News
Haiti has been devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, the largest to hit the country in over 200 years. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the West and has had to face many disasters and trying times before. Haitians are in need of a great deal of help and you may be able to assist them. Here are a few links that list organizations which are helping the victims of this massive earthquake:
How to help victims of the Haiti earthquake – USA Today
Haiti earthquake: How to help – The Washington Post
Haiti earthquake: How to help: A list of charitable organizations active in the nation – MSNBC
In addition to donating to the organizations, please also consider sharing the above links of twitter, faceboook, etc. so that those who want to help can know where to go.
Swine Flu, H1N1, whatever you want to call it, has really gotten out of control. Well, technically it hasn’t gone out of control since there haven’t been millions of cases and deaths.
But in a week, the talk and worry about the flu has turned into something that has been blown way out of proportion.
Once you step back and look at the situation differently, you begin to realize it’s really not that bad.
To help you rethink this swine flu situation, here are 4 actual pandemics no one seems to be talking about, but may be having more of an impact on lives, including yours, than any flu. Don’t fret though, because included with each pandemic are ways you can cure yourself of the disease.
1. The news-created fear pandemic
The swine flu has become a “pandemic” because the news channels have turned it into such. Every new case is reported before it has even been confirmed. Many stations claim that people are in panic, yet I haven’t seen much of that. They get you glued to their program by telling you how to fight off the flu; which is such common sense advice such as, “wash your hands often.”
The real pandemic here is not the flu but the fear pandemic that many of the news programs conjure up to get eyeballs to their advertisers.
They did the same with the economy. Every day they discussed the rate of foreclosures and the declining stock market. They spiced up every story with dramatic words and phrases such as “nose dive” and “plummeted,” then they beat every one of these stories to death.
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So how can you break free of the omnipresent news-created fear?
- Filter the news yourself
If I were you, I’d skip news channels all together and rely on the internet. You can pick and choose what you want to know about. Even Twitter is a great way to stay up to date on real breaking news.
- Don’t watch for more than 20 minutes
If you must watch a news program, you’ve got to keep yourself from being sucked into fear and into watching for hours. Give yourself a limit of 10, 15, or 20 minutes. If there’s serious breaking news they’ll show it to you in that time.
2. The not realizing how fortunate we are pandemic
If this was the early 1900’s I would actually be fearful of the swine flu. Most likely the outbreak wouldn’t have even been detected yet. And by the time it would be detected, it’d be too late.
People have been tricked into believing that the 21st century is a much more dangerous world. There are terrorists all over, kids can’t play outdoors, and there’s more crime than ever. Yet, people are living longer than ever because we know more about our bodies and medical techniques have advanced.
Despite economic and environmental concerns, we live in very fortunate times.
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To break free of this mentality you’ve got to evaluate your life as often as possible to think of what you’re grateful to have and what you’re grateful to not have. Even when things are tough, you have to remember that someone else always has it worse.
I recommend checking out this post which lists a lot of staggering statistics that will show you just how fortunate you are: http://www.pluginid.com/sickening-stastics/
3. The hunger pandemic
According to the UN Millennium Project, a person dies every 3.5 seconds because of hunger; that’s 25,000 people each day. How often do we hear about this on the news?
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Curing hunger is an extremely difficult and long battle to fight, but one that each of us can help with. The easiest way to fight hunger is through donations. Here’s a previous article on great organizations that need your help: http://www.lyved.com/misc/feed-your-hunger-to-help/
4. The whine flu pandemic
This flu has run rampant across America and the rest of the world for generations and it’s been accepted.
The symptoms of the whine flu are:
- A sense of entitlement
- Excuses
- Complaints about life and money
- Laziness
Too many people don’t like the way their lives are, but they rather whine then do something about it and our society had accepted it. These people believe they deserve better just “because”, they come up with excuses such as, “I don’t have enough money.” They say their lives suck but they won’t even take the first step towards change.
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If you’re not one of these people, but have to listen to those who are, there’s really not much you can do to escape these whine flu zombies; they’re everywhere. However, if you’re strong willed and take one step toward a goal in your life every day; you’ll be able to keep yourself from being infected by them.
If you’re one of these people (you’re probably in denial if you are) who complains a lot about their lives but makes excuses instead of changing it, the best thing for you to do, is to realize that you’re the biggest obstacle in your life. The economy, the lack of money and knowledge can’t stop you like you can stop yourself.
Related articles:
- Economic Negativity Survival Kit
- 15 questions I want to ask you and the world
- 9 ways you can take advantage of this terrible economy
Feel like you need your own bailout?
Whether it is a rescue for your finances or reform to move your life in a new and better direction, you can perform a bailout for yourself. And it won’t cost you $700 billion or even $1. It’ll take hard work, self-discipline, and patience. But it’s the correct way to do it.
(Just a note; if you’re looking for financial advice, this is not really the article for you.)
How to know when you’re in need of a bailout:
- When you’ve become overwhelmed.
- When you’ve ever felt like saying: “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” (From Network)
- You don’t enjoy anything you do.
- Your life is not going the way you expected.
- Every step you take, forces you to take two back.
Firstly, what you need to do is compile a list containing the aspects of your life you dislike. Concentrate only on the most crucial ones though, and don’t just focus on one area of your life; many problems are only the outer shell of something even bigger. You might be having troubles with your finances but the real issue may lie within your attitude.
Next, think back to what got you into the troubles you’re facing and what moved your life in the wrong direction. Were you complacent? Greedy? foolish? You aren’t doing this to get frustrated and want to turn back the clock to start over; it’s for you to learn and move on. But, you don’t want to completely shut out the mistakes of your past.
Now, do a little planning. Think of where you really want to be, what type of goals you want to achieve, and how you’re going to get there. You certainly want to avoid rushing into your bailout like the government did. Sure they had Wall Street, America, and the rest of the world on the edge of their seats, but rushing to implement the bailout bill is going to cause many loopholes and ways for the greedy to take advantage.
Moving on; it’s time to lose some misconceptions:
- Money will fix all problems
This couldn’t be more untrue and I wish the government would realize this. Wall Street’s problems don’t need cash to be fixed. There needs to be reform, new laws that are strictly enforced, and loopholes need to be patched up. Money is just a quick fix. Even if it’s your finances, the real problems are in your judgment and in the way you handle your money.
- It’s pathetic to ask for help
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Ask for advice and ask questions, because the more you do, the more you learn. Just remember to meet those who help you, at least half way.
- Change will be quick
Sorry, but changing the direction of your life doesn’t happen that quickly. And even if change happens fast, sustaining is what takes the most patience.
- Your life is in turmoil
Relax. Just because you need a bailout, it doesn’t mean your life is falling apart. Sure, you’re going through a tough time, but who hasn’t? You’re not alone.
The dos and don’ts
- Don’t play the blame game
Almost any problem in your life has to be a little bit your fault. Don’t bother pointing fingers like the Republicans and Democrats. Just bite the bullet and get back to work.
- Do take responsibility
It’s a no-brainer; but the quicker you do take responsibility, the quicker you can move on in the right direction. Don’t be like many of the firms on Wall Street, keeping things on the “DL” and getting away with it (for now, karma will catch up with them). Read the story about this
- Do live within your means
Sure, it’s a cliché saying, but living within your means is the best way to get ahead and sometimes the fastest.
- Don’t wait for help
You can ask for help but don’t expect it to come. You don’t have time to wait like that.
- Don’t tear other people down
You don’t deserve any of the success you obtain if you do this.
- Do the opposite
Bring people up the ladder of success with you.
A quick bailout checklist
As I said in the beginning of this article, money is not important when you’re bailing yourself out. Here is a checklist for what you do need:
[ x ] Time – It’s already checked for you because everyone has time to move their life into a new direction. I don’t care if you have 2 jobs or 6 kids.
[ ] No animosity – There will be some people who won’t be affected by the economic mess, and some that will even gain during this time. But you don’t want to get too jealous. Some will win, some will lose; but life is fair.
[ ] A critic – You should listen to what they have to say, but you don’t have to follow their advice. Critics are necessary because they can keep you in check.
[ ] A plan b
[ ] Obsession – Changing your life doesn’t take focus, it takes complete and utter obsession.
[ ] Action – Now it’s time to go for it! Follow your dreams, passions, and your heart. This economy has created amazing opportunities. Don’t wait.
Related posts:
- 9 ways you can take advantage of this terrible economy
- How to just do it
- How to graduate the School of Hard Knocks with a 4.0
The negativity of the media makes you ask this question everyday. News channels seem to report every single negative thing there is possible. Then for about 5 minutes in an hour show they’ll have a fun and positive story. The media says that these stories sell but are Americans really that negative? Or is it a vicious cycle that was started by the media? Where viewers started hearing negative news and felt that they needed to stay informed of every event possible. I know of many people who have stopped watching the news because it brings too much negativity into their lives. The media makes it seem that the world is only getting worse when in fact I think the world is only getting better. People are living longer, there are countless opportunities for people to succeed, and people are trying to get more involved in shaping the world. What’s the world coming to? Something great!
Photo by urmiland
