Could This Be You?

Public Service Announcement - Could This Be You?

I came across this interesting video that is a Public Service announcement. I have to caution you that it is a little disturbing but it's an account of what happened that night (from Police records) between Chris Brown and Rihanna. Like I said in my earlier post, she needs to set an example and I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in this thinking. They're in the spotlight and A new video by the teen organization DoSomething.org features actors recreating the pop star's grim, highly publicized confrontation with her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown.
A young man and woman re-enact details from a Los Angeles police affidavit alleging that on Feb. 8, Brown punched, bit and choked Rihanna until she nearly lost consciousness.
A narrator describes the scene in a deadpan voice.

Below is an quote from Nancy Lublin, chief executive officer of DoSomething.org. :

"The brief clip can be viewed on YouTube. It closes with the statistic that one in three teenagers is abused in a relationship, and promotes free bracelets _ one blue, two black _ that spread awareness about dating abuse.
Lublin said the goal is to make people think and change their behavior. The organization used white actors on purpose to shift the conversation away from the celebrity singers."

"The public is very focused right now on Chris and Rihanna," she said. "I think people need to realize that this is an issue that goes beyond those particular people, and it affects everybody of every race. And so we wanted this to not be an exact re-enactment. We wanted instead to say: Could this be you?" (trigger warning)

Last Post then...Vacation!

Everyone needs a little r & r. What's your favourite thing to do?

At some point we all need to get rejuvenated and refreshed. It's been seven (7) long years and looking forward to reconnecting with my loved one. We seem to give 100% to everything that unfortunately we can inadvertantly take advantage of those closest to us.

I'm looking forward to it and as always, looking forward to a new, fresh perspective. I absolutely love what I do, love my friends, clients, family but have to love me more. Not in a selfish way and if you're a women reading this, there's nothing wrong with that. We give so much to everyone else, there's nothing wrong taking time for ourselves. We're not super woman/man and need to know our limits.

So, I'd like to leave you with a challenge. Write daily at least three things you're grateful for. Even if you're having a really rotten day, look inside really deep and force yourself to write down three things. Hopefully as you look outside at the sunshine, you'll have a smile on your face and gain a different perspective on things. Challenge yourself, love yourself and you'll be able to find the inner strength to get you through.

Love and be loved. Hope you have a wonderful, life altering week!

Kids, Money & Our Responsibility

**this is a re-post and credit to Heather Locus** I share the EXACT same view on this which is part of my emphasis and reason for "EMPOWERING WOMEN * INSPIRING CHANGE"

Credit cards, college debt, a sense of entitlement… These issues are considered to be large contributors in why Generation Y has become our least financially fit generation to date. An interview in the Journal of Financial Planning with Elisabeth Donati, Founder and Executive of Creative Wealth International, offered the following insights about younger generations and their growing money troubles. 

Young adults under 25 are now the fastest growing age group filing bankruptcies. Less than 10% of high school graduates are taking any courses on personal finance. College suicides are thought to be on the rise in large part due to financial struggles. As parents or role models of younger generations, it is our responsibility to lead by example in our own financial lives. It is also important that we take steps to educate and communicate with our children to set them up for their own successful financial futures. This initiative yields several questions. 

When? When do we begin talking to our kids about money? Experiences have shown that in general, the earlier the better. An individual’s emotions and subconscious outlook on wealth are formed within the first twelve years of a person’s life. Feelings of scarcity or abundance and thriftiness or generosity are generally established at a young age and will continue to exist in the underlying foundation of a person’s attitude towards money regardless of future life changing events. 

What? What information do we share with our children? This question is not as difficult when dealing with younger kids, but becomes more complicated as they grow older. With younger children, it may be sufficient to teach them the value of a dollar, emphasize the importance of saving, and maybe share the significance of monetary gifting. 

These values should continue to be reinforced as children grow older, but with young adults the question arises as to how much should be shared about the family’s financial situation. Many people these days are more comfortable talking with their children about the birds and the bees than they are discussing personal financial issues. While each family’s answer to the question of what information should be shared will be different, the important point is to make sure that you do not avoid addressing real-world, adult financial topics. College planning may be a stimulus for discussion. Negotiating for a child’s first real job or first home purchase could spark conversation. Regardless, it is imperative that you share your experiences and at least lay the groundwork for serious discussions about your family’s wealth management plan. 

How? How do you effectively instill in your children appropriate values and education about money? My best advice: be proactive and be creative. Do not wait for your children to make mistakes before addressing financial concerns. If you do not feel qualified to discuss an issue, work with your financial advisor to plan the best approach or message. Creatively teach the concept of budgeting to your children at an early age. If they have $3 of spending money left at the water park they can either have a hot dog or another ride on the slide – but they cannot afford both. You can help your newly driving children build good credit by having them open a credit card solely for gas purchases (and then of course ensuring that they are paying it off in full each month). For older children who move back home, you could charge “rent” to help them adjust to paying monthly expenses, put that money into an appreciating savings account and then allow them to use that money towards their first month’s payment when they are ready to move out on their own. 

Ultimately there are no definitive right or wrong answers when it comes to teaching our younger generations about money. Without a doubt, our biggest mistake would be to disregard Generation Y’s growing financial problems. When just setting a good example is not enough, it is important that we take the time and energy to educate and communicate with the kids in our life to help foster healthier financial futures for everyone.


Bloggers note: If you click on the title it will take you to "Kids' Money" . org which provides various links, info and more suggestions. I do not maintain that site and it's only a suggestion. I also found "Ways to Teach Kids About Money" and "Money Instructor"(which had some cool printables & games), "Top Things to Know" -from CNN and "Getting Started" - From Marketwatch Feel free to Google and more suggestions appreciated. Feel free to post them here!
****Empowering Women, Inspiring Change****