Mar072010

The Need For Economic Change

By Diane | March 7, 2010 | Posted in Economic Trends, Educational Opportunity | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

As we live day to day in this recessed economy, many people have decreased their discretionary spending to the point that they are only buying what they absolutely need. For those individuals that are unemployed, discretionary cash flow is tight to non-existent and many are living on their savings or on unemployment. Depending upon where you live, the odds of finding a decent paying job are slim to none. From the looks of the economic indicators, the “State of the Economy” is not turning around as the Obama Administration had hoped.

Last year, the current administration spent billions of dollars to stimulate the economy. This wouldn’t be so bad except the billions that were spent didn’t exist. The money was printed, which did more harm than good. Our government seems to be able to do whatever it wants. If a person printed his or her own money to pay their bills, he or she would be put in prison for counterfeiting. Obviously, there’s a double standard. Of course, I’m being facetious here but our government shouldn’t be printing money that it doesn’t have either.

There is so much money in the economy right now due to the Stimulus Package and the FED’s bail out of the stock market. Economists feel that the FED will increase interest rates to back out some of the money that was literally poured into the economy to save it from totally crashing. If we can’t decrease the unemployment rate and get people back to work, increasing interest rates will make it harder not only for the unemployed but also for our senior citizens trying to live on Social Security.

Even though the economy is in the doldrums, we need to focus on having a positive attitude and living one day at a time to the best of our ability. In the 1930s, when the United States economy was at the bottom of the barrel (so to speak) in a full blown depression, the President decided that the people didn’t need to wallow in bad news. Newspapers, magazines, radio announcers, public speakers, and our leaders didn’t focus on the economy. Everyone tried to be as positive as possible and the focus was on putting people back to work. This is what we have to focus on right now as well.

Where are we going to find jobs? Right now, the President and both Houses of Congress are focusing on everything else but the economy. Absolutely no one is talking to anyone else in Washington D.C. As far as the members of Congress are concerned, they have no idea what to do about anything, so they are letting things go with the status quo. This can’t  happen. Someone has to stand up and tell both Houses that they’ve got to stop spending money. The FED needs to be monetarily responsible. President Obama needs to focus on getting us out of debt and balancing our budget.

We need to start manufacturing what we need in the United States and stop importing everything. Our trade deficits need to turn into surpluses. But, how can we manufacture goods here in the US if our companies are outsourcing to Mexico and India where workers eagerly work for pennies on the dollar? We are outsourcing ourselves out of our own economy right now. Unfortunately, US workers are partly to blame. The Labor Unions encouraged the rank and file to vote against concessions that management proposed, forcing permanent layoffs and outsourcing. Remember our Arizona copper miners? I do!

Right now, a country as large as the United States is totally dependent on imports from other countries because manufacturing, mining, oil drilling, you name it costs too much to do in our own country. This has to stop. We need to stop depending on oil from the Middle East, Copper from the Orient, Steel from who knows where, etc. Our first priority is to put our people back to work. One way to do this is to quit outsourcing. However, in order to do that, our cost of living needs to change dramatically. Our people are going to have to lower their expectations so they can go back to work. Prices for goods and services are going to have to decrease, otherwise we will not be able to bring manufacturing back to the US.

I’m sure that Mexico and India are very happy to accommodate our corporations because their economies are flourishing as a result. The people working for US corporations in Mexico and India happily work for pennies because they can live on pennies. What about the people in the United States? Our workers won’t work for pennies because we can’t live on pennies. Prices are too high! Wages had to increase so people could afford to pay for necessities like food, shelter, and clothing.

Prices for food, shelter, and clothing need to stop increasing, freeze, or better yet decrease. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) needs to decrease dramatically if we are to put our people back to work. Our focus should be on balancing our budget and depending on our own resources, and not outsourcing and importing. When we accomplish these projects, the US will be No. 1 in World economies again. I have a feeling that if we are able to reel in our economy the Europeans will follow suit. How great would it be if the countries of the World could afford to pay their bills and had a surplus of cash in their treasuries?

Is that a dream or a reality? We need to tell our Congressmen and women that our budget needs to be balanced and our corporations need to come home and employ our own people. Our CPI needs to go down to accommodate our own people. There is enough oil and natural resources in our own country and if we, as people, conserve and re-cycle, we can decrease our needs as well as our carbon footprint, and stop wasting our resources. After all, charity starts at home.

By Diane | Posted in Economic Trends, Educational Opportunity | Tagged , , | Comments (0)
Mar042010

Creative Financing for the Real Estate Investor

By Diane | March 4, 2010 | Posted in Real Estate Investments | Tagged | Comments (10)

What a title for an article! I was reading an article from Rich Dad’s Blog titled, “The Art of Creative Financing: Using the Seller as a Financing Source.” I’m not sure whether you know Robert Kiyosaki. He is the author of this article as well as Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Conspiracy of the Rich (both of which are Best Sellers). Robert also utilizes his expertise to teach people how to invest in real estate and prosper. Rich Dad Coaching is available to everyone at a reasonable price.

The article came from the Rich Dad Education Blog on March 2nd. Most of us are aware of traditional financing when we buy a home. We go to the bank or credit union and qualify for a conventional loan, a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. A fixed rate mortgage is the best type to have because you don’t have to worry about the interest rate changing.

When I bought my first townhome with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, I qualified as a single parent for an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). This was more than 30 years ago. I was told that the interest rate was low in the beginning, which would keep the payment within reason. However, there was no guarantee that the interest rates would stay low. When the interest rate changes, the payment on an ARM changes with it. The salesman told me that the interest rates could go up or down. Have you ever known the payment on an ARM to go down? Me either.

Two years into this ARM mortgage, I was given the opportunity to change to a conventional 30 year fixed rate loan. Needless to say, I changed immediately. The interest rates had not gone up, which gave me the opportunity to get a decent fixed interest rate at a payment I could afford. Adjustable rates as well as fixed rate mortgages are available to people investing in property in addition to other means of financing, which Robert Kiyosaki calls, “Creative Financing.” Sources of Creating Financing include:

  • Other Investors
  • Partners
  • Hard-Money Lenders
  • The Property Itself
  • The Seller
  • The Realtor (If one is involved)
  • The Buyer
  • The Renters (If it is an existing rental property)
  • Options and Leases
  • Underlying Mortgages
  • Special First-Time Home-Buyer Programs
  • Down-Payment Assistance Programs (For those who qualify)
  • Your Rehab Contractor
  • Your Local City, County, or State Government (Special loan programs)
  • Government Grants
  • Private Grants (For special projects)
  • Relatives or Friends

According to Robert, this is not a complete list by any means, but it should give you a few ideas.

One of the most popular ways to finance a property (other than through a traditional lender) is to use the seller as a source of funding. If the buyer/investor has done his selection job well, he/she will be dealing with motivated sellers who will most likely be flexible with financing arrangements, as long as their needs are met. If the investor is in tune with the seller’s situation, they can develop a trusting relationship with the seller. The investor can then educate the seller as to the advantages of seller financing, and suggest ways to set up the financing that will create a win-win situation.

Here are a few ways that the seller can get involved in the financing:

1. Seller Funds the Whole Deal – If the seller owns a property free and clear, he/she can carry a mortgage for the entire purchase price of the property. This allows investors to get into the property for only enough money to cover their share of the closing costs. A sweet deal if you can get it! However, the investor may have to come up with some down payment. The amount would most likely be proportional to the amount of trust the seller has in the investor. Listen to the seller and find out what his/her needs really are and try to meet them.

Many times, especially for older sellers, the need is for a steady monthly cash flow and not for a lump sum of cash. Once they understand that it can be to their advantage to become the bank and they trust you, the deal is done. The buyer makes one mortgage payment directly to the seller. No banks involved.

2. Seller Funds Part of the Deal by Carrying a Second Mortgage – In the case where the seller has a mortgage on the property, but also has some equity, the seller may be willing to help with the financing by carrying a second mortgage on the property. For example, if an investor offers $200,000 for a property and the seller has a $100,000 first mortgage, the seller may be willing  to finance all or part of their $100,000 equity by creating a new mortgage that will be in the second position.

The buyer would obtain traditional financing in the amount of $100,000 to pay off the first mortgage. The seller would get a note (secured by the property) instead of cash at closing. If the seller is willing to carry all $100,000 on a note, the investor would have close to a nothing-down deal. He may have to come up with money for closing and finance costs. Or the seller may require a down payment for enough to pay the closing costs and a real estate broker fee, if a real estate agent is involved in the transaction. Always ask for a 100 percent second – you just might get it. In this case, the buyer would be making two payments – one to the bank for the new first mortgage and one to the seller for his $100,000 2nd mortgage note.

3. Seller Funds Part of the Deal by “Wrapping” the First Mortgage – If the seller is willing to create a note and take payments for the equity, but the buyer can’t get a new first mortgage (or doesn’t want to go to the expense of getting a new first mortgage), the seller can create a new note for the entire purchase amount that “wraps” the existing first mortgage.

In states using trust deeds, an all-inclusive deed of trust is the document that is used to create a wrap mortgage. As in the previous example, if the investor is paying $200,000 for the property and there is an existing first mortgage of $100,0o0, a new note would be created for $200,000, payable to the seller. But the note and mortgage documents would indicate that there is already a $100,000 mortgage on the property. The payment on the new $200,000 note would be based on the interest rate and term negotiated. The buyer would make one payment to the seller, but the seller would have to take part of those funds and make the payment on the first mortgage. The prudent investor would set up payments going to an escrow company that would make the payment to the bank and send the balance of the payment to the seller.

The wrap mortgage benefits both the buyer and seller. The buyer saves the origination expense of getting the new loan and usually gets an interest rate lower than he could get at the bank and gets into the deal for nothing down. The seller gets a quick closing (no waiting for any loans to be approved). If he’s smart, he will set up the interest rate on the new note to be higher than the interest rate on his original first mortgage. Thus, he will not only make interest on his equity, but make interest on the spread between the new note and the bank mortgage interest rates. This can be a great selling point to get the seller to accept the wrap-mortgage concept.

4. Seller Takes Second and Third, Keeps Third and Sells Second

In this situation, the seller wants some cash, or wants more cash than the buyer has to offer. For example, let’s say a buyer offers $200,000 for a home that has an existing $100,000 mortgage. The seller is willing to carry a second mortgage, but wants a minimum of $20,000 cash. The investor could get a new $100,000 first mortgage, pay the $20,000, and have the seller carry a note for $80,000.

What if the investor doesn’t have the $20,000? Is the deal dead? No. If you are dealing with a motivated seller, suggest that two notes be created-one for a $25,000 second mortgage, and one to the seller for their $75,000 third position note.

For ease of management, payments could be set up through an escrow company, so that the buyer would only have to make one payment to the esecrow company who would, in turn, pay the three mortgage holders. Second-position seller carry-back notes can be sold for less of a discount than third position notes; thus, the second position note was sold in this case.

5. Seller Carries a Second Position Note with a Balloon Payment

So far, the examples have been where sellers were willing to carry notes that were fully amortized over the negotiated term of the loan with no balloon payments attached. But many times, sellers may be willing to carry notes, but not for 20 to 30 years. They may be willing to accept payments based on a 30-year amortization period, but want the full balance to be paid off in a shorter period of time. This becomes another negotiating point in structuring the deal.

The seller may want a balloon payment of the entire balance in say, three to five years. This means that the buyer would have to sell the property or refinance in three to five years. Short balloons like these create high risk for the buyer/investor. Try to avoid balloon payments altogether, but if a balloon is the only way to save the deal, try to get at least seven to ten years before the balloon is due. Longer balloons give you more flexibility in finding the best long-term financing for a rental or give you a more saleable property if you sell and let your new buyer assume the existing seller financing.

6. Graduated Payments as an Alternative to a Balloon – Suppose you buy a property to keep for a long-term rental. The seller is willing to carry a note for some or all of the equity, but wants a balloon payment down the road. You may be able to eliminate the balloon (or at least reduce the balloon payment amount) by negotiating graduated payments into the deal.

For example, if the seller carries a note for $100,000 at six percent interest, amortized over 30 years, the payment for principal and interest would be $599.55 per month. If the seller insists on a five-year balloon payment, the payoff in five years would be $93,054.36. Now, if you had to refinance for that amount to pay the balloon in five years, could you do it? Maybe, but it also might be a foreclosure just waiting to happen. Instead of taking the risk of a short term balloon, why not try to negotiate graduated payments. Payments could go up $50 a month in the second year and subsequent years, the normal payment of $599.55 per month the first year, the $649.55 per month the second year, and so on. The increased rents should take care of the increased payments.

If you could get the seller to take the graduated payments and put off the balloon till year 10, then the payments would be $1099.55 per month. The balloon payment due would be around $50,000. This is a more manageable amount to refinance, even if the property didn’t increase a lot in value. This deal is much less risky for the investor.

The information presented was taken verbatim from Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Blog. He presented this information and identified these different ways to structure a deal. He goes on to say that it is important to find out what the sellers really need out of the deal, and be creative in giving them what they want. Of course, the numbers have to make sense to start with and allow the investor to make a profit from a quick sale or a positive cash flow from a rental. The more creative techniques you are familiar with, the easier it will be to successfully negotiate a winning deal for all parties involved.

By Diane | Posted in Real Estate Investments | Tagged | Comments (10)
Mar012010

Will We Ever Have Spring?

By Diane | March 1, 2010 | Posted in Thoughts of Spring | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of wearing fleece. Believe it or not, I really don’t mind the cold, but the snow hasn’t melted since we first saw it in December. A lot of people have cabin fever from staying indoors all winter. Everyone is looking forward to the snow melting and the weather getting warmer.

My dog is even looking forward to spring. I know he hates going outside when it’s cold. The poor little guy shivers inside the house as well. Right now, he’s wearing a sweater and a little blue snuggie. You should see him, he’s so cute.

The condominium association where I live requires dog owners to clean up after their pets, which means I have to keep my yard clean. Every week or two I have to go out there and scoop up all the “doo-doo” (forgive the expression) and get it off the grass. Just a few yards away is an unplanted area where the utility boxes are. That’s where I have piled up the doggy waste. I wouldn’t want to be the person to have to check the utility boxes out there. What a mess! For the most part, what is out there will likely disintegrate before Spring comes, I hope.

Right now, the yard is still snowy. My little dog, Hank, has created a trail so he doesn’t get all wet. When he comes in the house, he tracks the ice and snow that comes in on his feet and underside. To make matters worse, sometimes he tracks in doo-doo after he steps in it. The poor little dog is almost blind. That is another reason to clean up the area. Hank will likely be happy when the snow melts because he will have more yard to use again.

Ahh Yes, Spring! The grass will be green, the flowers will bloom, the trees will have leaves, and there will be little birds in the nests right above my patio. I just can’t seem to get away from doo-doo.:) My neighbors will come outside and water their flowers and bushes. They will bring their patio furniture and wind chimes outside to prepare for the times when the evenings will be warm enough to sit outside. Just thinking about this brings happy thoughts to a winter-weary mind.

The beginning of March can be very cold and blustery. I’m sure everyone has heard that “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.” When I was a little girl, the lady I lived with told me that. Even so, March can be pretty cold and windy in the beginning, so prepare for the worst, and expect the best. Today, the weather was pretty nice. We had a sunny day, partly cloudy, in the middle 30’s.

Even though I’m dreaming of warmer weather, I’m not looking forward to the snow melting. When Hank goes outside, he will be bringing in dirt, mud, and grass. If only the snow could go away without causing a lot of mud. When the snow melts, I will be able to take Hank for short walks. He loves to go outside on the leash. Walking is good for me as well. Right now, with the snow all over the place, it is hard to walk.

On Groundhog Day, February 2nd, apparently Puxataunny Phil (the groundhog) saw his shadow meaning there would be 6 more weeks of winter weather. By the middle of March, we should start to thaw and experience some warmer weather, more sunshine, and hopefully, no more snow. Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful dream right now? If I’m dreaming please don’t wake me.

Today is March 1st. If the groundhog is right, we should be warmer pretty soon. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, everyone. Patience is a virtue. Before we know it, those of you that experience hay fever in the Spring will start sneezing when the trees, bushes, and flowers  begin blooming. Even though this is uncomfortable for you, the weather will be warmer and you won’t have to wear your winter clothes anymore. I suppose it is a trade off, hay fever for snow.

We need to take one day at a time, and hope and pray for the best. Let us also say some prayers for the Haitians and the Chileans, for their recovery from the devastating earthquakes.

By Diane | Posted in Thoughts of Spring | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)
Feb262010

Is The Recession Behind Us?

By Diane | February 26, 2010 | Posted in Business, Financial Independence, Get the Economy Back on Track, The Power of Education | Tagged , | Comments (0)

If we are reading the newspapers and listening to some of the analysts on TV, we are reading and hearing people telling us that the economy is doing better. Just who do they think they are kidding? Certainly not the American people! The politicians in Washington think if we are told the economy is turning around, we will believe it. Well, all I can say is…

Get real! I don’t know about you, but I certainly am NOT fooled into believing that the economy is recovering, because it isn’t, yet. Unemployment is in double digits in the states, even if nationally it is 9.7%. The unemployment rate here in Wisconsin is 11%. People are very cautious, and they should be. President Obama tried to stimulate the economy by spending $787 Million we didn’t have to stimulate spending, bail out the auto industry, banks, and last but definitely not least, Mr. Bernanke and the Federal Reserve printed money to put a false bottom in the stock market last quarter.  Well, guess what? Stock prices are finally catching up with the padded market. People are finally realizing the impact that printed money had on the market.  Have we learned our lesson?

We (the American People) know exactly what has happened here and we have tightened our belts for the long haul. The fact of the matter is our legislators haven’t learned a thing. Our incumbents have turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to what has been going on. Our illustrious legislators told citizens of the Concorde Coalition that as long as we can keep printing money to keep our economy going, we will. Can you believe an answer like this? Our legislators don’t care that our country is going down the tubes here and they are the reason. Have any one of them had the “guts” to say “STOP IT?”  Do you think they would do it? Heavens no! They can’t agree, so they stopped talking!

We have to get off our complacent “butts” (please excuse the expression) and do something to stop the government from printing more money to solve our problems. The national debt is in the “Trillions.” Do you know what a “Trillion” is? I just know that a trillion dollars is 3 more zeros than a billion dollars. I’ve never seen that much money, have you? Our national debt has gone from billions to trillions with no end in sight unless we, the voters, stop the horrible spending. We also need to start creating jobs so people can go back to work.

I don’t think President Obama realized what he was getting into when he took office two years ago. He had the American people’s best interests at heart when he signed the Stimulus Bill. I’m sure he had no idea what was going to happen next. He probably thought he was going to have more say in how the country was run. Sorry Mr. President!  You are a figure head. Unfortunately, there is a House of Representatives and a Senate that have the real power over the country. Then, we have the Federal Reserve Board. What are they thinking, printing all this money? How are we going to fix this situation?

Let me recommend a few things and see what you think? Mr. Bernanke, we need to stop printing all this money. STOP PRINTING ALL THE MONEY! Let the economy and the market do what it can to correct itself. We need to pay off our debt. The American People are expected to pay off their debt, why shouldn’t the country take responsibility for its debt and stop expecting China to buy our debt. They have already quit!

Another recommendation is to get rid of the incumbents in Congress. Let’s vote all new Representatives and Senators into Congress and start fresh with legislators that have integrity and care about what happens to America. We need representatives that care about their constituents and want what’s best for the country as a whole. That is an excellent place to start, don’t you think?

Let’s see if we can get our country out of debt! Senators Gramm and Rudman tried it quite a few years ago. Somehow, their bill fell by the wayside. Our new battle cry should be, “Let’s Get Our Country Out of Debt!” The ball is in our court, so to speak. What I mean by that is, we need to let our legislators know that we are not going to tolerate all this spending. The bills need to be paid!

We need to get people back to work so families can get out of debt and we need to get our country to stop printing so much money and start living within our means. This all sounds so simple!

Did you know that most of the people getting new jobs in this difficult economy are being hired by small businesses? Absolutely! Did you also know that the IRS is taxing small businesses until it hurts? The IRS has hired a bunch of new agents to investigate small businesses to make sure the country is getting all the taxes that are due. Did you also know that 50% of the American people making less than $50,000 are not being taxed at all? The rest of the people are making up for it, small businesses included. How are we ever going to experience a recovery if the businesses that are providing new jobs are being audited and taxed even more. We are shooting ourselves in the foot, here.

We have the best country in the world no matter how many problems we are experiencing now. Let’s utilize our right to vote and get rid of all the representatives and senators that cannot stand up for what’s right. Let’s also put our support behind small businesses to decrease the unemployment rate. If our politicians can’t do what is right, let’s get them out of office. Let’s also make our government tighten its proverbial belt and stop spending. If we have to have a spending plan in our homes, so should our government.

Let me know if you agree or disagree. Comment. Don’t be afraid to tell me what you think.

By Diane | Posted in Business, Financial Independence, Get the Economy Back on Track, The Power of Education | Tagged , | Comments (0)
Feb212010

Coping With Change Part II

By Diane | February 21, 2010 | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Positive Effects of Change | Tagged , | Comment (1)

Yesterday, I started a story about two mice and two little people. The mice were Sniff and Scurry and the little people were Hem and Haw. When I left, Sniff and Scurry were off somewhere looking for more cheese, Hem was sitting at the table inside Cheese Station C waiting for cheese to reappear, and Haw was out in the maze looking for more cheese.

As we find Haw walking forward in the maze, we see that he has looked back towards the comfort of Cheese Station C.  He stopped and wrote this on the wall, “What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?” Haw kept going. As he walked, he realized that he should have started out sooner. Maybe he would have found cheese by now.

Haw kept going. He jogged as far as he could, but became weak from not eating. He found a few little pieces of cheese along the trail and ate them to keep up his strength. He was thinking about what had happened to him and decided that he would stay more alert from now on and would expect change to happen and look for it. Haw would trust his basic instincts to sense when change was going to occur and be ready to adapt to it. Stopping to rest, Haw wrote on the wall of the maze, “Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old.”

Haw continued on his way. Finally, he came upon a large station house. He hurriedly ran into the station. No cheese.  Haw wondered what Hem was doing, whether he was alright, or whether or not he had moved on.

Haw realized that he felt the best when he was moving. He wrote on the wall hoping Hem would read his sayings and follow along, “Movement In A New Direction Helps You Find New Cheese.” Haw looked down a new passageway, realizing his fear. Then, he laughed at himself. He realized that his fear was making it worse. So, he did what he would do if he weren’t afraid. He started moving forward. To his surprise, Haw began to feel good.

Haw moved further into the maze. He wondered why he felt so good. Before long, he knew why he felt so good. He stopped to write on the wall of the maze again, “When You Stop Being Afraid, You Feel Good.” Haw realized that he had been held captive by his own fear. He started moving faster into the maze. As he moved, he started painting a picture of the cheese he wanted to find. He painted a picture of all his favorite cheeses, from Cheddar to Brie! He saw himself eating all the cheeses he especially liked. The more clearly he saw the image, the more real and believable it became. He knew he was going to find it.

Haw wrote on the wall of the maze, “Imagining Yourself Enjoying Your New Cheese Leads You To It.” Before long, Haw came upon another cheese station. As he neared the station, he found bits of cheese, which he picked up and ate. Haw entered the station and to his dismay, found no cheese. At this point, Haw decided to go back to Cheese Station C to see how his friend Hem was doing. He retraced his steps to go back to his friend. Along the way, he found a few pieces of cheese, which he picked up and put in his pocket. Finally, he made it back. He walked into the station to see his friend, Hem, sitting at the table where he had left him

Haw took the cheese out of his pocket and placed it in front of his friend. Hem looked up, thanked Haw for the cheese, and said, “No Haw, I know that if I wait here, I know the cheese will reappear.” Haw couldn’t believe his friend. Hem didn’t want to change. He wanted the cheese to reappear where he was sitting, not somewhere else.

Haw decided to go back into the maze. He put on his little running shoes and began to jog. After awhile, he stopped to rest. Before he started running again, he wrote on the wall, “The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Find New Cheese.” Now, Haw felt it was just a question of time before he found new cheese. He realized that what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. Haw had been so afraid of never finding new cheese that he didn’t even want to start looking. However, since he started his journey, he found enough cheese in the corridors to keep him going. Now he just looked forward to finding it. Just looking ahead was so exciting.

Haw used to believe that Cheese should never be moved and that change wasn’t right. Now he realized that it was natural for change to continually occur, whether one expected it or not. Change could surprise him only if he didn’t expect it and wasn’t looking for it. When he realized he had changed his beliefs, he paused to write on the wall: “Old Beliefs Do Not Lead To New Cheese.”

Haw hadn’t found any substantial amounts of cheese yet; however, he thought about what he had learned. Haw realized that his new beliefs were encouraging new behaviors. He knew that when you change what you believe, you change what you do. Your actions depend on what you choose to believe. Haw wrote on the wall: “When You See That You Can Find And Enjoy New Cheese, You Change Course.” He decided to travel deeper into the maze.

Haw just hoped he was heading in the right direction. He hoped Hem would read the Handwriting On the Wall and find his way. He wrote on the wall what he had been thinking about for a long time, “Noticing Small Changes Early Helps You Adapt To The Bigger Changes That Are To Come.” With this writing, Haw let go of his past, and was adapting to the present. He continued through the maze and before long it happened. Haw proceeded down a long corridor, rounded a corner, and found New Cheese at Cheese Station N.

He went inside and found his friends, Sniff and Scurry very round with lots of cheese in their bellies. Sniff welcomed Haw with a nod of his head and Scurry waved his paw. When he had eaten his fill of New Cheese, he yelled “Hooray for Change.” Haw realized how far he had come since he had been with Hem in Cheese Station C. He learned some very valuable lessons. Haw hoped his friend Hem would read the writing on the wall and would come to Cheese Station N and sit with him at the table and eat cheese. He said a little prayer and hoped, as he had many times before, that maybe, at last, his friend was finally able to…

The Handwriting On The Wall

Change Happens–They Keep Moving The Cheese

Anticipate Change — Get Ready For The Cheese To Move

Monitor Change — Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old

Adapt To Change Quickly — The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese

Change — Move With The Cheese

Enjoy Change! — Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!

Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again And Again — They Keep Moving The Cheese

This is a very cute, but poignant story. We mustn’t let change pass us by. We need to roll with the punches so to speak. Anticipating change and being ready for it keeps you from being surprised.

I hope you enjoyed the story.


By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Positive Effects of Change | Tagged , | Comment (1)
Feb202010

Coping With Change

By Diane | February 20, 2010 | Posted in Positive Effects of Change | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Change! Change can sometimes be difficult to deal with, whether it is work related or personal. If we know a change is coming we can prepare for it. However, if change is thrust upon us without warning, we may have difficulty coping with it.

I would like to tell you a story. There are four characters in this story, two mice and two little people. The location is a maze. If you have read the book, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson M.D., the story will be all too familiar. I’m going to paraphrase the story because if I didn’t, I could write 50+ pages.

Let me preface the story by identifying the mice as Sniff and Scurry and the little people as Hem and Haw. The Maze is where Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw lived. Sniff started out in the maze first followed closely by Scurry. They were in pursuit of food, cheese. Hem and Haw put on their running shoes and started out behind their friends. Pretty soon, Sniff stumbled upon a building that housed vast amounts of cheese. Scurry came in the building identified as Cheese Station C, and they settled in to eat. After awhile, Hem and Haw arrived at the station and realized that there was enough cheese for the mice and them. Hem and Haw took off their running shoes, tied them together, placed them around their necks, and ate cheese until they were full. When both of the little people were finished eating, they put their running shoes on and went to their homes.

The next day, Hem and Haw decided to move their homes closer to Cheese Station C so they wouldn’t have to run so far for their food. After their homes were settled, Hem and Haw put on their running shoes and jogged to the station for cheese. The mice and the little people were very happy because their food source was plentiful and there were no worries.

However, one day, Hem and Haw came into Cheese Station C, took off their little running shoes, put them around their necks and began to eat cheese. Before they had put two bites into their mouths, the two little people realized that their friends Sniff and Scurry were gone. Hem wondered where the two mice were. Haw looked around for more cheese, because he had finished his last morsel. Much to his surprise and horror, the cheese that had been so plentiful was all gone. Hem was heartbroken. What had happened to all of the wonderful cheese? Gone! The cheese was all gone.

Both Hem and Haw looked all over the station, but couldn’t find anymore cheese. They sat down wondering what to do. After awhile, they put on their running shoes and went home for the night. The following day, before they left for the station, Haw wrote on the wall, “The More Important Your Cheese Is To You The More You Want To Hold On To It.” After he finished writing, Haw drew a cheese around the words. Then, off to the cheese station they went to look for the cheese. They thought that cheese would reappear or someone would bring it to them if they went back. Nothing happened that day; so, they put their running shoes back on and went home.

The next day, Hem and Haw put on their little running shoes and went back to Cheese Station C. They looked all over the station and outside. Still, no cheese. Hem sat down at the table inside the station and decided to wait. Both he and Haw were becoming weak and tired from hunger. They waited all night at the station, hoping the cheese would appear, to no avail.

The next day, Haw decided to leave the station and look for more cheese. He asked Hem to come with him. Hem didn’t want to leave. He was upset and angry that the cheese was gone. How could the cheese be gone? Who took it? and Why didn’t it reappear at the station? Haw was hungry, too;! However, he wasn’t going to wait at the station any longer. He put on his little running shoes, said good-by to Hem, and went out into the maze.

The maze was a large and scary place, but Haw thought it necessary to go out and look for food. As he started out, he thought about why he hadn’t noticed that the supply of cheese was getting lower and lower. Why hadn’t he noticed the smell and the taste of the last pieces of cheese he had eaten? They were older and dryer than most of it. He thought about Hem and what he might be doing back at the station. Hem would be sitting at the table wondering, “Who moved my cheese?” Haw wondered, “Why didn’t I get up and move with the cheese sooner?”

As Haw moved further and further away from Cheese Station C, he became more anxious and wondered whether he really wanted to go into the maze at all. He drew a large piece of cheese on the wall and wrote inside of it, “If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct.” He stood back and stared at the wall for a time. Haw knew that sometimes a little fear was good. A little fear can prompt one to act. Haw took a deep breath and looked to the right, to the part of the maze he had never been. He felt fear, but he decided to take a chance and go forward.

That’s the end of Part I of the story. Tomorrow, I will go on with the story and explain it a little for those readers who have never read the book. Please let me know what you think so far by sending a comment.

By Diane | Posted in Positive Effects of Change | Tagged , | Comments (0)
Feb172010

Entrepreneurial Education – Elective or Required?

By Diane | February 17, 2010 | Posted in Entrepreneurial Education is Necessary!, Get the Economy Back on Track | Tagged , | Comment (1)

If you’ve read the latest lagging economic indicators, especially the number of initial applications for unemployment  published in our newspapers lately; you’ve read that the overall unemployment rate is 9.7%. Frankly, I’m not sure what statistical method was used to compute these numbers. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is over 11%. I’m sure the rest of the States are sporting numbers just like ours. Unfortunately, this lagging economic indicator will likely continue well into the second quarter this year, if not longer.

How are we supposed to make it through difficulties like this? One answer involves a change in the way we look at ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I was raised to believe that “…if I did well in school, I would get a good job (as an employee) and retire with a pension.” Does this sound familiar? This is an antiquated thought process that needs to change NOW if we are to survive this continuing economic downturn and in the future. We need help! Help, that only successful entrepreneurs (people that have built multimillion dollar businesses from the ground up) can give us.

I’m sure you are reading this and scratching your head wondering what I’m talking about. Let me provide you with the  article precipitating this discussion taken from the Opinion page of USA Today online for February 9, 2010. There is a very poignant article written by popular educator and bestselling author Robert Kiyosaki relating to this topic. Please read it in its entirety and let me know what you think.

We need two school systems

Education in America could use a big dose of innovation. How about one public school system for employees, and another for entrepreneurs?

By Robert Kiyosaki

In the summer of 1932, presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised, “I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people.”

Today, it is time not for a “New Deal,” but a “New Mission.”

America’s schools need to take a page from the businesses that have been created by entrepreneurs over the past decades. Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Sergey Brin and Larry Page have all given us the road map, but the path toward entrepreneurship is often the road less traveled America’s schools.

The U.S. unemployment rate is currently 9.7% in what many call a “jobless recovery.” So what should we do? The problem and the solution can be found in America’s educational system and its current mantra: “Go to school and get good grades, so you can get a good high-paying job.” In simpler terms that means, “Go to school to become a good employee.” But there are too many employees, which is why we have an unemployment problem. Today, kids just out of school aren’t finding jobs. At the same time, many of their parents are going back to school for retraining. But they’re not finding jobs, either.

The idea of a high-paying job for life is truly an American dream — but no longer a reality. With low-priced labor and lower-priced, higher-performance technology, high-paying American jobs will be disappearing at greater speed as they move overseas.

Two-track system

America’s education system needs an injection of innovation — which is just what entrepreneurs do. We need two different public school programs: one for employees and one for entrepreneurs.

The way to train entrepreneurs is almost exactly the opposite of the methods used to train employees. Another common thread about Ford, Gates and Jobs is that they all dropped out of school. This is not to say education is not important, but training entrepreneurs is different from training people to be employees. It is much like the difference between traditional education and the military academy model.

Many of the lessons I drew upon to write my book, Rich Dad, come from the U.S. military academy system.

In 1965, I left a sleepy sugar plantation town of Hilo, Hawaii, and journeyed to Kings Point, N.Y., to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. With four years at the academy and six years as a Marine Corps pilot, including two trips to Vietnam, I gained many of the real-life skills and character traits I count on today as an entrepreneur.

Success in the military is a great bellwether signaling achievement in business. For example, the Israeli Defense Forces are a breeding ground for education and entrepreneurs, where many serve in units specializing in military technology. At the beginning of 2009, the 63 Israeli companies listed on the Nasdaq, many led by former IDF members, outnumbered those of any other foreign country, according to the book Start-up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer. There are simple lessons here for America’s gridlocked education system.

If I were running America’s schools system, I would create the U.S. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs, modeled after our federal military academies. Admissions would be via congressional appointment along with nominations from community business leaders. The entrance exams would be rigorous; the curriculum would be very different from traditional colleges.

On first day at any of the five federal military academies, each student is required to memorize the academy’s mission. In the military, mission is more important than life. After leaving the Marine Corps and starting my own business, I found many executives with MBA degrees focused only on money. Money was their only mission. If they could cut expenses by firing employees, so be it. This was unconscionable at the academy and the Marine Corps. As military officers, our mission was to serve our country and bring our troops home alive. It was drummed into our souls that our mission was more important than our lives.

The mission of the U.S. Academy for Entrepreneurs would be to create sustainable, well-paying jobs for employees by aggressive growth of the business. Too many executives are trained to grow the business through mergers and acquisitions, using massive amounts of debt. Though this might make shareholders happy, in most cases it rips the soul out of the business, loading it with debt while putting the jobs of employees at risk.

Creating real jobs

If corporate executives cannot grow a business organically, they will often repurchase their shares to make it look as if the share price is going up — again to keep shareholders happy and the CEO employed. This is business manipulation, and not the true mission of a sustainable business. The lesson learned is, a loyal employee is not as important as money.

The U.S. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs would have only real entrepreneurs as teachers. I would ask that they work for only $1 a year (think of the great entrepreneurial CEOs who have turned around their businesses doing the same). You see, if they were real entrepreneurs, they would not need the money. They would teach for the same reason the students are there: the mission to create entrepreneurs who create sustainable jobs for the country.

Whether you agree with me or not, I hope it’s clear that we need to create more entrepreneurs — since only entrepreneurs can create real jobs.

We need to pledge ourselves to this New Mission: job creation by those who are true job creators.

Robert Kiyosaki is an educational entrepreneur, founder of the financial education-based Rich Dad Co. and author of best-sellers Conspiracy of the Rich and Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Posted at 12:16 AM/ET, February 09, 2010 in Education – Forum, Forum commentary | Permalink
I happen to agree with Robert about what needs to be done. Please comment!
By Diane | Posted in Entrepreneurial Education is Necessary!, Get the Economy Back on Track | Tagged , | Comment (1)
Feb152010

You Have The Power Within You

By Diane | February 15, 2010 | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Limiting Beliefs, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)

As the title suggests, you have the power within you to create the life of your dreams. I’m sure you would like to know how I can say such a thing. This is not just my own opinion, but the opinion of others more credible than myself.  Let me go into a little more detail.

There are verses in the Bible that say that “God lives within each of us.” I believe it! Now I know all of you agnostics out there are thinking, “How can God live in each one of us? Prove it?” I cannot prove it to you physiologically, however, do you not have a conscience? Your conscience helps you decide when you are doing something wrong or right or in between. Something in your mind, your heart, or for the lack of a better term, your intuition talks to you, doesn’t it? It does me!

Have you ever pondered a question in your mind and when you least expected it, mostly at 2:00 am, the answer came to you? Many people think it is their imagination speaking to them. That’s fine! If you prefer to think of answers to life questions in the middle of the night as your creativity, go right ahead. I, for one, truly believe that God is talking to me. If you would rather think of it as the Universe that is talking to you, that’s is OK too.

Let me table the religious connotations for a bit. What I really want to talk about is the term “power.” If you believe in yourself enough and know exactly where you want to go and how you want to get there, you will be living your dreams in no time. Believe me when I tell you that if your thoughts are about positive things like “happiness, successful business and relationships, positive outcomes, positive happenings, etc.,” you will be happy, successful in business and love, and you will have positive outcomes coming out of your ears.

We need to come out of our cynicism, skepticism, negativism, and all around disbelief in the power of our spirit and realize that each of us is responsible for what happens in our lives. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last few years, is that whenever there has been a negative outcome in a life situation, I allowed it to happen. I allowed myself to be a victim in a work situation that led to my medical disability retirement, and I allowed a local Milwaukee business to take advantage of my ignorance costing me thousands of dollars, to name a very few.

If you are being honest with yourself as you are reading this, you are thinking back to some of your negative outcomes and realizing some of the same things I have. We (you and I) have allowed ourselves to be taken advantage of because we didn’t have enough confidence in ourselves. You can have confidence in yourself and raise your self-esteem, but only if you want to.

Don’t be afraid to admit that your self confidence isn’t what it should be, or you could use more self-esteem. Once you do that, you can begin to help yourself. Help yourself! Those are the two operative words. Get on your computer and put the name “Dr Joe Vitale,” “Bob Procter,” “James Arthur Ray,” etc. in your Search box. There are many books out there to read and get your head around. Another wonderful source for you to research is Oprah Winfrey’s magazine online. There are articles written by Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Oz, and others that will help you look inside of yourself and make positive changes. That is what I did.

The first book I read was The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The next books I found were by Dr. Joe Vitale i.e., The Attractor Factor, and others too many to name here. The information in these books help me to change the way I thought about myself. Obviously, no one can force you to make changes in your life, but yourself. I began to change my whole way of thinking with the help of positive thinkers like Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, and Dr. Joe Vitale. If I can do it, so can you.

I have the power within me to have self confidence, self-esteem, and a strong belief that I deserve all the good things that happen in my life. Every day I find myself starting to think a negative thought and I stop myself right away. That is what you have to do. Start thinking about what you want and start believing you deserve every good thing that happens to you, one day at a time. YOU DO HAVE THE POWER!

By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Limiting Beliefs, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)
Feb132010

Even People With Bad Credit Can Get This Credit Card–But Will They Want It

By Diane | February 13, 2010 | Posted in Credit Cards, Educational Opportunity, Financial Independence, Self Help Information | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

After reading my email this morning, I signed out and found myself on “Yahoo’s” home page. As I perused the page, an article about a credit card with a “79.9%” interest rate caught my eye. Have you ever heard of a credit card with interest rates that high? Neither had I. Needless to say, I had to click on the article to find out what was going on, and who would be crazy enough to want this “awful” card.

Apparently, First Premier Bank is offering a credit card with the unbelievably outrageous interest rate of 79.9% APR with a credit limit of $300. Can you believe this? According to the article from Creditcards.com, this is legal as long as full disclosure is made in the Truth in Lending material provided to the customer.

Premier Bankcard of South Dakota is marketing this credit card to people with bad credit. Apparently, there are “…70 million people out there with bad credit, those with a FICO score of 640 or lower.” People with FICO scores of 640 or lower need a way to rebuild their credit, but is applying for a credit card with an interest rate this high the way to repair it?

Credit counselors are urging people to read the fine print on the information they receive from credit card offers. There are upfront fees, account setup fees, annual fees, one time program fees, and monthly service fees that are almost equal to the credit limit on some of these cards. If you add up all of these fees, chances are they could be equivalent to more than the interest rate and the credit limit.

In other words, be very careful with credit card offers. Even though the offer might look good on the surface, you might be signing for a card that will hurt your credit rating, rather than help it. The only way to deal with a bad credit score is to stop using your credit cards.

The only way to repair your credit is to gather your credit card statements together, write down each credit card balance and minimum payment. Get the credit cards out of your wallet and cut them up. Then, set up a payment plan for each credit card with minimum payments for each. Identify the credit card with the highest interest rate and increase the payment by $200, less if you can’t afford it, more if you are able. When that card is paid off, apply what you were paying on that card to a card with the next highest interest rate, and so on.

Another approach is to identify the credit card with the least balance. When you pay this credit card bill, increase the payment by $200, less if $200 is too much, or more if you are able. When this card is paid off, identify the next card with the lowest balance and apply the payment from the last card ($200 plus the minimum balance from that card) to the minimum balance of the next card.

Paying off the credit card with the least balance may be more gratifying than paying off the card with the highest interest rate. You may be able to celebrate faster if you choose to pay off the card with the lowest balance. Which ever way you choose, you should pat yourself on the back.

I, too, have credit card debt. My choice is to pay off the credit card with the highest interest rate first. Even though this card will take me longer to pay off, I will feel liberated when the credit card statement shows a zero balance. Then, I can pay off the next highest interest rate card and add a payment of close to $500 to the next card. That will be a wonderfully sweet moment to see that much money going toward paying off the next card. Then I can take the $500 plus the payment of $485 of that card ($985) and apply it toward the next card. I get excited just thinking about paying off my cards. You just need the patience to put either one of these approaches into practice and paying off your cards.

Chances are, the rest of your credit cards will get paid off a lot faster as you apply the payments from already paid off credit cards to your remaining debt. When you get the last of your credit card debt paid off, you will feel as if a thousand pound weight has been lifted from your shoulders. You Can Do It! Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t! You just have to get started.

In order to accomplish this task, you have to discipline yourself. You have to realize that until you have the cash to pay for whatever you want, frivolous purchases will have to wait. This will be difficult to maintain (believe me I know exactly what you are thinking). In order to achieve the discipline you need to pay off all of your credit cards, you will have to “take one day at a time.” Don’t think too far ahead or you will decide that the task is too daunting and quit before you start.

Identify one approach to paying off your credit cards or the other and stick to it. Limit your expenditures to just the necessities, but treat yourself periodically to something that doesn’t cost too much money, i.e., renting a movie and making it a family night; getting a frozen pizza instead of cooking dinner; watching a high definition movie on your DVD player instead of going to the movies; etc. Be creative! Pretty soon you will change your spending habits for good.

You have the power within yourself to change bad spending habits into good ones. Don’t be afraid to tap into them with a little help from a friend, me. I can help anyone create a budget and a spending plan to decrease their bad debt. Why? Because I’ve had the help to do the same thing with my own credit card debt.

To make a long article short, don’t take advantage of crazy credit card deals with astronomical interest rates. This is not the way to change your bad credit score to a good one. You will be paying your hard earned money to a company and increasing its profits.

Have faith in your own ability to change a not so good habit into a good one. You can do what wealthy people do, and that is use your credit card instead of cash at the point of service, but pay the off the card in full every time you use it. Now that is how you effectively utilize a credit card. Don’t give your hard earned money to a company that only wants to make a profit. You make a profit! Let your money work for you, not the bank. That is how you become wealthy.

By Diane | Posted in Credit Cards, Educational Opportunity, Financial Independence, Self Help Information | Tagged , , | Comments (0)
Feb122010

Lyme Disease Continued

By Diane | February 12, 2010 | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Lyme Disease | Tagged , | Comments (5)

As we learned yesterday, Lyme Disease is transmitted by the bite of a Deer tick. The Mayo Clinic Staff did a superb job explaining exactly what Lyme Disease is and what causes it. This education is very important to keep you from exposing yourself to this disease. Again, The Mayo Clinic Staff  should receive the credit for what is written here. Yesterday, I concluded with “When to Seek Medical Advice.” Today’s article begins with “Tests and Diagnosis.” So sit back, relax, and read on.

Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Lyme disease is frequently overdiagnosed. Its variable signs and symptoms are nonspecific and are often found in other conditions, such as viral infections, various joint disorders, muscle pain (fibromyalgia), chronic fatigue syndrome, and even depression. What’s more, the ticks that transmit Lyme disease also can spread other diseases at the same time.

If you don’t have the characteristic Lyme disease rash, your doctor may ask detailed questions about your medical history and do a physical exam. Lab tests to identify antibodies to the bacteria may be used to help confirm the diagnosis. These tests are most reliable a few weeks after an infection, after your body has time to develop antibodies. Even then, however, the tests aren’t entirely foolproof. They include:

  • Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The test used most often to detect Lyme disease, ELISA detects antibodies to B. burgdorferi. But because it can sometimes provide false-positive results, it’s not used as the sole basis for diagnosis.
  • Western blot test. If the ELISA test is positive, another test — the Western blot — is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. The Western blot detects antibodies to several proteins of B. burgdorferi.
  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This test helps detect bacterial DNA in fluid drawn from an infected joint. It’s not effective at detecting infection of blood or urine. It’s used for people who may have chronic Lyme arthritis. It may also be used to detect persistent infection in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who have nervous system symptoms.

Complications

Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause:

  • Chronic joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), particularly of the knee
  • Neurological symptoms, such as facial palsy and neuropathy
  • Cognitive defects, such as impaired memory
  • Heart rhythm irregularities
  • Memory loss
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Changes in mood or sleep habits

Treatments and drugs

Oral antibiotics
Oral antibiotics are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease. These usually include doxycycline for adults and children older than 8, or amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil for adults, younger children and pregnant or breast-feeding women. These drugs often clear the infection and prevent complications. A 14- to 21-day course of antibiotics is usually recommended, but some studies suggest that courses lasting 10 to 14 days are equally effective. In some cases, longer treatment has been linked to serious complications.

Intravenous antibiotics
If the disease has progressed, your doctor may recommend treatment with an intravenous antibiotic for 14 to 28 days. This is effective in eliminating infection, although it may take some time to recover symptomatically. Intravenous antibiotics can cause various side effects, including a lower white blood cell count, gallstones and mild to severe diarrhea.

Avoid bismacine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns consumers and health care providers to avoid bismacine, an injectable compound prescribed by some alternative medicine practitioners to treat Lyme disease. Bismacine, also known as chromacine, contains high levels of the metal bismuth. Although bismuth is safely used in some oral medications for stomach ulcers, it’s not approved for use in injectable form or as a treatment for Lyme disease. Bismacine can cause bismuth poisoning, which may lead to heart and kidney failure.

Prevention

You can decrease your risk of getting Lyme disease with some simple precautions:

  • Wear long pants and sleeves. When walking in wooded or grassy areas, wear shoes, long pants tucked into your socks, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and gloves. Try to stick to trails and avoid walking through low bushes and long grass. Keep your dog on a leash.
  • Use insect repellents. Apply an insect repellent with a 10 percent to 30 percent concentration of DEET to your skin and clothing. Choose the concentration based on the hours of protection you need — the higher the concentration of DEET, the longer you are protected. A 10 percent concentration protects you for about two hours. Keep in mind that chemical repellents can be toxic, and use only the amount needed for the time you’ll be outdoors. Don’t use DEET on the hands of young children or on infants younger than age 2 months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, oil of lemon eucalyptus, a more natural product, offers the same protection as DEET when used in similar concentrations. Don’t use this product on children younger than 3 years.
  • Do your best to tick-proof your yard. Clear brush and leaves where ticks live. Keep woodpiles in sunny areas.
  • Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks. Be especially vigilant after spending time in wooded or grassy areas. Deer ticks are often no bigger than the head of a pin, so you may not discover them unless you search carefully. It’s helpful to shower as soon as you come indoors. Ticks often remain on your skin for hours before attaching themselves. Showering and using a washcloth may be enough to remove any unattached ticks.
  • Don’t assume you’re immune. Even if you’ve had Lyme disease before, you can get it again.
  • Remove a tick with tweezers. Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Don’t squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily. Once you’ve removed the entire tick, dispose of it and apply antiseptic to the bite area.

So, there you have it! Information that can save you from getting a disease you definitely don’t need. Many people are suffering from this disease and don’t even know it. If you have any of the symptoms presented in yesterday’s article, please go see your medical provider.

As always, I thank the Mayo Clinic and its Staff for providing this information as an educational opportunity for everyone. If you need additional information on any disease, illness, or condition you might have, please go to their website at http://www.MayoClinic.com.

Don’t forget to leave a comment if you have any questions or would like to provide personal information about this disease. I’m always happy to speak with you. I’m never too busy to respond to your questions or comments. See you soon.

By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Lyme Disease | Tagged , | Comments (5)