Monthly Archives: October 2009

What to Expect before You Become Pregnant

Posted on October 29, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Many women decide to have a child or start a family without realizing the consequences and responsibilities. A child is a huge responsibility and a joy at the same time. If you’re not prepared for significant life changes, you may want to reconsider having a baby

When you decide to become pregnant, make sure you know what to expect. Your life will never be the same once you have a baby. If you think you’re ready, you may want to think twice about it.

Responsibility

Having a baby is a huge responsibility. You’ll provide your baby with food, clothing, and shelter along with medical attention and eventually an education. You may not be able to go out with your girlfriends for some time. How does this make you feel? Your friends will be having a good time, dancing, letting off steam, and you’ll be home on a Friday and Saturday with your child. Think about it.

What happens when your baby gets sick? Who will watch your child? Nine times out of ten, women call off from work. Unfortunately, your boss may not understand. You may have to make other arrangements like having a neighbor, friend, or family member take your child to the doctor. What happens if your mom and family are 2,000 miles away from you? These are things to think about before you expect.

Plan to have your baby

Women usually get a rude awakening after the baby’s born. They have anxiety about putting their baby in daycare or leaving them at home with a nanny. Some women develop postpartum depression which only makes the situation worse. Luckily, you can overcome obstacles with the love and support of your community, family, and friends.

If you’re not comfortable with leaving your child in the care of someone else, have a plan before you get pregnant. What is your financial situation? How many months or years will you be able to stay home? Before you become pregnant, consult a financial adviser so you can plan to have your baby. It may not sound romantic, but it’s better than crying day and night because you have to leave your baby every day. Don’t forget to figure in an emergency fund because life happens!

Know what to expect before you expect

Before you become pregnant, speak to moms. Reach out to your community and get to know moms and moms-to-be. It’s like the old saying, “…know before you go.” Well, know before you have a baby. Ask moms the following questions:

1. How did you or do you juggle work and family?
2. What scared you about having a baby?
3. When did you know you were ready for a baby?
4. What support system do you have?
5. What do you do if you don’t have a support system?
6. How difficult is it to be a single mom?

Think about how your life will change if you have a baby. This includes your job, friends, leisure time, and family. A baby can bring joy to you and the world. Make sure you’re really ready for the changes and responsibilities that go along with becoming a mom. You’ll know when you’re ready. Don’t try to force it or do it because your mother-in-law thinks it’s time for you to have baby!

Rebecca

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How Women Use Twitter to Degrade Themselves

Posted on October 29, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Social media has taken the world by storm. Almost everyone is on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and a few other sites. Twitter has definitely made a name for itself in the social media area. But, you’d be surprised at what people post on Twitter. It’s not all clean and informative. You find women posting links to their nude or semi-nude photos. This is degrading to women. What is Twitter doing about it? Not a thing.

Most people use Twitter to promote their artistry or business. They look for genuine Twitter followers who will add value to their business and vice versa. They don’t want to wake up, log into Twitter, and find a bunch of links to nude or semi-nude photos posted by women.

Why women degrade themselves

It’s the 21st century and women still degrade themselves by posting nude pictures of them on the internet. It’s their choice to pose nude and post the pictures, but they can suffer the consequences from their actions.

What happens when women post nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves on the internet? Usually a man will begin to stalk them online or worse find out where they live. Before you know it, you’re reading about them in the paper or hearing about them on the news.

Twitter’s responsibility

Twitter has policies posted about what is allowed and not allowed to be posted. They have strict policies against child pornography, but what about other types of porn? Could you imagine being Oprah and having women who are posting their nude pictures online following her? It would make for a great episode on Oprah.

Why isn’t Twitter putting a stop to these links? Maybe there are too many links for them to handle. Maybe they don’t have sophisticated technology to stop it. Who knows what the reason is.

What’s the pay-off for posting nude or semi-nude photos on Twitter

Women who post links on Twitter to nude or semi-nude photos must be receiving some sort of pay-off from it. Is it adoration? Is it the attention? They must be receiving something from posting links to provocative pictures of themselves on Twitter.

Most women who post pictures either have low self-esteem or don’t think what they’re doing is damaging them. They may disagree and say they do have self-respect and high self-esteem, but is this true?

Women posting links on Twitter to nude or semi-nude photos may or may not hold themselves in high regard. When you don’t have self-esteem or self-respect, others will not respect you. You may want to think twice before you post a link on Twitter to nude pictures of yourself.

Rebecca

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Women Don’t Settle for Less

Posted on October 29, 2009 by | Leave a comment

I enrolled SWIHA’s (Southwest Institute of Healing Arts) Life Coaching program and joined their online community. I received this from one of my “friends” so I thought I would share it with all of you.

“A comedian friend of mine sent this to me a few days. It is an actual email she received from a fan of hers – this is a supposed email asking her out on a date – I think it has value because so many of us have “settled for less” in our lives. This correspondence shows a women who now knows what she is really worth.”

Read on:

“Hey lisa hi im ron love ur shows find u very very funny and kinda cute hmmm lol love to talk iwth u if possible feel free to contact me i wont bite unless u ask nicely ha but if ever in nyc lets hang out xoxo ron oh yeah im the guy in the middle” RonInNYC

Hey, Ron,

Got your e-mail and wanted to get back to you. You’re obviously a fan of mine and a very handsome gentleman, but just wanted to give you some feedback on how to approach a woman of quality like myself:

1) First of all, Ron, love that you find me “very very funny.” You leading with a compliment is a good thing. As you know, women eat that up!

2) Secondly, you state you find me “kinda cute.” Hmmm. “Kinda cute”? Didn’t you mean to say “Hot”? “Sexy?” “Voluptuous?” No? What about “Attractive”? Any of the above would’ve been fine — of course, without the “kinda.” Hell, I woulda thought it was “kinda cute” if you said I was “Cute.” But the “kinda”? That makes me wanna spin again! Huge turnoff. If you’re gonna give me a compliment, give me a real one. If you don’t want to give me a compliment in a certain area, don’t even bring the area up.

3) You say you’d “love to talk with me.” THAT, I like. I love to talk via email or over the phone with nice chocolate daddies like yourself, and would be pleased to make your acquaintance in that manner. So, before you decide if you’d like to answer this, please put plenty of prepaid minutes on your cell phone and get ready to talk — and by “talk,” I mean “talk” and not “text.” I only text in emergencies. I TALK to guys I want to get to know better. Phone contact helps avoid the emotional walls put up by texting and lets a person get to know someone better by actually hearing the other person’s voice.

4) Congratulations, Ron! You get mucho points for “I won’t bite unless you ask nicely.” Although I’ve heard this before, I still find it sexy and look forward to being bitten if things should work out. Great way to flirt without being overtly sexual. That overtly sexual crap is a HUGE turnoff for someone in my position. So, you’re a clear winner here.

5) Regarding your picture, all men should learn from you. Always surround yourself when taking a photo by less attractive men. That way, when looking at the photo, a woman will say, “Please let him be the guy in the middle,” and will sigh with relief when they read that indeed the guy in the middle is you. Keep those friends of yours around — you smoke them out of the water!

6) One last bit of advice: “Let’s hang out” isn’t asking me on a date. I don’t “hang out” with men. I “go out” with them. So if you’d like to take me on a proper date — and IF you don’t have a significant other — you can ask me nicely to go out with you after we’ve conversed a bit. “Hanging out” is something you do with your buddies or ho’s you’re not serious about — and I’m not interested in being either.

Oh, and just to help you out, here is the English translation of the message you sent me. Trust me: educated white women LOVE them some punctuation and capitalization.

Hey Lisa!

Hi. I’m Ron. I love your shows and I find you very, very funny and smokin’ hot! Hmmm . . .

I’d love to talk with you, if possible. Feel free to contact me — I won’t bite unless you ask nicely! And if you’re ever in New York City, let’s go out. I’d love to take you out on the town.

xoxo,
Ron

P.S. Oh yeah, I’m the guy in the middle.

Well, Ron, hope you’ve learned something from my note. If you’re still interested in corresponding, you can e-mail me at this address. I find you very cute — handsome, even — and I hope you read this with a sense of humor and sense of understanding. Either way, I wish you nothing but the best!

XO,
Lisa L.
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Posted in Healthy and Well, Just Think, Life, Relationships

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Arbonne is Great for Stay-at-Home Moms

Posted on October 29, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Let’s face it, women are not going to give up their beauty and skin care products. Even though retail sales are down right now, internet sales are through the roof! Why? The internet is fast and convenient. With the click of a button you can place your Arbonne order and have it delivered to your home. It’s that easy and simple. Internet shopping is safe for the environment. There’s no need to get into the car and drive to the mall (unless you want to do so) or have someone come to your house. If the amount of emissions released into the air can be reduced that’s a benefit for everyone on the planet!

Beauty and skin care products are marketable products because women use them daily. Arbonne products are top of the line. Not only do you receive a quality product, but you have an opportunity to join and grow a small business.

There’s nothing like having your own business. You’re the boss and you call the shots. You set your hours that work for you so you can spend time with family and friends. You won’t miss special moments like school plays, birthdays, teacher conferences, and other important dates.

Arbonne business

If you’re interested in earning passive income with Arbonne, sign up at IAmANatural.MyArbonne.com. Beauty and skin care products will not wane. Men and women enjoy looking and feeling their best. They’re not going to give up their skin care products.

Arbonne beauty and skin care products will help you thrive in any economy. You won’t be worried about paying the bills because you’ll be earning passive income. The bonus is that you’ll look good doing it!

The main point about joining Arbonne International is the fact that you earn passive income. We’ve all heard the “stay-at-home” mom stories a dozen or more times. Yes, when you’re a mom you have a couple of choices 1) quit your job, 2) call your mother who may live 2,000 miles away and tell her that she’s moving in with you, 3) hire a nanny or baby sitter, or 4) put your child in daycare. There’s nothing new here. If you don’t want to put your child in daycare or have your mom move in with you, start an Arbonne business. Not only do you receive great benefits such as an awesome discount, you get to start your own business. This means you can stay-at-home with your child and earn a great income at the same time. It’s a win-win situation!

Rebecca

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Posted in All Business

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Bank of America Causes Consumers to Revolt

Posted on October 28, 2009 by | Leave a comment

I’d like to share my story about my credit card company. I’m with Bank of America and they sent me a notice on October 27, 2009 that my credit card limits were reduced. Receiving this notification was like receiving a sucker punch to the gut. Never in my life did I ever dream that I would be in this situation. How the hell did I create this for my life? Mark my words…this is my first and will be my only time to deal with this situation. Here’s my story…

I always enjoyed a very high credit limit and was able to pay my bills with ease when I worked as a Property Analyst for a real estate and development company in Cleveland, OH. Accounting wasn’t my passion, but I made a great living. When my father died, I decided to pursue my love of art and went back to school for a graphic design certification. I quit my accounting job, sold my townhouse, moved in with my mom, and landed a job as a graphic designer. I still was miserable. I managed to create the same situations in my life just with different people. Something had to change because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I graduated in May 2007 with a Master of Science, Management degree. I researched some states and decided I would move to Arizona. I sent out resume after resume without receiving any responses. I went to the UK in August 2007 and when I got back, I finally spoke with someone about moving to Arizona. I was told that Arizona employers like to see Arizona residency BEFORE they will hire a person. So…In September 2007, I drove from Ohio to Arizona. It was my first “real” road trip and first time I drove cross country — no one was with me. When I arrived in Arizona, I decided to move there. I found an apartment, parked my car in the garage, flew back home, packed up, and flew back out. I was confident that I would find full-time or part-time employment utilizing my accounting degrees along with my Master of Science, Management degree. I was wrong!

Steps I took to finding employment

  • Sent out a ton of resumes before and after my move to Arizona in September 2007.
  • Started networking to make connections — hoping to gain referrals.
  • Contacted and met with several different representatives from employment agencies none of which helped me find employment.
  • Put ads on Craigslist.
  • Put resumes on Craigslist.
  • Put resumes on Jobing.com and CareerBuilder.
  • Informed people that I was a writer looking for work, but would be interested in accounting work as well.
  • Signed up with Guru.com and bid on jobs.
  • Tried my hand at Google AdSense and spent more than I earned.
  • Obtained not 1, not 2, but 3 degrees, including a Master of Science.
  • Received a graphic design certification.
  • Started reading books like Think and Grow Rich, The Secret, The Science of Getting Rich, Quantum Success, and other books to change my thoughts around abundance, money, and wealth.

Fast forward to October 28, 2009, and I am living, correction, surviving in Arizona by the skin of my teeth! According to all of the “spiritual gurus” out there, you can do what you love (writing for me) and make money from it. I’m grateful for my writing job and the writing jobs I had, but it’s not enough to live on. Let’s face it, we need and use money, that’s how it is. Anyone that says they don’t like money is lying!

I hope all of the CEOs of the credit card companies can sleep at night. I’m glad as an American taxpayer that I was able to help bail out the banks and credit card companies when they needed it. I sleep better at night knowing that employees and CEOs receive their BIG bonuses on time and enjoy spa days. I couldn’t live with myself if they missed a bonus check!

BONUS

CLICK HERE to read the letter I sent to Bank of America.

Rebecca

How have you been screwed over by a credit card company?

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Posted in All Business, Life, Wealth

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What’s Blocking You as a Writer?

Posted on October 4, 2009 by | 2 Comments

Many writers often complain about writer’s block. When they sit down to write, the words will not appear on the screen or paper because they’re stuck in their head. Writers become frustrated and usually want to give up on writing. What if the problem isn’t writer’s block? What if it’s all in your head? What if it’s something else? These are questions you may want to consider before you blame writer’s block for your lack of enthusiasm for writing.

Writer’s block may be in a writer’s head. There could be something deeper going on within the psyche that’s blocking the flow of words. Maybe you’re secretly afraid that no one will approve of your creative project. Think back to a time when you showed someone your work. What was their reaction? How did it make you feel? Rejection could be the cause of your writer’s block.

You can overcome writer’s block once you pinpoint the reason for it. Writers dream of success. You could be secretly afraid of success because of the added pressures it could bring. You’ll be expected to promote your book in bookstores. You could end up traveling internationally and nationally. Perhaps you’ve never left your state or country before and that “freaks” you out. Your writer’s block is actually a cover-up your fear of success.

Reasons for writer’s block

  • Fear of failure.
  • Not passionate about a writing project.
  • Fear of success.
  • You’re a perfectionist.
  • Stressed and burned out from writing.
  • You feel pressured to finish your project by the deadline.
  • Do not enjoy the writing process.

When you don’t write, the ideas you have sit in your head and collect dust! Think about all of the people who will not read your poetry, hear your songs, or watch your movies because you allowed writer’s block to control your life. Giving up your power to someone or something is never a good idea. Take your power back today so you can write tomorrow.

You don’t have to be plagued by writer’s block. Choose to give up the excuse of not being able to write because of “this or that.” Get to the root of why you can’t write once and for all. You may have difficulty facing yourself in the mirror, but once you do things will get better.

Most writers feel passionately about what they’re writing. When you feel like you’re getting stuck, step away from your writing for some time. Go away for the weekend and do something fun and get your mind off of your project. Sometimes when you’re so focused you become blocked. Walking away can give you a fresh perspective and rejuvenate your creativity. Remember…all writing and no play makes for a dull writer!

Rebecca

What’s the “root” cause of your writer’s block? Share you thoughts.

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Posted in Artists Corner, Just Think

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