Stress is a fact of life. It is defined as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension.” The most common sources of stress are finances, work, and health. It is not always harmful as stress can cause you to be more productive but over time chronic stress and anxiety can wear you down mentally and physically. I’ve learned this the hard way! Stress Statistics 75% of adults reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month and nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year – American Psychological Association. 80% of workers feel stress on the job and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. And 42% say their co-workers need such help – American Institute of Stress. Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide – World Health Organization 52% of adults say financial issues regularly…

CBD based products are all the rage right now! Seems like every time you turn on the news, cannabis or cannabis derived products are being talked about. CBD stand for “cannabidiol” and is derived from the cannabis plant aka marijuana. In December 2018 a farm bill legalized production of hemp which is nonpsychoactive and will not get you high. This has now opened the floodgages for a legal CBD market for hemp derived products. You can find many CBD based products on Amazon and other sites with benefits being touted that range from helping with sore muscles, digestion, skin, and anxiety. Since I am constantly searching for ways to control my anxiety and stress I decided to try hemp oil. My Experience with Hemp OilThere are several hemp oils listed on Amazon so after reading the reviews I decided to try two different ones. My first experience was with Nature’s…

If you are on this page you are most likely feeling stuck in a job you hate.  You should take some consolation in the fact that if you don’t like your job you are not alone.  A recent Gallop poll shows that 85% people across the globe hate their job. Include me in this number!  As I mentioned in my new years resolution post, I am laser focused this year on getting a new job.  If you don’t have the luxury of going scorched earth and quitting today. You may have kids, bills, or other responsibilities that make this a really BAD idea! But you are going to want a plan. Studies show that staying in a job you hate is worse for your mental health that not having a job at all.  Pretty sobering stuff! Here are some tips to help you make it through this. Remember This is…

I haven’t had a drop of alcohol in 5 months. I can’t tell you how proud I am of that accomplishment! I’ve been drinking on and off for close to 20 years and realized that this behavior has to be causing damage to my body and that I’m not getting any younger so it was time to stop. I would only drink on Friday and Saturday but I knew I needed to break the cycle.  Especially once I came to the realization that I’m an alcoholic. If you are struggling with alcohol addiction I highly recommend the Sober Grid app.  The community and the counter was just what I needed to stay motivated and accountable to a community.  Knowing how many days I have gone since my last drink keeps me from wanting to start over and the community is super supportive.  It’s completely free so give it a try…

Your New Year’s resolution is most likely going to fail.  But don’t feel too bad.  So is mine and so is almost everyone else’s.  That is unless we do something about it!  According to U.S. News, approximately 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February. These are the top 10 New Year’s resolutions from 2018 from Statistic  Brain: Lose Weight/Eat Healthier Self Improvement Better Financial Decisions Quit Smoking Do More Exciting Stuff Spend More Time with Family and Friends Work Out More Frequently Learn Something New Do More Good Deeds Find the Love of My Life However and even more abysmal stat is tat only 9.2% of us will make our resolutions a reality.  The harsh reality as to why most of us fail comes down to lack of motivation. When things get tough it is easy to fold.  I know I’ve done it countless times. But let’s…

The stock market has been all over the place lately.  As of this writing, this December is the worst on record since the Great Depression.  There is alot of pessimism and uncertainty out there and if you aren’t careful it can cause you undue stress and anxiety.  Some of the reasons for the downturn include: Looming trade war with China US government partial shut down A Federal reserve that continues to raise interest rates Slowing global economy Overall growing pessimism (my opinion) All these factors are putting the US stock market on track to turn into a bear market.  A bear market is defined as when a market indicator such as the S&P 500 falls from a 20% high. Given these factors you might be tempted to take your money out of the market and hide it in a CD or stuff it in your mattress.  However if you have…

When “X” happens then I’ll be happy.  X can be anything: Getting a new job or promotion. Meeting that new special someone. Buying a new car.  Moving into your dream house. Graduate college. The problem is that there will always be another “X”. True happiness comes from being in the present moment. The “When and Then” trap looks like this If I can just get this done , then I can finally relax… When I have more money, then I will be happy… When I get a new job, then my life will be better.. Live in the present moment and realize that true contentment comes from the inside.

Sometimes in the craziness of day-to-day life it is easy to lose perspective.  I have a real problem with blowing things way out of proportion. I came across this quote the other day and it really resonated with me. I have two rules I follow religiously: 1.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.  2.  It’s all small stuff.

During the holidays temptation to spend is everywhere!  Every where you turn some retailer or brand is bombarding you with messages, commercials, and images trying to get you to part ways with your hard earned dollars. The average US consumer is planning to spend $794 this holiday season. Deloitte is forecasting that holiday sales are expected to increase over 5% compared to last year.  That equates to over $1.1 trillion being spent between November and January.  Don’t be a statistic!  But trust me I know it’s easy to fall into this trap.  Recently I purchased an OLED TV that I don’t need on Amazon.  Luckily I quickly came to my senses and cancelled it. It was over $2,000 dollars and I  have a perfectly fine TV right now.  It may not be as good as the OLED but it gets the job done. So this holiday season make a budget…

Recently I was talking to a coworker who is looking to get a new car.  His lease on his BMW was ending soon and we was considering leasing a new 440i BMW.  Nice car but the monthly lease payment he was looking at was close to $700! I’ve worked with this guy for a long time and he talks to me about his financial struggles all the time and how he just can’t get ahead.  His problem to me is simple.  He always gets the latest gadgets and toys.  From leasing a BMW, getting a fancy drone, to riding around on a One wheel he is always finding new and creative ways to spend and burn his hard earned money.  He makes well over $100K per year but he complains to me all the time that he just cant get any momentum going with saving or investing.  In case you’re…