Your responses were right on, Marsha!!!

I too am miffed over the avalanche of doomsday advocates! I still try to
spread optimism wherever I can, despite the mess we’ve inherited from the
greedy and sometime corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.  Additionally, I’m
deeply disappointed that the initial solutions being offered appear to
reward the same individuals who were largely responsible for these very same
evil deeds.

Nonetheless, I’m hopeful there will remain enough American ingenuity,
strength of character and belief in our free enterprise/capitalistic system
to regenerate our economy.  Let us hope that the nation’s latest dallying
with a semi-”socialist agenda” has not yet become a part of the American
psyche during the current political hysteria.

However, I do plan to continue exerting optimism in all my own personal and
professional actions whenever possible.

I note one rather decent side effect of our current economic woes.  I have
definitely detected an earnest attempt of folks to be nicer and more helpful
to one other, realizing we all are suffering to some degree from the same
economic virus!~  Shop owners appear to be eager to serve you; restaurant
managers and servers greet customers with a new enthusiasm.  Is this my
imagination? I also feel that neighbors are in a more helpful mood these
days, despite their own personal concerns.

In addition I continue to express additional interest in (and when possible,
extend small tokens of aid) to the many wonderful non-profit organizations
who valiantly continue to aid the growing number of those in need.

Thanks, Marsha, for your excellent responses to the queries made. Very
stimulating.

How long has it lasted and is it abating given the government intervention of the past several days? I think they should have passed the first bailout and not added all the pork. Some of the issues added are totally stupid and MY tax dollars are paying for it.  Now that ticks me off. Can being ticked off be considered anxiety?

Are people you work with experiencing anxiety and depression and have they been willing to discuss it with you? Yes – anxiety.
Is your company doing anything collectively to address emotional difficulties among staff and what are those measures? No it is business as usual – and for some reason when the economy gets crazy, my business remains steady.

Do you find your own emotional barometer paralleling that of the stock market and to what extent is activity on the stock market an accurate reflection of our economic wellbeing in the U.S.? I think the economic barometer is 50% right.  I also think there are many global entities that can manipulate the market electronically.  I cannot change that, but what I can do is vote for people that I believe will act in the best interest of my family and my business.  I believe it is time for every US citizen to take personal responsibility for their spending habits, their credit scores and to dump their sense of entitlement.

Think about what JFK said … Ask not what you country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. I am personally hearing people say … Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your government can do for you.  I’m sick of it. I will continue to focus on personal responsibility for all!

What would have to happen for you to feel rejuvenated and confident about business and the U.S. economy? For the stock market to stabilize, eliminate pork spending, reduce my taxes, stop the entitlement programs, make people take personal responsibility for their choices, and control illegal immigration.  I still see “hiring smiling faces” signs all over the place.  We have many citizens that could take these jobs but they are too proud. We need strong leadership, experience and a business perspective elected to cure our problems.  And we still live in the best country in the world – warts and all.

Are you doing anything or several things to elevate your mood like listening to upbeat music, reading motivational materials, increasing exercise, etc? Please describe.  I don’t listen to the news.  I have a home page set up on my computer with “snippets” of what is happening in the world.  It takes me about 2 minutes to understand to take the global pulse.  Otherwise, I continue to read stimulating books, exercise daily and communicate with up beat people.

With the holidays approaching are you doing anything to limit expectations among family friends or are you planning something different to celebrate at this difficult time? Ask friends to donate to my favorite charity Arizona Magic of Music and Dance for Special Needs Children vs. giving gifts.  Charities will take a big hit in this economy so we need to give them extra focus – especially around the holidays.
Would love to hear from you.  What are your thoughts?  Marsha

You might enjoy this too – Marsha’s live appearance on Radio!
Download File <https://rcpt.yousendit.com/616933563/eba8451397ecacc0cf9cdaf1553fa9a9>

In today’s economic environment, many people are paying more attention to their monthly budgets than they have in a long time. One of the best ways to rein in your budget is to get a handle on your spending habits. The tips below can help you figure out where your money is going every month, and whittle down unnecessary expenses.

Taking inventory. To help you get a true picture of your spending, try writing down everything you spend money on during the course of a month. That means writing down not only your major expenses, but also those quick trips to the gas station, grocery store, coffee shop, movie theater, fast food restaurants, and so on. Include any bills paid quarterly and write down what the monthly expense equals.

Hierarchy of needs. Once you have all your expenses listed, it’s time to analyze them. The best place to start is by grouping your expenses using highlighters. Use one color to highlight “must haves” like your house, automobile, life insurance, utility payments and so on. Next, use a different color to highlight items that may be important occasionally, but aren’t required–such as, new clothes for work. Finally, use a different color to highlight unnecessary expenses that are nice, but could easily be cut out, such as mochas from the local coffee house. Now, you can make some purposeful decisions about what you can cut–starting with the easy items and working your way up to the important but not necessary. It’s not always “either-or.” For instance, you don’t have to cut out mochas altogether; instead, you can cut down to one per week as a special treat.

Give yourself an allowance. Sticking to your budget is easier if you have no other option. If you have a real spending problem, you may want to give yourself an allowance to live on. Try taking out $50 or $70 in cash for each week and putting your credit cards and checkbook in a safe place. When you spend money, you’ll actually see it leave your wallet…which means you’ll see the impact more dramatically. This forces you to make some tough decisions. After all, if you go to lunch on Wednesday, you may not be able to go to the movies on Friday night. It’ll be tough at first. But soon, being frugal will be second nature.

Stop window-shopping. Marketing is a powerful force. To help eliminate the urge to overspend, avoid filling your lunch hour or Saturday afternoons by walking around the mall. Instead, spend that time walking around a local park, reading a good book, or playing a board game with a good friend. When you do need to shop, make a plan to go to a specific store or two… and go with a list! Of course, the key to having a list is only shopping for the items on it–no more, no less.

Pedal to the metal. Make a list of all the places you drive and how far away they are. Then, get out your highlighters again. Use one color to highlight the items that are within 3 miles. These are the places that you can start walking to… that way you’ll save on gas and get some exercise in the process. Use a different color to highlight all the places that range from 3-10 miles. Those are the places you can start biking to. Of course, if you want to save even more, you can get rid of your car or a second vehicle altogether. Not only will you save on gas, but you’ll also free yourself from those ongoing car insurance and license expenses. If you live in a city with public transportation or where most of your stores are close by, this may also be an option worth exploring. Randy@ReBiz.com
http://www.mmgweekly.com/w/index.html?SID=4ebd440d99504722d80de606ea8507da

Email me for a list of other ideas to control yourself and your future!  Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com
Marsha Petrie Sue, MBA, CSP   www.MarshaPetrieSue.com