Health

Stay positive

Stay Positive And Being Positive

Money Maroon

It is amazing how much better our days are when we stay positive. It is simple, when you give off good vibes/energy, it is likely to return to you. Just think of how a smile will almost always be responded to with a smile. On the other hand, with a frown, you will likely get a reciprocal emotion in return. Achieve your goals and impact those around you by staying positive.

Staying Positive Is Not About Ignoring Reality

When you are being positive, it is really not about ignoring reality. The fact of the matter is, life is happening around us. While there are a lot of bad things on going, there is also the good. Here, we are not saying that there is always a bright side and that the worst of an event should be ignored. What we are saying is, stay positive, while acknowledging the not so pleasant part of life. 

It is important to understand the things that we can change and then take action to change these things to favor what it is that you are trying to achieve. Be present for what is taking place around you but stay positive and maintain perspective.

Stay positive, be positive

Staying Positive Is A Choice

No matter what is happening in life, it is your choice whether or not you will stay positive. Take as an example being cut off by someone on the road. Yes, the first reaction is to get angry, be upset and as it is common for many of us to pull up next to the person that cut us off to show our displeasure. Others may take it much further and that is where we see episodes of road rage. The above was all a choice. The decisions that we make have a direct impact on our lives and the lives of those around us.

Let us approach the above situation differently. Following being cut off, you could choose to stay positive, be thankful that you did not get into an accident and continue on your way. Note that being cut off is only a few second of your day. You have so many more thousands of seconds in this day. Do not allow an action by another to ruin the rest of your day or your life. It is really your choice. 

Stay Positive  And Create Opportunity

Have you realized how difficult it is to be creative when your mood is in the gutter. If you accept that there is no way out of a situation or dwell on the worst of a situation, you will never be able to lift your head up to see all the opportunities. It is only when you stay positive and keep perspective, that you are able to fully appreciate the entirety of a situation and be able to formulate a plan to take advantage of what is available.

In some instance, instead of focusing on what you do not have, focus on how lucky you are to have what you do. Then go and make use of what you have to exploit the opportunities present. Further, do not focus on your failures, learn from them. Stay positive and learn where things went wrong and adjust your strategy and approach accordingly. Stay positive and see a learning opportunity in everything that occurs in life, good or bad.

Your mind is a powerful tool. If you stay positive, you not only affect those around you, but also those around those who are around you. One person does make a difference, choose to be that difference. Start by having a positive attitude.

Conclusion

It is amazing how much better our days are when we stay positive. It is simple, when you give off good vibes/energy, it is likely to return to you. Just think of how a smile will almost always be responded to with a smile. On the other hand, with a frown, you will likely get a reciprocal emotion in return. Achieve your goals and impact those around you by staying positive.

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When can I retire

When Can I Retire?

Money Maroon

When can I retire? How can I retire? Where can I retire? These are questions that we all have at one point or another. Sometimes, we begin to ask ourselves these questions once we are a few years into our careers, or at a career/life crossroad. At times, we ask these questions not because we “hate” our jobs. Of course, hating your job will no doubt lead to these questions. More times than not, we ask these questions as a matter of wanting freedom. The freedom to do whatever you want. The freedom to spend the limited time you have on this planet as you want. The problem, for many of us, when can I retire is not a question that is our decision alone. The decision to retire is intricately linked to your financial ability to support your retirement.

Can you retire?

Do You Have Enough 

If you are seriously asking the question of when can I retire, you must appreciate the financial factors that are driving whether or not you can retire. How much do you have in retirement savings/investments? This includes funds that are currently in personal accounts, retirement accounts and government sponsored accounts.

With regard to personal accounts, think about savings, property and investment accounts. With regard to retirement accounts, consider your tax advantage accounts such as roth accounts, 403(b), 457(b) and 401k or related like retirement accounts.  The third component to consider is the value of your government sponsored accounts such as your social security.

Now that you have an inventory of your accounts and their value, consider how much you currently spend? What is your projected spending during retirement? When you retire, will you continue to work part-time or will this be a complete retirement? What you are trying to get an estimate on is your cost of retirement and can you afford it. Well, can you?

Location, Location, Location

You have heard this before? The three things that matter in property is location, location, location. Location not only matters when it comes to property, location also matters when it comes to your retirement. Location matters because it will significantly impact your cost of living. Consider not only the cost of goods but also healthcare and taxes. Also, I forgot, location will also impact the type of life that you will have during retirement. Do you want to be sitting on the beach or do you want to be on a farm? Again, location, location, location.

Your Health

There is no point to wealth if you do not have health. I figure you would not want to be hooked up to an I.V drip while having millions of dollars in the bank. If you do not have good health, it is likely that your retirement will be a very expensive endeavor. So have you been taking care of your health? Who will pay for your healthcare? Are you old enough to be covered by a government subsidized plan or will you be paying out of pocket for an expensive premium? This could seriously impact your retirement plans. So when you ask when can I retire, think not only about your financial health but also your literal health.

When Can I Retire?

When can you retire? Well, it depends at least on the above. It depends on what you have saved for retirement. It also depends on what government sponsored programs you are eligible for, the location where you will retire and also your health. It all matters. Once you are able to assess where you are financially, location wise and your health situation, you will have a very good view of when you can retire. Of course, no plan is perfect and life is unpredictable. Who thought we would have a pandemic in 2020 and the related impact. But as is famously stated, “a dream without a plan is a wish.” Evaluate the situation and have a plan.

Conclusion

When can I retire? How can I retire? Where can I retire? These are questions that we all have at one point or another. Sometimes, we begin to ask ourselves these questions once we are a few years into our careers, or at a career/life crossroad. At times, we ask these questions not because we “hate” our jobs. Of course, hating your job will no doubt lead to these questions. More times than not, we ask these questions as a matter of wanting freedom. The freedom to do whatever you want. The freedom to spend the limited time you have on this planet as you want. The problem, for many of us, when can I retire is not a question that is our decision alone. The decision to retire is intricately linked to your financial ability to support your retirement. Can you?

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