Are you a boat enthusiast? Do you know the best US boat shows?

Boat shows are held all over the country and give boat owners and enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the latest boat designs and models. These events also allow companies to showcase the newest technology and software in marine electronics, accessories, gifts and apparel.

We compiled a list of the best in the country. In this post, we will show you 5 of the best boat shows in the US that you should be marking on your calendar.

Atlanta Boat Show: Atlanta, Ga
January 12-15

This is one you can’t miss in downtown Atlanta. It has been around for more than 50 years and includes everything from sport cruisers to fishing boats to houseboats. There are seminars and courses for everyone as well as a sailing simulator, Kid Zone, and an interactive learning center.

The fourth-generation Miss GEICO catamaran will make an appearance as well. For the James Bond fans, there will be a working replica of the iconic Lotus Esprit submarine car from 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me!

You will surely have a great time in this boat show as you will learn about so many things in one place. It will surely be a feast to the eyes.

Miami International Boat Show: Miami, Fl
February 16-20

Known as one of the greatest boat shows in the world, the Miami International Boat Show is one of Florida’s largest events.There are over 3,000 boats and 2,000 exhibitors offering everything from boats, apparel and more. There are powerboating classes running from one hour to three hours, basic and advanced docking skills and so much more.

You can also compare and try before you buy! Expanded demo docks and sea trials allow you to compare and talk with dealers to ensure you are making the right decision. So if you are ever planning to buy a boat, this boat show is one that you certainly should visit because you will get all the chance that you need to discover which boat is best suited for you.

World Championship Cardboard Boat Races: Herber Springs, AR
Late July

Held in Herber Springs, Arkansas, the World Championship Cardboard Boat Race puts contestants’ creativity and boat building skills to the test. Adults and children race on a 200 yard course.

Over the last 26 years, there have been entries such as USS battleships, trains, rockets and even the Starship Enterprise. They also have an array of activities that include food eating contests, tug of war and the famous Cardboard Boat Demolition Derby.

This is surely a different kind of boat show because you will get to see the creativity of each team. You will also be entertained by the varied themes and designs they are able to come up with. This boat show is one to watch!

Newport International Boat Show: Newport, Rhode Island
September 14-17,2017

Occupying 13 acres of Newport Harbor, this show allows you to enjoy everything the “City By The Sea” has to offer! You will be able to experience the debuts of a full range of powerboats and sailboats and attend educational seminars presented by the top professionals in their field.

The festivities do not end when the sun goes down. You can walk down the cobblestone streets, shop in the variety of specialty boutiques, and eat at some of the top rated restaurants in New England.

The boat show is not the only highlight here as you can discover the place on your own, starting with the gastronomical adventures you can have.

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Late October

Set in the “Yachting Capital of the World”, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat show is a South Florida staple. For over 50 years, it is also the largest boat show in the world.

From yacht builders and designers to rare exotic cars, the show is the the place to see and be seen. Over 18 different kinds of vessels including sportfishers, high performance catamarans and unbelieveable super yachts all displayed in six different locations and worth over a billion dollars. There will certainly a boat that is fit for you in this boat show as it caters to almost all kinds of boats for every kind of purpose.

Don’t miss out on these amazing events. Do your research, take your pick of these US boat shows, and bring a fellow boat enthusiast with you!

 

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Freelancing is an excellent way to build your income or your confidence if you are just getting started. If you are willing to put in the extra work, becoming a freelancer can be extremely lucrative.

Effective freelancing involves goal-setting, deciding how many hours to dedicate, and harnessing the support of family and friends.

We’ve put together a 6 item checklist that will break down the process and help you be a more productive freelancer.

Highlight Your Skills

It is not mandatory to freelance in the same field you work in now. Take into account all the abilities you have, including hard skills and soft skills. Determine the areas where you can excel.

If you are confused, there are career assessment tests available online to help identify your strong traits and evaluate where your skills lie. For example, if you are a good writer, you may want to consider freelancing as a content creator.

See Also: 7 Convincing Reasons for Working as a Freelancer 

Define Your Personal Brand

It is important not only to understand your skills and talents but to also make sure that potential employers know about them. Your skills must translate into relevant services that you can provide for them. Most employers don’t have the attention span to go through pages of content. So it is critical to nail your resume to stand out from the clutter and establish yourself as a brand.

Use Social Media to Increase Visibility

In today’s world, it is important to have a presence online. An easy way for freelancers to establish an online presence is through social media. Harness the power of social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to create an active presence online.

You can also use websites such as Upwork and Fiverr to reach potential clients directly and also use private networking communities on Facebook. It is an added advantage if you can support your social media presence with a professional website or blog. This lends legitimacy and credibility to your work and provides a professional platform. You will also be able to outline your expertise and services and project a positive image.

Be a Pro at Networking

It is important to build and use your network as a freelancer. Learning how to reach out to other freelancers and potential employers can help you grow your business in numerous ways. By projecting the right image of your brand to family, friends, and colleagues, you will set the groundwork for the future success of your venture.

Have a short pitch about the services you offer ready at all times. This will enable you to be clear about your message and the service you provide. Ensure that you practice this pitch so that it comes out naturally and does not sound awkward or forced. Be ready to take on new jobs at any time as a single conversation can lead to new job opportunities.

When an opportunity arises, you need to be able to convince the client that you are the ideal candidate for the job. The best way to approach a pitch is to talk to the client and understand their needs.

Decide On the Right Rate to Charge and Price Yourself Suitably As a Freelancer

When it comes to negotiations and pricing, it can be difficult to decide how much to charge as this is linked to how much you think you are worth. However, it is important to understand that the best clients are those who are willing to pay for the added value you provide and appreciate it. So setting the right price and not selling yourself short will pay off in the long run, although you may end up losing some business.

You can also adjust pricing as you go, but it is important to make a profit in order to continue. Nail the money-making aspect of your freelance business by scoping out each job and assigning a fee. When setting your rates, it is essential to take factors such as market, location, visibility and demand into consideration.

You can also do some research or talk to other freelancers to find out how much they charge. The freelancing community is very open and welcoming, so you can get useful tips from other freelancers on ways to operate.

Set Tangible Goals and Develop a Game Plan to Achieve These

To be successful as a freelancer, it is important to set goals and continuously move forward. This will help you graduate to the next level and enhance your skills. It will also allow you to gain new clients and even charge higher rates.

As a freelancer, you will not be getting a steady paycheck, so you need to plan accordingly and get ready for the ups and downs in cash flow. Learn about taxes, income and expense planning and become comfortable with handling these.

In addition to making money, it is also essential to do enjoyable work that makes you feel fulfilled. When you are passionate about what you do, you will be able to grow your freelancing skills organically without worrying about keeping your business afloat.

Final Thoughts

You can set yourself up for success as a freelancer by following the guidelines mentioned in this article. It is important to be organized and handle invoicing, deadlines, etc. with clarity.

Understand the job at hand and align your expectations with that of your client. Establish the top priorities of the project and ensure that you meet them. As a freelancer, the work ebbs and flows, so it can be difficult to maintain a consistent schedule.

Another important aspect of freelancing is time management. As a freelancer, you need to be disciplined and self-motivated to maintain a work-life balance. Be aware of the financial and legal obligations that come with the reality of being self-employed. Consistently meeting client expectations and managing your resources are keys to a successful and fulfilling career as a freelancer.

See Also: 9 Tips To Overcome Stress For Freelancers

 

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Whether you are a college student, a recent graduate or a job seeker, you must have, at least once in your lifetime, written a resume. Resume writing is tricky for everyone. It is not an easy task even for the experienced writers. A resume has to be perfect because it marks the starting point of one’s professional career. However, there are several common mistakes that people make while writing a resume.

Here are 17 common resume mistakes that you must avoid making 2017 the year of your employment.

Try to make your resume short

Okay, you have achieved a lot starting from highschool to college graduation. You want to show everything to your recruiter and you expect them to read every word of it. You are gravely wrong.

Recruiters are saying that they want resumes that are just one page long. An average manager will not spend even a minute looking at your resume. Be sure that you keep the most relevant information on the top and hold it to one page.

Don’t overuse words

While writing a resume, people tend to use overused words and repeat the same words again and again. This makes your resume unattractive and annoying. At times, only vague information is provided.

Your resume should be creative and attractive enough to attract the recruiter’s attention. Make sure you use words and phrases that are straight to the point.

Make your resume productive in grammar

You should never use poor English or misuse words, use wrong spellings and punctuations. Such mistakes are not overlooked and they make your resume look bad. Just imagine a resume with several red marks. If you aren’t confident with your written skills, have a good editor go through your document.

Don’t fake yourself

Never give wrong information about yourself or your accomplishments. Remember, honesty is the best policy. Some details are too perfect to be right.

There may be situations in your career wherein you have to prove a wrong detail you provided in your resume. Don’t take chances. Be honest about yourself.

Go with the proper format

One of the most important things many people ignore is the format of any official paper. The format and appearance of a resume also matter a lot. Your resume should be cross-platform and compatible with all computers.

That is why most people prefer the PDF format for their resumes. PDF format appears the same on all computers. Also, make sure that you don’t use many different fonts, colors or graphs. Keep it neat and clean so that it is easy to read.

The objective statement

If you know what to include, then go ahead. This works if in case you are changing fields as this acts as a summary of your resume. If you simply add that you require a job, it is an utter waste of time. Specifically, if you include the fact that you need a job as an objective statement, then it is certainly not so unique.

Work Experiences

If you are sending a job application for the position of a chef, there’s no need to include your experience as an accountant. Do not include those irrelevant experiences. Be to the point and specific about your throw as a candidate.

Personal Stuff and hobbies

Marital status and religious preference – this isn’t your Facebook profile. These might have been a significant thing in the past, but apparently not anymore and for good reason.

In fact, if your employer asks for this information or data like Social Security Number, it is illegal. Also, do not waste space by writing hobbies that are unrelated to the job you are applying for. This is a major mistake in resume-writing that people often make.

Too much content

Right! If you have so much to tell your prospective employer, you can add a few points during the final round of interview where the employers are interested in listening to you. Do not include worldly content in your Job Resume. Keep it as short and significant as possible.

Also, if you are using a .5 inch margin, do not use 8 point font as this won’t be appreciated.

References

If your employers would like to have a conversation with your previous employers, they will let you know. This is where keeping good relations with your past employers helps.

Your Email Address

Always give out a professional email address. Avoid unprofessional-sounding ones like wildgirl28@yahoo.com. Having a professional email id plays a significant role in your job selection. Show the employers your professionalism right from there.

Your current business contact

Do not mess with this and give out false information. This is another stupid mistake a few people do in Resume Writing. If you wish to get immediately disqualified from the screening process, you can go ahead.

Social Media URLs

If you are not applying for the position of a social media analyst or a graphic designer or any position that requires a better social profile, do not provide your Facebook to Instagram URLs. You might have some information that your employer doesn’t wish to see, and you are done then and there.

It isn’t unheard of for companies and HR departments to research and find a promising candidate’s social media. So, be sure not to have anything damaging on your social media especially if you are job-hunting.

Salary information

If you have held some past jobs during your college days and are planning to include the salary you were paid, stop it right there. Salary comes later, much later. Employers do not prefer employees who are only and all about salary. Your resume is intended to show your professional skills and why you are the best fit for the job opening. It’s not to decide how much you should be paid.

Fonts and issues

If you are using a fancy cursive font just because you like it, forget even getting into the second round of the job. Non-professional fonts straight away get rejected no matter how skilled you are. Even if you are applying for a creative position, it doesn’t warrant hard-to-read fonts.

Also, avoid using old fonts such as Times New Roman. A standard sans-serif font like Arial will do. Your ultimate aim is to convey your skills – beautiful and sleek.

Reasons why you left your previous job

If you were consider adding this to your resume, please know that this is not cool at all. Leave it out of your one-page resume. This is usually asked during the round of interviews but it doesn’t have to go on your resume.

Many candidates mistakenly think stating their reasons will give their employers more reasons to hire them but this is incorrect. Let your interviewer address this and not you.

Apart from all of these, other silly mistakes include adding in your GPA. GPA doesn’t decide anything. Moreover, make sure to exclude your pictures, opinions, and short-term experiences from your resume as all of these can add negative points to your application. Keep it simple.

Good luck with the job-hunting!

See Also: What I Learned From Reading 1,000 Resumes 

 

 

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Did you know that you ought to be having protein for breakfast?

Protein foods are one of the most important food groups needed by the human body. It serves as the building blocks of life. One needs protein in one’s diet to repair the cells in the body and make new ones. Proteins are responsible for healthy bones, muscles, and skin allowing for better movements and activities. A strong immune system is highly achievable with the proper consumption of foods rich in protein.

Studies showed that protein can also help in losing weight. People who eat loads of proteins during breakfast have higher chances of reducing mindless snacking. Moreover, protein-packed breakfast can also help control the appetite of a person due to a fuller feeling experienced throughout the day. This reaction of the body towards a high-protein breakfast may be accounted for the effects of proteins on the hormones signaling the brain to regulate one’s appetite and hunger.

With the numerous advantages of proteins in the human body, it is very necessary to have knowledge on the protein-rich foods and supplements that can be included in one’s diet, especially during breakfast.

Some of the most common source of the protein includes oatmeal, yogurt, beans, eggs, and nuts. Other protein-rich foods which are highly beneficial to one’s health were as follows:

Spirulina

Spirulina is a kind of blue-green algae found in the sea. It is packed with essential nutrients needed by the body. One of its most notable compositions is its protein content which is around 60 percent by weight. The protein contained in Spirulina is said to be the best protein since it contains all the essential amino acids needed by the body to function properly. Moreover, being a plant-based source of complete protein, Spirulina serves as an ideal dietary supplement.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a functional beverage made from fermented and sweetened black or green tea. This popular drink is believed to comprise of several essential nutrients needed by the body to grow strong and healthy. Continuous studies are being conducted to prove and to regulate its healthy benefits. However, reports from users claimed that this fermented drink has already shown great, positive changes in one’s body.

These benefits include the enhancement of one’s well-being, the increase in energy, and the effect on weight loss. Kombucha has also shown a great role as an ideal probiotic drink for those struggling with a bacterial infection such as Candida.

Emmer

Emmer belongs to the wheat family of annual grasses. It consists of grains enclosed by strong glumes and husks. Others refer to emmer as rice wheat, starch wheat, or two-grained spelt. This very special treat offers high protein ranging to about 22 percent. It is also rich in fiber, magnesium, and other vitamins.

Emmer is low in calorie content making it a better and healthier option for vegetarians or for people who wants plant-based protein food source. Emmer is a good addition to one’s breakfast as it comes in the form of bread, biscuits, and grains in soups.

Black Radish

Black radish is the larger type of radish encased in a black or brown skin. It can be eaten and enjoyed raw or cooked depending on the desired preparation.

Studies showed that the black radish is an excellent source of essential nutrients such as vitamins, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They also yield complete protein source which highly improves the quality of health and diet.

See Also: Shifting Your Family To The “Real Food” Diet 

Bone Broth

Bone broth has been a breakthrough in protein supplementation in the body. This add-on to the diet can be easily prepared to improve one’s health in a myriad of ways. One can procure higher immunity due to the presence of high amounts of amino acids. It can also promote weight loss and healthy guts because of the amino acids present.

The knowledge about the human body and its functions allow one to know how Nutrisystem works. These helpful facts make people more aware of the things that could promote better health. Moreover, these help people in choosing the best and the worst options they could include in their own diet plans. The food one eats, as well as the activities one performs, will greatly play a big role in determining the health and wellness of an individual in the years to come.

Always remember, health is wealth!

See Also: A List of Superfoods You Definitely Need in Your Diet 

 

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Creating stunning new content regularly is a hell of a task, I know. Are you plagued by the same concerns? Low on time to create converting content? Looking for smart ways to use your old and existing content to drive more visits to your blog?

Here are 5 superb methods to help you create new content faster.

Transform Your Webinar Content Into A Series of YouTube Episodes

If you have already done a few webinars, you can reuse them to drive visits to your websites. Begin by collecting related webinars together. Now, split them into 10 (or 6) minute videos, and create a whole episodic series of short advice videos. You can then shares these episodes one by one on your YouTube channel, and during each upload, suggest the viewer hop over to your website to get a sneak-peek into the upcoming episode.

Check out Moz’s list of YouTube tools to optimize your video content, and increase the campaign’s effectiveness. I’ve used this tactic and literally tripled the eventual success of my webinars by transforming them into a series of YouTube episodes.

Weave Your Related Blog Posts into An Ebook

Not done any webinars yet? No issues. I am sure you have a few super successful blog posts already. Arrange posts from a single niche together, and weave them into a nice and comprehensive ebook. I’d say 80% of your work is copy paste, and the rest is about connecting the dots and organizing the content into a book form. Once your ebook is ready, you can use it as a freebie to promote lead generation from your blog landing pages (motivate users to share email ID by offering free ebook). ShoutMeLoud’s list of top ebook creation tools will help you.

See Also: 5 Proven Strategies That Can Massively Increase Blog Traffic

Use Your Old Website A/B Test Experiences As Knowledge With the World

In the past couple of years, experimental data and case studies have grown as a more sophisticated and effective method of building credibility and authority in one’s niche. Did you run an A/B test on your website, to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing strategies, landing page’s conversion ratio, buying guides on your e-stores, or keyword research?

Well, if you have the data with you, and memory that serves you well, you can organize it all, and share your experience-based outcomes in the form of a case study. Also, remember this tactic the next time you do any kind of comparisons and testing for your website. Such a case study will help you build authority, and can aid in email marketing and lead generation activities.

Let Your Powerpoint Presentations Do Some Magic

I’m assuming you’d have created at least a few presentations (Powerpoint, or any other) in the past couple of years. Why let them eat dust? Get them all, put them in a folder, organize the content, update them wherever necessary, and give them a makeover by using a decent template. Once done, you have a whole gold mine of slides that can bring traffic to your web pages.

To achieve this, create a SlideShare account, upload the presentations there, and embed some of the slides into your web pages. Be creative, and you can easily motivate readers to share email ids in exchange of complete decks. I strongly advise you to check out LifeHack’s list of top 10 suggestions to create stunning PowerPoint presentations.

The Quora Method of Repurposing Your Old Blog Posts to Garner Fresh Traffic

A lot of bloggers and content marketers like you are excited about Quora. Here’s a tactic to help you make the most of it. Study some of the more successful blog posts you have done. Now, go to Quora, and search for questions that are answered, to some extent, by your posts.

Hint: Go for Quora questions with the high number of upvotes, because it means they are in demand, and actively visited.

Now, answer the question on Quora in your words, and suggest readers check out the finer details by visiting your blog post.

See Also: 8 Common Content Marketing Myths You Should Stop Believing

 

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If you truly believe you’re lucky, and therefore trust all the odds are consistently in your favor, what impact would that have on your life? Does the pure belief that you’re lucky explain the winning streaks some people ride?

I think aligning luck to the placebo effect is a convenient explanation for the phenomenon we observe as fortunate chance. But it doesn’t explain the entire equation to my satisfaction.

Tangible Luck

Say you were hypnotized into believing you were super lucky, and everything was working in your favor, how would you be feeling? Pretty awesome!

And because you’re feeling like life is pretty amazing right now, the people you’re hanging out with are going to pick up on that vibe too. They’re going to see you as a happy, positive resource and want to spend more time in your presence.

When they’re around you, their empathy gets stronger, and when this happens to people, our reticular activating system opens up to possibility. Why is this good for us? It means we will perceive more opportunity in the events around us that would otherwise be filtered out if our brain was in a stressed out ‘fight or flight’ mode.

We frame our point-of-view of our current circumstances to fit a pre-conceived narrative we think fits our life. These usually sound something like – “Why me?”, “It’s not my fault things are this way!”, or “Nothing good ever happens to me”.

But if you take the time to use a different lens to see life and understand everything is totally up to you, then as Oprah says, “luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. Change those thoughts to “Today is going to be great”, “Luck is on my side”, and “I wonder what amazing things luck will bring to me!”

The trick is to frame life up differently, with positivity and without victimization. Understand you’ve created everything in your life to this point, and choose to be optimistic and proactive to change it. This will literally switch your mindset, which then sends out the right messages to invite the luck in. Believe you are lucky and you’re half way there.

Theoretical luck

To understand the theory around luck, you must see consciousness as a pervading intelligence. Look at a group of organisms like a school of fish whose movements are synchronized perfectly. It’s like they have a shared consciousness and operate as a single organism. Their conscious threshold is deeper than ours; they have much less self, and a more expansive point-of-view of the group.

So the consciousness that is the school of fish is above the point-of-view of any particular individual but it’s still consciousness. It’s the same consciousness that powers you, and consciousness has desire.

So how do you become the ‘lucky’ person who gets the bright idea? Invents the greatest new tech gadget? Launches a super successful business? You must open yourself up to be the conduit for the larger universal consciousness and the desires it carries with it. Look at life through this filter, and then you can almost predict who’s going to become successful and who isn’t. Others may perceive it as luck, but those who channel this energy know differently.

Happy-go-lucky

Attitude also plays into it a lot. If the universe has desires, we’re talking big picture consciousness, why is it going to express itself and reveal the secrets to you?

We’re not going to be open to these opportunities if we’re stressed out, playing the blame game, or in a state of inaction. The high level consciousness will skim right over us and onto the gal who IS motivated, happy-go-lucky and proactive. The universe tries to give us these gifts; it’s our job to keep being enthusiastic, positive, and FUN to attract them!

If you were going to hang out with someone for the duration of a project, wouldn’t you prefer them to be energetic, happy and bright? As opposed to a negative excuse maker who constantly complains? I know whom I’d rather partner with. It’s the same for universal energy.

See Also: 4 Ways to Enjoy Each Day and Do More With Your Life 

Luck is a way of thinking and behaving. If you think you’re lucky, you’re going to put yourself in the headspace where you’ll attract it. You must keep making the moves, taking the actions with positive attitude and playfulness. But ultimately, you must believe in the magic of the bigger picture consciousness. Become a servant to your chosen ideal, remain grounded in who you are, and watch as luck gravitates towards you.

Good luck on your journey!
Shane Krider

 

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The day of love is upon us, Valentines Day! Some look forward to this day as they await patiently for their flower or candy delivery from their loved one. For others, it’s a good day to call in sick, watch slasher films, and avoid the commercialized symbolism of love. I’m often asked about love and relationships. Many find it easy to get into a relationship but not too long afterward they feel dissatisfied.

There is a reason you stay on the relationship rollercoaster. It’s damn exciting…until you’re completely nauseated. You jump off and compose yourself but then jump right back on only remembering the thrill. It’s ok to do this for a while. What else is youth for? But if you’re caught in this cycle, it can be self-destructive.

If you’re ready for lasting love instead of swiping tinder on your lunch break or hitting the hottest happy hours in hopes of getting swept off your barstool, try these three steps.

DECIDE what you really want in a mate

Many can jabber on about physical features or the size of a desired bank account. But let’s get real folks; that’s not all there is to it. What you really want from a life partner is similar to what you want for yourself in the future. Opposites may attract but they usually don’t last.

What are your hobbies, desires, ideology that you would like to have in common with a mate? What do you need from a partner emotionally?

Make a list of what is truly important to you. Also, make a list of things you do NOT want. Does sarcasm rub you the wrong way? If you’re a thrill seeker, don’t entertain dating a homebody. Get specific with earnest attributes that are good for YOU. If you don’t have a clear picture of what you want, it will be hard for the Universe to accommodate you.

COMMIT to yourself

What does that mean? Commit to the list! You’ve taken the time to decide what kind of partner is right for you, so stick to it. Stop wasting time on everyone else. If you go out one night and meet Mr. GQ or Mr. Moneybags but he’s the opposite of what you truly desire, run the other way. Don’t get caught up in surface level characteristics; otherwise, you’ll be complaining how you’ve wasted six months (or longer) dating Mr. Wrong.

A friend once set me up on a dutch dinner date with someone who was supposedly a ‘real catch’ and outwardly he was. It was going great so afterward, we went to my place to watch a movie. Without asking me, he started eating my leftover takeout until it was gone. It was a red flag for me and I never took another call nor saw him again. When my friend ask why I didn’t return his call, I simply said, “Because he ate my cheeseburger”.

Okay, it’s wasn’t ALL about the burger. But I didn’t want to waste time when I was completely turned off on the first date. Some media outlets want you to think that there is only a small pool of single men or women so you better hook one quickly. That’s simply not true. When you commit to what’s right for you and show the Universe that you will not settle for less, it will provide.

See Also: How to Handle a New Relationship

ENGAGE on a personal level with the potential partner before engaging in any sexual activity

I’m not trying to suppress your sexual expression or feminism or whatever reason it is that you hop in the sack on the second date. It’s about your commitment you’ve made to yourself. Does he have the attributes on the list? And no you cannot rattle off questions the first night checking each item like you would go about your grocery list. It takes time.

Have those three hour long conversations on the phone. Take long walks together or Sunday drives. It’s easier to open up when you don’t have to make constant eye contact. Get to know each other on a genuine level. Sex is subjective so don’t muddy the water by jumping into the sack too quickly.

See Also: Tips for a Healthy Relationship

When you make definitive decisions about what’s right for you and stick to, it the Universe will make a path for that person. It’s really that simple.

Love and Light
Michele~

 

The post Get off the Roller Coaster: 3 Steps to a Lasting Relationship appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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When you’re in rehab, you have a support system of therapists, group leaders and fellow patients. However, when you go back to your everyday life, you may suddenly find yourself alone. It can be difficult to get through work and your other responsibilities without anyone there to soothe you.

Perhaps you don’t live near family and friends, or they’re enablers. They also may just not understand what you’re going through and not be able to help. If you don’t have a therapist you see regularly either, you may feel lost.

After rehab, it’s crucial that you have a period where you can transition back into your everyday life and get on your feet again. This can be difficult to do, especially when substance abuse was your primary coping mechanism. You need people you can turn to who are reliable, as well as places you can go if you feel like you’re slipping back into your old behaviors.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can garner support during this tough time. The following are places to look for support during your post-rehab recovery period:

Individual or Group Therapy

Before you exit rehab, you should be set up with a private therapist who has addiction counseling experience. If that didn’t happen, ask your rehab for referrals.

Depending on your situation, you may want to visit a marriage or family therapist, too. An alternative to individual or family therapy is addiction group therapy, which may be lower in cost and give you more of a support system.

Peer-to-Peer Support Groups

Recovery support groups, or peer-to-peer groups, are essential to your recovery. It’s been proven that when you join these types of meetings, you are much more likely to stay sober. Similar to rehab, you are connected with people who are going through the same or similar situations. They’ve all struggled with addiction and know where you are coming from, so you won’t feel like an outcast or like you don’t belong. In fact, you should feel accepted and related to.

Two popular peer-to-peer groups are Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. You can use Addiction.com’s meeting finder to determine the most convenient location for you. In AA and NA, participants stand up, explain why they are in the group and how it has changed their life, as well as what their path to recovery has been like. Then, other members can volunteer to talk about their stories too. You may even establish a relationship with a sponsor you can call if you’re in need of help or you just want to check in. These are informal settings, so there is no pressure to share or connect with a sponsor if you don’t want to.

Organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence give you information on the various types of meetings available as well.

You may also find support within your local church, synagogue or mosque, or you can use a toll-free telephone hotline if you find yourself in need. Most of these hotlines are staffed 24/7 with helpful individuals who can give you referrals for additional support.

Your Rehab Facility

If you live near your rehab facility, they may provide support to you as part of an ongoing outpatient program. Most likely, your rehab will set you up with support outside of the facility. They will be there for you in your time of need, however, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them at any point.

A Successful Recovery Is Possible

Addiction recovery is not easy. Without the care and support of friends, family and professionals, you may feel like you can’t get through the hard times.

But don’t despair. Wherever you live, you can find a meeting, a therapist, friends, or simply pick up the phone to talk to someone on a hotline. Always remember that it’s normal to need help from a variety of sources at this time, even if it means going to groups and talking one-on-one with mental health professionals.

A full recovery outside of rehab is possible. It just takes time, patience and a little work to find the support you need to succeed.

See Also: 8 Drug Addiction Treatment Programs To Help You Break Free

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The funny thing about credit scores is that hardly anyone ever notices them until you need to buy a big ticket item. Swiping left and right is all fun and games until you need to make an adult purchase — like a house or a car. Chances are, you’ll need to take on a home loan or get car finance. Seems simple, right?

Now, imagine being excited to finally get the car of your dreams and then all of a sudden your application gets rejected because you have bad credit.

What does having bad credit mean?

When you try to borrow money from any institution, the deciding factor on whether or not you’ll be given a loan (or how big the loan will be) is your credit score. In the simplest sense, your credit score is the expression or representation of your trustworthiness with borrowed money from the lender’s point of view.

This score is determined by a form of point system in which the numbers are taken from your credit history. When you pull together the sum total of these points, you get a statistical “proof” of your reliability with debt.

Your score can sit anywhere between 0 and 1200. The higher your score, the higher your chances of being given a loan or finance (GOOD CREDIT). This is because higher scores generally tell financiers that you’re more likely to make repayments on time (or at all). In the same way, the lower your score, the lower your chances of getting a lease or loan, and the more wary institutions would be in lending to you (BAD CREDIT).

How do I get a good credit score?

The process of getting a good credit score is pretty straightforward. All of the basic things that lenders want you to do are already within the realm of your responsibility.

Here are few general rules for keeping a healthy credit score:

• Don’t max out your credit cards
• Make repayments on time
• Don’t skip on payments – make an arrangement
• Pay attention to notices and respond as soon as possible
• Check your credit report regularly to ensure that all information is in order
• If/as soon as you find them, fix any mistakes that have been made on your credit report

Getting a bad credit report, on the other hand, entails doing the exact opposite. If you miss out on payments or forgo them altogether, or if you keep maxing out your credit cards, you will get a bad credit score. The more late payments, maxed out cards,or notices you ignore, the more negatively impacted your credit score will be.

See Also: 4 Ways to Start Building Great Credit 

How to find out if I have bad credit

The simplest way to find out is by checking your credit report. Australian credit reporting agencies like Veda should be able to help you with this. It does take a bit of time because of its application process and requirements, but this should definitely be your first step to checking for your credit health.

Even without checking your credit report, there are a few warning signs that you’re going towards the wrong end of the credit spectrum.

Pay attention if or when you start to get multiple call and letters from debt agencies. This is a tell tale sign that your score may be going lower and lower.

The same goes for having a flurry of unpaid bills, credit card defaults, overdue balances, and notices of assessment from debt collectors. You don’t have to experience all of these at the same time. Being in just one of these situations is already a red flag for your credit report.

How does bad credit affect me?

As discussed earlier, your credit score shows lenders how reliable you’ll be with repayments should they lend or loan to you. Bad credit limits your options on who to borrow from, how much will be lent to you, and the interest rates of your loan. While there are financing institutions who will give you second chance car finance or bad credit home loans, they may be a little trickier to find.

While debt and credit relations are a little more common knowledge, there are a few seemingly unrelated effects to having bad credit. Who would have thought that landlords would actually check credit before letting you sign a lease? If you find yourself having difficulties getting approved for an apartment, it may be time to check your credit score.

You’d also be surprised to know that certain jobs especially in upper management, actually require you to have a good credit history. You can be turned down for a job or promotion because of things like bankruptcy, large debts, outstanding bills, and other negative items in your credit report.

They don’t look at your scores per se, rather things that may potentially affect your job performance. The expectation is that the more personal financial problems you have, the more likely and negatively impacted your performance will be.

How do I fix my credit rating?

The whole irony of the situation is that, more often than not, you have to take on another loan to fix a credit rating that may have gone down due to previous loans. The idea is to repair your credit by showing lenders that you can use credit responsibly. The trouble is — having bad credit makes access to new credit or new loans quite difficult. This is much like the whole “Need a job for experience – need experience for a job” kind of scenario.

Before you go around looking for new loans to take out, start first with what you have. Make sure that your existing home and utility bills, phone bills, internet bills, credit card bills and other recurring bills are paid for regularly. This way you get into the habit of paying for things on time and managing your money better.

Once you’re comfortable with this new routine, start small before going big. Take out a small loan or apply for a credit card to prove that you are financially trustworthy. If you can make repayments on time, lenders may just give you the benefit of the doubt with a larger loan.

If there is a larger more immediate need, let’s say for a car for a new job, you can also go with bad credit car loan companies to help you out. Interests might be a little higher, but they do create repayment packages that make it easier for tighter cash flows.

A car lease with rent-to-own option, even from a second chance car finance company, will definitely help you boost your credit rating — if you’re always on time with repayments. It also helps you kill two birds with one stone considering you’ll be rebuilding credit while having the vehicle that you need.

See Also: 6 Step To Improve Your Credit Score Now 

 

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I got a message this morning from a guy in London who wanted my advice on setting up a peer-to-peer taxi service to rival Uber and Lyft. He reckoned he had a USP, but I was already walking away from this assignment.

I explained that he’d broken one of the basic rules of goal-setting. The one about reality.

Uber raised over $12bn to get where they are, Lyft around $2bn so far. My loner in his home office might manage that, but chances are he won’t. Ever.

Of course, he also might win the lottery. All he has to do is buy a ticket, right?

I like to be brutally honest with my clients. More to redirect than demoralize of course, so here are 5 ways to test if your well-meaning idea might never create a successful business.

Reason 1: Barriers to entry

Many industries require big investment in machinery, technology and people just to get started. That’s a barrier to entry if you’ve got limited access to funds.

Other barriers could be the need to obtain licences, authorisation or qualifications before you’re able to trade. The most common barrier though, is the cost of being heard.

Do you have a viable route to market at a price you can afford?

If you don’t, then find a different idea.

Reason 2: Misaligned skills

You’re an accounts assistant looking to escape the grind of the company you’re working for. Setting up your own bookkeeping firm might be a realistic goal.

On the other hand, deciding to launch a children’s nursery just because you have a child of your own isn’t an indicator of success by itself. Learning ABOUT your business whilst also learning how to run it might just be a stretch too far.

Think “I am able to do this” rather than a loose “I would like to do this”.

Reason 3: Poor goal-setting

It’s been said many times, many ways that goals need to be specific, measurable and realistic. Beyond that, your goals need to inspire you.

Goals are not just about numbers. You have to really WANT to achieve them. You have to live and breathe your goals. Missing them has to feel like dying.

Can you quantify goals that mean the world to you?

You should.

See Also: Gardeners Have the Secret Sauce for Goal-Setting 

Reason 4: Me-too!

It’s tempting and even inspiring to look at a successful business and think “I could do that”. Maybe you could, but here’s the news: they already did it.

The market for anything can only take a certain supply before it’s saturated. New entrants then face an uphill struggle to be heard, and a downhill race to the bottom as they attempt to compete on price.

Try this instead: do something new and better.

Reason 5: No market

I had a friend who had a hunch. Actually, more an itch he had to scratch.

Based on his experience of fixing his mother’s washing machine (and thereby saving her the perceived cost of replacement), he reckoned he could start his own domestic appliance repair business.

He had a van and some tools, right?

Wrong. Nobody fixes their white goods anymore, as he found out too late.

Cost of replacement is low, products are generally reliable and extended warranties abound. As the TV Dragons might say: Congratulations, you’ve found a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist!

Brain Tattoo:

Don’t waste your precious life trying to polish a poo.
Every successful business starts with a great idea.
Find yours, and connect to it.

See Also: Five Steps To Turn Doing What You Love Into A Successful Business

 

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