|
||
Reflection is what we all do. We take stock of our lives and then it is onward and forward. One of my philosophies was hatched as I talked to a dear friend and high school teacher, * "Most of life’s shadows are caused by our standing in our own sunshine." My husband says, "Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is a possibility, today is all you have, take care of it. Look forward to the future, but only plan about 10% of your energy and resources for the future." Enough clichés and sayings, we are the only ones who can determine what is important to us. For years, I have read advice to and for women and families. What has been advised that we do with our personal and professional lives always seemed to be for someone else. My average circumstances with my family, friends, home, business and leisure did not seem to be addressed. It was this realization that lead me to writing for enjoyment and in some way help others to make their days happpier and more content. And when possible give tips on how to be more resourceful with the ways a person chooses to spend time and money. What I put in this ezine is not new, but is presented from my perspective. As you read, and perhaps revisit these ideas, may they make your life better in ways that you want them to be better. For those who are already happy, content and resourceful, then may what is offered here endorse your journey. My family and I live a good life. We are resrouceful even when times were, and sometimes still are, tough and money is short. Those who have known us for years, most times, had no clue about our financial struggles. This was due in part to our celebration of life, our steely determination and our learning to stop living from paycheck to paycheck. Our successes came when we worked smarter, managed our resources better, and retired debt. We took charge and said to ourselves, "we can do this." And we did, by getting the most we could from our earned income, and from occasional help from our families and a small inheritance in mid-life. By retiring debt, you can give yourself a tax-free pay raise. Think about it. We have moved around since leaving our hometown area of Buffalo, New York. We have lived in three geographic locales and one foreign country, besides our hometown area from time to time. In our journey, we have owned homes and a mobile home, rented homes and apartments, and lived in military housing. My acquired knowledge, like most of yours, has shown me how to get more for less. As a homemaker first, and a business woman second, this knowledge has yielded me compliments from my peers. Whether we work inside or outside the home, regardless of husbands and children who help us, we carry the psychological burden** of family decisions 24/7, while we juggle the rest of the world around us. One example of my resourcefulness was discovering a way to get two undergraduate degrees, including the round trip and expenses to attend my graduation, over a period of three years, for less than $4000 out of pocket (now days it would cost $7000+, still a bargain). Then I wrote the comprehensive guide book Getting A College Degree Fast (96). With the encouragement of family, friends and colleagues, I present this ezine for you. Enjoy! Walk in sunshine, Joanne Aber, Ph.D. joanneaber@juno.com *Dr. David J, Gibson, Eden Central High School, Eden, NY, 1973. **Nan Koehane, 1971. Note: Dr. Koehane is the former president of Wellesley College and the first woman president of Duke University. |
||
Home | Reflections | Whodathunkit? | Sunshine News | Life is a Strange Brew Tidbits | Coffee Break | My Turn | Here and Now | Moments in Time Molasses Flats | Humdingers | The Lazy Gardener | Fun, Fun, Fun! | Contact Us |
||
© 2002 by Joanne Aber, Ph.D., Newsdump publisher and editor-in-chief. All rights reserved.