Courtesy of ClarionLedger.com
January 4, 2009
Get your finances on track in 2009
By Kevin Richardson
krichardson@clarionledger.com
Resolutions are common entering a new year, as people seek to quit smoking or drop a few extra pounds. But one of the most popular goals each year is for people to get their finances in order.
But you will need more than hope to be successful and reach your financial goals.
It takes a realistic plan that requires people to review their financial accounts - from retirement plans and savings to insurance and credit. This allows you to make any needed adjustments to meet your long-term goals.
Check credit report
In an economy where lenders have raised their standards for borrowers to get the best rates, checking your credit report for errors can save you dollars or may be the difference in whether you are approved.
Seventy percent of all credit reports have errors, according to Bankrate.com, a financial literacy Web site.
The federal government's Web site, www.annualcreditreport.com, allows consumers to receive a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies.
Check your insurance policies to make sure you have adequate coverage for your home, life and auto policies.
In the coming year, I plan to build up my savings. A few years ago, I set up automatic deposits into a savings account. This is a good tool because the money is in an account so you won't be tempted.
Unfortunately, I have raided the account for some nonemergency purchases. This year the goal is to have a more hands-off approach with that account.
This is my final year of car payments. But I will continue shifting half the money into savings and using the balance to pay down some credit card debt.
Flat screen on hold
I must admit I started reviewing my finances in December to set some financial goals for the year.
And just thinking about finances helped me exit several electronics stores minus a flat screen late last year.
My major financial goal is to purchase a house in 2009, so the flat screen can wait.
I was on the verge of buying a home right before I moved to Mississippi four years ago. But what I thought would be a two-year stop has become my home.
So as someone in a buyer's market with low mortgage rates, it is a logical time to purchase a home.
Resolutions that work...
Resolutions that Work
With every New Year, there are some resolutions that predictably fall flat by Valentine’s Day, if not a several weeks sooner. Topping the discard list: Lose weight and exercise more.
Why do those resolutions so often bite the dust despite our best intentions? Experts point to one possible reason: They’re not specific enough.
OK, so adjusting for non-specificity, we say: Lose 30 pounds and exercise an hour a day.
Nope, that doesn’t work either. Why? Because along with specificity, resolutions must target a change in behavior instead of simply achieving some nebulous goal. Without changing the underlying behavior those 30 pounds will come back. Fast. Trust me. I know.
So how do you make a resolution that will have lasting results? Construct it so that it requires you—intentionally and mindfully—to alter your lifestyle.
If you want to lose weight, for example, just eating less junk food might take off a few pounds, but changing your relationship to your body and to food will go much farther and produce far greater rewards.
First, resolve to accept your body as it is, at this moment. Wow, radical thought. How the heck will that help?
One of the undeniable laws of the universe is this: What you resist persists. Don’t believe me? Test it out for yourself. Resisting cleaning your house? How’s that coming along? Resisting paying off your credit cards? Which direction is the balance going? Resisting your mother’s advice? Is she giving any less? Got the picture?
So, if what you resist persists, if you can’t accept your body exactly the way it is, right now, chances are high that it will not change, at least not permanently. It’s only after you’ve reached some level of acceptance that you can begin to see clearly what you need to do to make a lasting impact. That clarity becomes your intention—in this moment—as opposed to some far-off-in-the-future goal.
Regarding food, instead of “lose 30 pounds,” a better resolution might be, “eat food that supports my wellbeing,” which can be a powerful intention.
If you look at it like it’s your enemy and staunchly resist everything you want to eat, you will eventually fail, gobbling up the entire cheesecake in one sitting because you’ve resisted it for sooooo long. Instead, try bringing some awareness to the process. If you want to lighten up, find out what foods makes your body feel light, bright and energetic, and what foods makes it heavy, slow and lethargic. Common sense should then tell you to eat more of the former and less of the latter.
If you bring the same kind of self-awareness to exercise, the solution will tend to present itself. First, you have to know what your intention is for exercise. Do you want to feel less depressed or anxious? If so, what activities would support a better mental outlook? Suddenly, it’s no longer just about raising your endorphins; it’s about doing what works.
Do you simply want to burn off calories? How about changing that short-term goal to an intention that could serve you the rest of your life, something like “move gracefully through life in ease and comfort.” How’s that for a potentially powerful intention? Now, check out a dance class or jazzercise, which are both big calorie burners.
One key in finding the right exercise is your own personality, likes and dislikes. You simply won’t stick with exercise you hate—and why should you? Are you a loner? Forget the team sports, then, and think about a walk/jog/run instead. Conversely, if you’re a social butterfly, get yourself to the basketball court to play with a whole big gang. And, by the way, it’s OK to change your mind about what works for you, too.
Where most people fail in maintaining an exercise program is by starting with too much, too fast, and then becoming sore or even injuring themselves, giving them a great excuse not to go back. Find a bigger context for exercise in your life, and forget the old adage of “no pain, no gain.” Slow and steady is the name of this game. Find a knowledgeable teacher or coach who can help you get started right and you’ll enjoy exercise more and get more benefits out of it.
Lastly, don’t condemn yourself when you fall off the resolution wagon. This is your life, and your resolution. Like I tell myself and my students when a yoga pose is really challenging: “It’s perfectly OK to temporarily come out of a pose that you simply can’t hold any longer, or to not do it ‘perfectly’ today (or any other day, for that matter). Just don’t give up completely. Take a breath; start again.”
Ultimately, of course, you will have to buckle down and do the work; there is no “silver bullet” to change. And there’s never a better time to start than right now. So go ahead, make your resolutions. Just be sure you’re not sabotaging your efforts before you even start.
Here’s to a Healthy, Happy New Year!
© Jackson Free Press, Inc.
Hezekiah Walker’s Latest Mission
By Lisa_Collins
Created 12/17/2008 - 20:40
Insider News Teaser:
The title of GRAMMY and Stellar Award-winner Hezekiah Walker latest album is just as much mission as it is a musical work.
By Lisa Collins, senior music editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
The title of GRAMMY and Stellar Award-winner Hezekiah Walker's latest album is Souled Out, but this CD, his 13th, is just as much mission as it is a musical work. That mission: to let the gospel world know that choirs are here to stay.
“The industry seems to be trying to do away with choirs,” says the Verity Records artist. “Down through the years many of us have tried to position most of our music to cross over and reach the world,” Walker explains. “I believe that because we have become so consumed with doing that, we’ve forgotten there are people who come to church every week and need music for Sunday morning worship. So I wanted to put this out to really keep the church music flowing – to keep choirs alive.”
The fact that Walker has enjoyed his highest debut ever – skyrocketing to number two on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart – is simply par for the course. But reminding people of the musical depth and power of choirs isn’t all he’s set out to accomplish with the project, which takes him into uncharted waters with its inclusion of two contemporary Christian music (CCM) selections.
“I stepped out of my element and it turned out tremendously,” says Walker, who will be featured on BET’s Celebration of Gospel airing January 25. “I’d been going to a lot of those churches so I’ve been hearing the music and it kind of stayed with me. One of the songs I did hear was ‘Moving Forward.’ Actually, Ricardo Sanchez told me I could do it, so I said ‘listen, since you wrote the song, come on and sing it with us’ and it was good to have a collaboration featuring a Caucasian brother singing on the album. Then the other CCM song I did was called ‘You Are All I Need.’”
“More importantly, I believe the industry is ready for the collaboration of black gospel and white Christian music and I would love to be one of the ones that helps bridge that gap between the two genres.”
The album, produced by Donald Lawrence, also features guest vocals from D.J. Rogers and Marvin Sapp.
“As you know the favor of God is on Marvin Sapp’s life right now, so I wanted to really put him on the CD and have him sing the sentiments of his heart.”
Not surprisingly, it is through his music that Walker sees himself as playing a key role in God’s plan.
“During these tough times,” Walker observes, “I believe God is going to use the church and gospel music to bring about a change and I am grateful to be a part of it.”
To that end the 23-year gospel veteran is grateful for the daily radio show he hosts on New York City’s WLIB.~ (continued from page 1)
“Some people right now are talking about syndicating my show from New York,” reports Walker, who adds, “I’m going to take advantage of every door that is open. I’m going to seize the moment and everything God gives me, whether it’s music, whether it’s church, whether it’s radio, I’m going to seize the moment and take advantage of it because I want to be a part of the change that is getting ready to take place in our world.”
Walker, who pastors Love Fellowship Tabernacle: The Kingdom Church, was ordained last month as a bishop in the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ under the leadership of Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr.
“I pastor two churches – one in New York and one in Pennsylvania, and I have about nine churches that have come out of my churches that are made up of preachers who started with me and have now started their churches. And so now I become a father to pastors.”
That growth is an example of how he views most everything in life, including this nation’s economic crisis.
“I really believe God’s got everything under control, so I’m confident that whatever he started he is able to perform,” Walker states. “The Bible clearly states that these times would come, but He said when these times come, look up, because your redemption draws neigh.
“I really believe God is allowing this time to happen so that He can be manifested in the earth. During all this stuff that is going on people are now looking to church, the place that they laughed at. People are now listening to gospel music, the music that they downplayed. And that’s because we have the answer and so I’m confident in what God said. This is nothing but scripture being fulfilled.”
© 2012
