When I was a kid in high school I would on occasion, through no design of my own, wind up in the guidance counselors office. Being in the counselors office is about as uplifting as those occasional trips to the principal's office. You know you're there for some kind of reality check, some assessment of an unfortunate incident that we all wish hadn't happened. Maybe you could even use a little guidance, or even some counseling. You're just not sure those guys - the counselor and the principal - are in touch with the same reality as you, or could counsel their way out of a paper bag. Ever been there?

In my counselors office there was a sign - a well intentioned platitude with a half-hearted cartoon in bright colors: some guy with a toothy mug like Jerry Lewis, smiling and swinging from a knotted rope. If you've ever been to the counselor's office, you know the one I'm talking about. It says, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

Now, that's a fine idea - it really is - but where the thing breaks down is that it fails to tell you how. The counselor doesn't give you that. In fact, nobody gives you that unless you pay $3495 to a private coach or escape to Hawaii for a weekend with Tony Robbins. Not a bad idea actually, come to think of it.

But that's what you have me around for. I'm here to give you the goods, and it won't cost you a cent. (Of course, I'm not going to stop you from investing your hard earned cash.) I'm not the kind of guy to look at you over some horn rimmed glasses and wag a pasty finger in your face, especially when all you're looking for might be a little reality check. So here's what it means to tie a knot and hang on.

Keep Your Eyes On Your Own Paper

There's a lot of crazy stuff going on right now that you can read about in Today's News, and it is awful. For instance, people out of a job are resorting to wacky methods of gaining some quick cash, things that could give them just a little more security than they're looking for - like Maximum Security. It's a reflection of these tough economic times, and the constant news about the rise in crime and abundant general misfortune can really bring you down. In fact, it can be downright debilitating if you let it.

So what do you do when it looks like the world's going a little cuckoo? Keep your eyes on your own paper. You know what I mean: mind your own business. If you're looking at how desperate other people are, you're not likely to keep an optimistic attitude. So turn off the news a little earlier and turn on your faith in humanity... your faith in yourself. Do those little things that keep your inner light shining, and count the number of things that are going right. It's like when you're behind the wheel of a car - you're always going where you're looking. So look up. You'll be amazed how far a decision like that will take you.

Play the Game For Keeps

One of the most mentally liberating things I do is play solitaire. No joke! It keeps the active part of my mind occupied while the rest of my brain mulls over the solution to a problem or tacks some fresh perspective on an old situation. There's something about a solo game of cards that frees my mind.

Yet every once in awhile I find myself in a solitaire slump, and I gotta tell you it bugs me. It's as if no amount of effort is going to set those cards right, and every deal is just this side of flat lousy. That's when I turn it on. If I get stuck, there's this part of me that just takes over if I let it. There's a voice that murmurs from the back of beyond, What would you do right now if losing was not an option? Pretty soon the game shifts, all hesitation dissipates, and I find myself making choices - taking risks I wouldn't ordinarily take. They're calculated, sure. But it's a whole other game when I'm playing for keeps.

In cards and in life, if losing's not an option then winning is the only option. In times like these you simply have to go with your gut. You turn it on, shift into overdrive. Your mind functions at another level and circumstances align themselves to your advantage. You see openings you would have missed before, and you find yourself on this side of winning.

3 Things You Can Hold Onto

Sometimes when things look tough, it can feel like you've got rope burns on the palms of your hands. When it seems like that knot's getting pretty frayed, there are a lot of things you can do to keep yourself in line and living like a fat cat. Here are 3 of them.

   1. Set Goals - Now, some people think goal setting is a lengthy process, something that's maybe 6 weeks to get through, or requires some goal setting manual that weighs like a brick. Nevermind all that. Just write down 3 to 5 things you really, really want in the next 3 months. Put a date on it. Take a look at your list a few times a day. Your activity will pull you toward reaching these goals and carry you over any bumps in the road along the way.
   2. Have A Reason Why - Give yourself a motivating force to drive your activity. It's not enough to say you want two million dollars. Know clearly what you intend to do with it, and let this reason stir you inside. When you're hungry enough for it, you'll find a way to get it.
   3. Diversify Your Source of Power - Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Have more than one job skill. Speak more than one language. Invest in more than one financial vehicle. Enjoy more than one hobby. Even have more than one circle of friends. Diversify. The rewards will enrich your life. If any one aspect of your life gets upset, you'll still have all your other strengths, assets and options to rely on.


One thing that history has shown is the indomitability of the human spirit. That goes for you, too. So hang in there... especially when times are good!

Until next time,
JS
Spokesman

SectorMatic Money Site
Everything for the Big Spender on a Budget

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yeah yeah yeah...just because you're right, Jack, doesn't mean goal-setting is easy. Like men and busses, there's another coming along in 3 minutes. At least for this touchy-feely. :-?