Chipotle Stock Split

Chipotle Mexican Grill’s first-ever 50-to-1 stock split will be one of the largest in New York Stock Exchange history. The split will cut Chipotle’s share price to about $64 each from nearly $3,200 each now.

Splits don’t change the market value of a company, but the smaller share price may be more attractive to retail investors, making them popular vehicles for companies.

Chipotle shares are up nearly 40% this year. CFO Jack Hartung has said the move can help it reward employees.

Chipotle’s split comes after some other high profile ones this year, including Nvidia’s and Walmart’s. Chip maker Broadcom is set to split its stock in July.

Overall there are nine stock splits this year through July, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, up from two in the same time period last year.

History shows that companies tend to outperform after splitting their stock, even though nothing fundamentally changes about their business.

BofA Global Research found that average returns are about 25% during the 12 months after a split is announced, versus 12% gains for the S&P 500

Margin of Safety


Seek investments where the asset’s intrinsic value significantly exceeds the market price – a concept known as a “margin of safety.”

Investing is all about finding opportunities to buy assets below their true worth.

“It is extraordinary to me that the idea of buying dollar bills for fifty cents takes immediately with people or it doesn’t take at all. It’s like an inoculation. If it doesn’t grab a person right away, I find you can talk to him for years, and show him records, and it just doesn’t make any difference. They just don’t seem able to grasp the concept, simple as it is…I’ve never seen anyone who became a gradual convert over a ten-year period to this approach. It doesn’t seem to be a matter of I.Q. or academic training. It is instant recognition or it is nothing.” ~ Warren Buffett

Source:  http://mastersinvest.com/newblog/2017/6/12/50c-dollars

Higher or Conscious Self

Be Grateful and Find Joy in Every Momemt!

The higher or conscious self plays a significant role in shaping your experiences and perceptions.

The higher or conscious self is the true essence of who we are, connected to higher wisdom, intuition, and universal consciousness. This aspect of our being transcends the limitations of our physical existence and egoic mind. It embodies qualities such as deep wisdom and insight, unconditional love, compassion, authenticity, integrity, unity, oneness, calm, and presence.

The higher self operates from a place of unconditional love and empathy, guiding us to live in alignment with our true values and purpose. It recognizes the interconnectedness of all beings and sees beyond the illusion of separation created by the ego, providing a sense of inner peace and presence.

By strengthening the connection to the higher self, one can transcend limitations and live a more authentic, fulfilled, and purpose-driven life.

Learning to trust inner wisdom over external influences is key to aligning more closely with the higher self and achieving personal growth and self-awareness. This balance allows for a life led by intuition and inner wisdom, ultimately fostering deeper fulfillment and alignment with one’s true essence.

Source:  https://m.facebook.com/story.php

Secrets of Money

  1. Invest in and pappreciating assets. Avoid purchasing liabilities.
  2. Avoid conspicuous consumption. No one ever spent their way to financial freedom.
  3. Apply leverage to build wealth.
  4. Detach yourself from things and liabilities you don’t need. Liabilities are the reason you work so hard.
  5. Identify common money pitfalls. Soceity is designed to make you a consumer and for you to trade time for money.
  6. Know where all your money is going. Pay yourself first by saving and investing.
  7. Automate your finances and investments.  Create a financial and wealth building plan.
  8. Be courageous and take risks. Wealth comes from doing what other people won’t. Make financial freedom you too goal.
  9. Increase your income and develop multiple streams.
  10. Be disciplined and develop good wealth building habits.

Happiness is a Choice and Comes from Within

Don’t rely on others or external factors to validate your worth or existence.

True happiness is a choice and comes from within, not from external validation. Seeking validation from others to affirm your existence undermines your own sense of self-worth and resilience.

Embrace the joy of self-discovery and fulfillment without relying on others’ approval. Cultivate inner contentment by choosing happiness, pursuing passions and embracing personal growth.

Remember, your worth isn’t determined by others’ opinions, it stems from your own mindset, self-love and acceptance.

Gratitude is a Superpower and the foundation of all great success.  Appreciate and be thankful for what you already have!

Take Responsibility and Own Your Story

Oner thing you must learn, understand and accept:

You can either keep making excuses for why your life isn’t perfect, or you can admit it’s not perfect and still try to make it better.

You can focus on what youcan change and stop worrying about what you can’t. Life keeps moving forward.

Take it upon yourself to be happy and build wealth. Stop worrying about distractions and what other people think.

Other peopl only know your name, not your story. People will always have different opinion about you. And that’s okay. What matters is how you see yourself as a person. No on can tell your story better than you.

Gratitude is a Superpower and the foundation of all success.  

Gettysburg Address

Delivered at Gettysburg, PA, on November 19, 1863.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

“But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us,that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln