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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Anyone Can Become a Millionaire by Following a Few Simple Steps


Nest egg © Stockbyte Gold/Getty Images

Becoming a millionaire isn’t all that difficult and there are countless ways to achieve that milestone. Some people do it through real estate, others start their own business, while some simply get lucky by winning the lottery or winning big on a game show. What is even more interesting is that you don’t have to be wealthy to begin with nor do you have to earn six figures to reach this goal.

I know some people who earn well over $100,000 and all they have to show for it is a large mortgage payment and a fancy car that depreciates faster than a glass of milk left outside in the summer sun. Anyone can become a millionaire and there are five things you need to do to have the best shot of making that a reality.


1. Earn Income.

Clearly, the more money you make, the faster you can reach that milestone, but that doesn’t mean your average Joe with a average income can’t obtain millionaire status. The current median income in this country ranges between $35,000-$60,000, depending on where you live. Better yet, get married so you have dual incomes. The wonderful thing about having dual incomes is that even with two people in the household, your income may double, but your expenses typically don’t.

If you don’t earn even an average income, all is not lost. It is up to you to do something about it. A negative attitude about your job or your earning potential won’t change anything. Be proactive and make the decision to improve your situation. It is your life, so take control and realize that things don’t change overnight. It may take a few years of slow growth before you reach the point where you want to be, but you can do it if you try. Remember, short of inheriting money from a relative or winning the lottery, you will need income to become a millionaire.

2. Live Within Your Means.

Ok, so you have income but now what? It doesn’t matter how much money you make if you spend it all or spend even more than you make. It might be nice to eat out at nice restaurants every night, or to always be on the cutting edge of designer fashion but, this will only make you feel like a millionaire. This doesn’t mean you have to live a miserable and miserly lifestyle, but you simply need to live reasonably.

Start by purchasing a home that you can comfortably afford and drive vehicles that suit your lifestyle without straining your budget. You don’t have to be pulling down $75,000 a year and drive a 1992 Civic Hatchback or live in a dump, but throwing your money at a 4,000 square foot home in a gated community with luxury cars or SUVs that cost as much as one year of your salary won’t help you become a millionaire. Some may argue that an expensive home and real estate in general is a good way to become a millionaire, but I will touch on that later.

3. Save Money.

This isn’t rocket science but if you earn a reasonable income and you live within your means, guess what, you will probably have money left over to save. The problem most people have is they put savings last, as an afterthought. People pay bills, buy things and then whatever is leftover they try to save. That is the wrong way to save. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but pay yourself first. Whether it is $100 a month or $1,000 a month, think of the savings as a bill that needs to be paid and do it regularly. If you are unable to save money you will find that your only wealth is in the form of material things. Start saving today with a high-yield online savings account

4. Invest Wisely.

Now that you are saving money, you need to invest it wisely. Sticking it under the mattress isn’t going to help you reach your goals any faster. You don’t have to read the Wall Street Journal or watch CNBC everyday while actively managing your portfolio in order to be a good investor. Some of the best investment advice is to simply buy and hold and to buy low and sell high.

It is also important to remember that real estate is part of your investment picture, but it shouldn’t be all of it. Too many people stake almost everything they have into a primary residence and expect it to appreciate in value. Just like any investment, generally speaking, over time you will make money. There isn’t much debate about that, but relying heavily on real estate is no different than if you rely on one stock to fund your retirement. Start investing for free – trade stocks for free at Zecco.

5. Stick With Your Plan.

If you have done the previous four items the only thing left to do is to continue doing it and stick to the plan. As far as income is concerned, always be on the lookout for ways to increase your income, whether it is through climbing the ladder at your current job, finding work elsewhere, or maybe even starting a business on the side. Increased income will mean you can save even more, provided you aren’t foolishly spending the additional money. As that additional money gets tucked away into savings or investments it will continue to grow even more quickly.

It Isn’t Hard to Do if You Work at It



Unfortunately, most people are looking for a way to get rich quick or to capitalize on the next big thing. It is true that some people have made their wealth through playing the real estate market, while others have done so by investing in a few stocks that exploded, but this is the exception and not the norm. If the above list seems overly simplistic, that’s good. There are no secrets to becoming a millionaire and almost anyone has the chance to make it happen. The process is simple:

1. Make money
2. Don’t spend all of your money
3.
Save some money
4.
Invest that money
5. Repeat

Certainly, there are many factors in play that can make this easier or more difficult for different people. This is simply the process that you can use in order to reach that goal, whether it is in 5 years or 50, if you follow a few basic steps you can do it.


How to Use Eye Contact to Make a Good Impression :D


Have you ever wondered why some people seem to make new friends so easily, while others find it so hard to form successful relationships with new people?

Researchers who study relationships have discovered that a big difference between those people who make new friends easily, and those who don't, is that socially successful people tend to make eye contact with their conversation partners much more frequently than those who are less successful socially.

Many shy people never make eye contact at all. When speaking with others, people who are socially unsuccessful and who have a hard time making new friends, are more likely to look down at the ground, or look away. They rarely will look at the face of the person they are talking with.

If you have been less successful in making friends than you wish, you may be able to become much more socially successful by making this one simple change to your behaviorMost North Americans, especially those who are Caucasian, prefer to have a lot of eye contact when they are talking with someone. When a person doesn't make eye contact with them, North Americans tend to assume that person is hiding something. The very phrase "shifty-eyed" connotes a person whose eyes dart around the room, implying that they are untrustworthy.

When you are having a conversation with someone and you want to leave a friendly impression, be sure to keep looking at that person frequently while you are talking. You don't need to use a piercing stare, a friendly gaze will do.

If it really bothers you to look directly into another person's eyes, you can look at the person's face without focusing solely on the eyes. If you gaze generally at the eyebrow area or the bridge of the nose, this is close enough to the eye region that you will appear to be looking at the person's eyes. You may find that it eases your own discomfort if you let your vision go slightly out of focus.

Whenever you are in conversation with someone, keep the majority of your focus on the other person. If you glance around the room too much, or look too frequently at otherpeople, your conversation partner may assume that you are bored, or that you are looking around for someone else you would rather talk with.

If you have difficulty knowing exactly how to make eye contact, you can benefit from practicing in front of a mirror, or practice with another person.

Don't stare at other people too intensely however! A very intense, unblinking stare can make your conversation partners feel very uncomfortable.

You can lighten the impression you are making by smiling more often, nodding, and by gazing at the entire face as well as the eyes. In addition, you can frequently glance away for brief periods.

When people get the sense that you are really paying attention to them, and that you enjoy talking with them, they will be much more likely to want to have conversations with you!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

DEPRESSiON - treatment & information


Depression is one of the most common psychological problems, affecting nearly everyone through either personal experience or through depression in a family member. Each year over 17 million American adults experience a period of clinical depression. The cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. Depression can interfere with normal functioning, and frequently causes problems with work, social and family adjustment. It causes pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the depressed person.

Impact of Depression:

  • Causes tremendous emotional pain
  • Disrupts the lives of millions of people
  • Adversely affects the lives of families and friends
  • Reduces work productivity and absenteeism
  • Has a significant negative impact on the economy, costing an estimated $44 billion a year

Depression and bipolar depression are presented separately on this website because of the unique problems encountered with bipolar disorder. Individuals interested in information about bipolar disorder should also review the information on depression, as bipolar disorder usually includes depressive episodes as well. Bipolar disorder was formerly called manic-depressive disorder. It is a type of depression, and it characterized by the presence of mood swings, especially "manic highs" that often result in high risk, self-damaging behavior. Most individuals with bipolar disorder have both depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes.

Depression is a psychological condition that changes how you think and feel, and also affects your social behavior and sense of physical well-being. We have all felt sad at one time or another, but that is not depression. Sometimes we feel tired from working hard, or discouraged when faced with serious problems. This too, is not depression. These feelings usually pass within a few days or weeks, once we adjust to the stress. But, if these feelings linger, intensify, and begin to interfere with work, school or family responsibilities, it may be depression.

Depression can affect anyone. Once identified, most people diagnosed with depression are successfully treated. Unfortunately, depression is not always diagnosed, because many of the symptoms mimic physical illness, such as sleep and appetite disturbances. Recognizing depression is the first step in treating it.

Nearly two-thirds of depressed people do not get proper treatment:

  • The symptoms are not recognized as depression.
  • Depressed people are seen as weak or lazy.
  • Social stigma causes people to avoid needed treatment.
  • The symptoms are so disabling that the people affected cannot reach out for help.
  • Many symptoms are misdiagnosed as physical problems
  • Individual symptoms are treated, rather than the underlying cause.

Clinical depression is a very common psychological problem, and most people never seek proper treatment, or seek treatment but they are misdiagnosed with physical illness. This is extremely unfortunate because, with proper treatment, nearly 80% of those with depression can make significant improvement in their mood and life adjustment.



Roll Top Laptop

ROLL TOP LAPTOP

Some geeks are crazier than we imagine. Thanks to their craziness and some great OLED technology, we might soon have laptops that have gone the way of those charming papyrus scrolls of ancient times. Ah yes, if Orkin Design's Rolltop ever comes into our lives, even the zippiest laptops of today may become pieces of history that our children will learn from a trip to the museum.

Okay, that's easier said than done, but no harm in letting ourselves oggle and drool over this crazy German invention that looks (and functions) like a laptop/tablet, but rolls up like a hedgehog when you are done. The Rolltop is the concept for a laptop/tablet PC that has a flexible, multitouch OLED display that spreads out in a 17-inch screen when open, but rolls up into a 13-inch portable cylinder when closed. The stylus, power adapter and USB ports are all on a detachable stand while the other standard accompaniments such as the mouse, keyboard, webcam and power cable are integrated beautifully into the Rolltop itself. And the OLED display also means a much lower power consumption and an "outstanding" battery life.

Is that the most awesome design we've set our eyes on lately? Nah. That's an understatement.

rolltop-concept.jpg

Imagine if you could roll up your laptop like a newspaper and open it when required, and what if you could turn your laptop into a primary monitor if you wanted to play some awesome video games?
Well all these are possible with the cool new conceptual ROLL TOP Laptop concept, which is being touted as a Future Designer Laptop.
Orkin Design has unveiled this cool new concept with the support of Schlagheck-Design and the device comes with a flexible display which can be rolled and carried wherever you want. This goes beyond the traditional book like laptops which are cumbersome to say the least.

Thanks to its OLED-Display technology and a multi touch screen, it can be used a laptop while it weighs as much as mini notebook. It comes with a 13 inch screen while being used a laptop and when being used as a monitor, you could get a cool 17 inches screen. Power supply, multi media integrated pen and even a holding belt are integrated in the ROLL TOP and it certainly is an all-in-one gadget.