'I SING the Body Eclectic’

51) I SING the Body Eclectic

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alt Whitman wrote 'I SING the Body Electric'.  I write of the 'Body-Mind, Spirit' connection.

            People are different; people are the same.  Everywhere.

            People are normal, 'people are strange' (The Doors)

            There are good people, and bad people.  We have differing geography bodies, clothes, foods, cultures, holidays, music, religion, even values, but throughout history, people are the same.  (Unfortunately, little human social evolution seems to have transpired, and it's still a concern, although we do make slower-than-glacial progress.)

            New York City is a Mixing Bowl; Denver is a Melting Pot.  And more than half of the world now lives in cities.  The top six are in the East or Far East (as are 18 of the top 27 - 2/3!)  NYC and LA are the only US cities; five continents are covered), so it’s also smart to make friends!

            Celebrate diversity.  There's too much intolerance.  Variety is the spice of life.  Diversification spells safety.  It will also protect your investments.

            The Silk Road connected East and West; the spice trade (commerce) led to the 'discovery' of the New World.  The Vikings connected northern and southern Europe.  The world shrunk.

            Change and evolution spell survival, even if outside your comfort zone.

            In life, you can't always pick and choose what you want (but sometimes you get what you need - The Rolling Stones).

            Inevitably, bad comes with good, light with dark, man with woman, winning with losing, and life with death.  Even spies try to even it out with the rule 'one of us, one of them'.  Therefore, whether it's nature or intellect, diversity and opposites co-exist.  In addition, commerce and investment are often the starting point for the evolution of civilization.

            Like it or not, recognize it; ultimately, I hope you accept it.  It's a Universal Rule.

            People must come together to survive, just like after 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the Haitian earthquake of 2010, Super Storm Sandy, the lighting of the Menorah, and the Three Wise Men under the stars!

            Even stars and planets come together!  (Friday the planets align, concurrent with the Winter Solstice and the end of the Mayan Calendar!)

            Are you diversified?  Are you evolving?  Are you investing in your future?

            

www.WomenAndMoney.TV

'Hurricanes in New York!'

45) Hurricanes in New York!

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urricanes in New York - again!  Halloween snow storms, Halloween Hurricanes!  (Does anyone remember the 'Procaccino for Halloween' buttons of the 1969 NYC mayoral race?  It looks like an orange Jack O ‘Lantern.)

            Actually, hurricanes have been in New York since I don't know when.  However, my point is, ever since 9-11, people like mobilizing.

            Mobilization gives people a sense of purpose, and feeling of not being alone.

            I believe many of us have become confused or deflated since 9/11.  What had been a life of relative luxury and ethnocentrism, has become a life of feeling lost.  Tsunamis, weather, war, murder, terrorism, politics, and 1%'rs have caused so many of us to either, lose our way, or sort of give up.  We walk through the day with little sense of purpose or enthusiasm, and few long-term goals.

            The future is so uncertain and not necessarily better for us, and our children; hope wanes.  Frustration, anger, depression, and anxiety take over.  If nature works against us, we're totally helpless, if not extinct.  When the power goes off, we're more helpless than animals surviving in the forest.

            Now, I've been around the block.  I grew up in the concrete jungle in the '60s.  NYC, racism, Show Biz, the tail end of Hippiedom, drugs, free sex, Viet Nam, JFK, Women's Lib, etc.; fast-forward: full life, 9/11.  But Hurricane Sandy has really started to bring it home.

            Remember, I'm a First Responder and the teacher of first responders including lifeguards, water being a special medium.  My Go-Bag lies ready, and I have an 'escape from New York' plan.  I'm a self-anointed quasi-Renaissance Man, and my fraternity dubbed me with a powerful moniker to which I must live up.  And before the hurricane, I had just finished blogging on life purpose.

            As one good in an emergency, I will you that, in the middle of an emergency is no time to question your mettle, abilities, ethics, skills, commitment, or ability to respond appropriately.

            You go on automatic pilot, and avoid questioning yourself; hesitation kills.  It's not time to Be, it's time to Do.

            I checked w/family & friends throughout the seaboard, as I was so proud of myself, for not only living in NYC, but the right neighborhood of Manhattan, where my response to the hurricane was a highly productive Snow Day, both professionally & personally, listening to Classical WQXR.

            The second day, I went to the coffee shop, and then watched Sci-Fi, the Science channel and way too much news.  All three channels showed me the destruction of the world over and over again.  I became bored and cycled to Bikram yoga, where the classes were full.

            I began to suffer ‘Survivors Guilt’, for having it so easy while everyone I knew in lower Manhattan, or CT, LI, NJ, PA, MA, etc. was in the dark, without heat and connectivity.  And I began to ponder my existence.

Think about it: what if much of the city was wiped out or the population decimated?  In Sci-Fi, we've seen the Earth end a dozen different ways, and the Science channel shows us what the Earth would be like, if humans disappear.  And life really has ended on Earth before; life that outlived us by many millions of years.

            If life as we know it really ended what would be my purpose then?  What would I do?

            The book, 'Where's My Cheese?', shows how rigid we are by nature, in just our everyday lives.  Forget about hunting, gathering, farming, starting a fire, making clothes and building shelters.  No radio, TV, phonographs, elevators, no 9-11, no refrigerators, heat, gas for cars, A/C, telephone, computers.  How many of us know smoke & drum signals, and Morse Code?  How many can start a fire, make candles, skin an animal, build a structure?  What would the young do without digital anything?!

            Where would I go?  Who would I be?  How would I eat, and protect myself from the elements, other humans, and animals?

            We would really need to expect that it would become dog eat dog, and survival of the fittest.  And I haven't been practicing using knives, spears and bows & arrows, nor do I own a gun!

            What loss would civilization suffer?  Music, art, movies, technology, etc.

            We are such a speck.  A speck in the Universe; a speck in time.

            Why are we here?

We’re taught to plan for the worst and hope for the best, or roll with the punches.  Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong (and at the worst possible time), to which we add Schwartz’s Corollary: Murphy was an optimist.  Also, no good deed goes unpunished.  So even with a good attitude and good intentions and good plans (Eric plans, God laughs), it’s sometimes just too overwhelming.

            Yes, humans are survivors, but what happens when our spirit is gone?  How do we rediscover a sense of purpose, and recognize our place in the universe?

            Probably nothing you haven't heard, but it bears repeating:

ü  Never give up.

ü  Procreate.

ü  Live for today, plan for tomorrow.

ü  Enjoy each day as if it was your last.

ü  Use common sense, and don't be frivolous.  Make smart, conscious, deliberate decisions.

ü  Acquire, practice & employ the skills you need for survival.

ü  Acquire the resources you need for survival.

ü  Be motivated by goals, not fears.

ü  Learn, read, discuss, and explore your own philosophies and spirituality to develop a sense of self and a sense of purpose.

ü  Continue to be curious and learn.

ü  Play a responsible, ethical role in society.

ü  Fake it ‘til you make it - mobilize

            The end of the world may not yet be here (although 12/21 is just weeks away.  And what do we do if the world doesn’t end?!).  By managing expectations, and living life to the fullest, we can rediscover a life of purpose.  Without it, we do not truly live.

            Your financial plan should reflect your life:

Ø  Emergency Management (e.g. cash, water, blankets, first aid kit)

Ø  Daily survival (e.g. budgets, savings, systems)

Ø  Risk Management (e.g. emergency cash, credit, insurance, exercise)

Ø  Goal-oriented work, play, laughter & fun.

            Why are we here?  Why are you here?  What’s your purpose?  What’s your plan?  Is your financial plan a burden, or a survival tool?

           

www.WomenAndMoney.TV

Life Stages

43) Life Stages

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 have plenty of senior fraternity Brothers, but the eldest of my circle is turning 60.

He helped me obtain my first and only car, my beloved maroon '78 Firebird with Cragers (my 8-Track still works).

            I have another best friend who is already past 60, and as athletes, he can still run and swim circles around me.

            I have other sexagenarian cronies.  One, age 68, walks 17 miles around the Lehman College arboretum per workout, a few times a week, year-round, in between hours of piano practice.

            Their chronological ages amaze me since I do not measure them by years, unless it's the length of our friendships.

            My friends and I have grown up together, literally and figuratively made music together; run organizations together, graduated together, and traveled the world together.

            We've known each other's families, girl/boyfriends & spouses, been in business together, attended each other's weddings, and supported each other through divorce, parental care, disease, disaster, and death.

            We share values, senses of humor, intelligence, sophistication, curiosity, morality, commitment to causes, and support for each other.

            Yet most of us 'march to our own drummers'.  (Henry David Thoreau: "If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away.")

            I've watched Brothers, classmates, friends, and family buy their first homes; I've watched their kids grow up, and attended Christenings, Communions, and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. 

            We share each other's fortunes - life fortunes, if not financial ones.  Some have been up, some down, some stable, some still unfolding.

            There's always a laugh in the wings, a shoulder to cry on, a bed waiting for me, should I travel somewhere around the world, and a shirt off a back, if I need it.

            I've yet to start a family, or make the financial fortune I desire, but my classmates and Brothers are already speaking of being empty nesters, their kids' careers and with whom their kids date or live.  And they speak of downsizing their homes and retiring to Florida!  We discuss how to care for the thinning ranks of parents, and whether or not to prepay our funerals.

            This retirement to Florida scuttlebutt has me, yet again, realizing another paradigm shift in the personal lives of the group to which I belong, the group that makes up my age-wave.

            I may not be doing the same things they do, nor share the same interests, but I watch and learn.  And I consider myself rich.  My Dad just asked how frequently I gather or speak with Brothers and classmates, and the answer is weekly; I’m not sure what I would do without them.

            I can't really relate to some of what they are doing, they seem so far ahead of me; careers, big houses, autos, kids, retirement savings.

            Yet, others are approaching 60 and have elementary school kids.

Then I hang with younger men and women, and they seem so far behind, in certain ways, still wet behind the ears from college, maybe living at home, single, starting careers, just going out at 11pm.

            So it’s also choices, not just stages.  And it reinforces my decision to march to my own rhythm section and laugh about Don Quixote.

            Long ago I made a conscious, deliberate decision to avoid being caught in the 'keeping up with the Jones' and 'the grass being greener' elsewhere.  I don't believe the universe works that way, especially with the experiences I've had, and my learning from history and others’ mistakes.

            After all, if we cannot learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.  And why not learn from both my own and other's mistakes, rather than having to learn the hard way?  I’m smarter than that, and it seems to me, that the right to a brain, or sentience, implies the responsibility to use it; a responsibility to family, friends, society, and myself.

            So I tend my own garden, I tend my flock, I try to enjoy life each day (even amidst my complaining), and I manage my expectations.  This helps me to be more comfortable with who I am.

I still cannot see the path ahead, or the light at the end of the tunnel, but I generally, now, get to enjoy the journey.  I am responsible for my decisions, my choices, my attitude, and my own happiness.  I am motivated by goals, not fears.  And I have the support and friendship of others.

            I learn from all, respect my elders, and coach those younger.  We give, receive, and enjoy what we each have to offer.  We share each other's fortunes - life fortunes, if not financial ones, albeit financial wealth abounds.

            Although we come from different walks of life and spend our days toiling in diverse vocations and lifestyles, our wealth is not measured so much in dollars, as in friendship.

            Our bonds aren’t based on how much we have, nor lack.  It isn’t based on rubbing shoulders with the 'right' people, or people of the same economic class or political party, or religion.

            I define wealth by fun, relationships, happiness, fulfillment, and hopefully health and peace.

            Financial wealth is secondary, a tool, not an end.  It is a human invention, and fleeting; one cyber attack, nuclear incident, or major sunspot, or meteor, or major hurricane or earthquake, or tsunami, and the rules of society will change - most likely reverting to 'dog-eat-dog'.  Thus, the relationships will outshine the luster of gold.

            I believe relationships are based mostly on shared experience and shared values.  That, along with managing expectations are the keys to the kingdom: wealth and longevity: 'Live long, and prosper’.

            To wit, how do you measure wealth?  How do you steward your money?  Who's in your support circle - or corner?

           

www.WomenAndMoney.TV

The Big 4-0 40)  Speaking of Planning...

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omen have critical needs & special interests, as their earning power increases, and their independence grows.  Women integrate money with the other parts of their lives, whereas men tend to categorize & segregate.

            Women tend to use money as a tool for achieving life goals, such as retirement, a home, vacations, taking care of kids, and not becoming a 'shopping bag lady’.

            Some women use money as an emotional crutch, such as spending to excess on pampering themselves when they work hard but don't have a fulfilling relationship.

            Men often view money as a competition, or a way to keep score, supporting - or damaging - their egos, self-esteem, and self-confidence.  Some use it as a tool for power, and control.

            Historically, women are not empowered about money, and underestimate their ability to manage it.  Men are confident, and pretend to speak the lingo, but don’t ‘stop to ask directions’.

            As women take control of their money, they ask for help, appreciate education, and recognize the value of goals, planning, and patience, systematically sticking to their plans, often resulting in the attainment of their goals.

            It’s all the more important today, as women’s control of money in the world continues to grow, and the markets don't want to cooperate.

            Do you have a list of goals?  Do they have target dates, and dollars?

            Can you make a list of your values?  Have you thought about morality?  Honor?  Integrity?  Loyalty?  Commitment?  Heroism?  Courtesy?  Friendliness?

            Is it time to visit with a Certified Financial Planner, see if there's a meeting of the minds, and then discover - or rediscover yourself?

            Organizing your physical, and mental lives frees you to explore your spiritual, and emotional ones.

           

www.WomenAndMoney.TV

39) Wise Planning

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ust prior to Independence Day, I  returned from one of my visits to Sverige - Sweden, as the Svenskas (Swedes) know it.

            Stockholm was wound up with the most rain they'd had in 100 years, however, thanks to the clouds, I often got to sleep in darkness.  The enthralling Eurocup had captured the nation (although Sweden has never actually been conquered, in part due to the cliffs surrounding the waterways into the city), the Olympic trials were on TV, and Midsommar, their solstice celebration, was starting, which meant a holiday weekend, summer vacations, closed shops, and, like Manhattan, the city became a relative ghost town, as people fled to the archipelago.  They celebrate it similarly to our Independence Day, with traditional, food, drink, snaps (schnapps), special flowers, traditional costumes, song, and a dance or two around the Maypole, all of which is just an amazing, fun experience.

            Sweden recently put out a postage stamp commemorating their 1,000 anniversary.  As compared to New York City, Stockholm is much older and the apartments smaller.  Therefore, they must use space better.

            Stockholm is a very easy city in which to live.  Everyone speaks the Queen's English terribly well, and knows almost all American idioms due to film, TV, music, and clothing.  Although it's every bit as much a walking city as New York, there is terrific infrastructure from subways to buses, taxis, commuter trains, airport trains & buses, highways, bicycles, and telecommunications.  Never have I had better cell phone reception, which leads my clients to disbelief when I tell them I'm standing on the back deck of a friend's in Stocksund - their 'Westchester' suburb.  And with the web, I have Skype, e-mail, NY1, and WQXR, 'The Classical Music Station of NYC'.

            Stockholm is beautiful, old, and modern, with a few extra boroughs than New York City.  They have much culture from restaurants, concerts, museums, movies, clubs, to ice bars for the tourists.  The waterside cliffs have prevented them from ever having been conquered.  They are basically surrounded by water, and one in three Stockholmers has a boat.  Like true Vikings, they take to the 'sweet' (fresh vs. salt) archipelago water at every opportunity.  However, instead of antiquated sonar, they watch the rocky bottom depths with GPS, and meet at rocks or islands determined by GPS coordinates. 

            The people of Stockholm are as international, and sophisticated as anyone.  They are stylish, worldlier than Americans, older & wise.  Their people are good citizens.  They pay high taxes but have access to health coverage, unemployment benefits, and retirement benefits.  This makes divorce less of an issue - if they bother to marry.  They believe you should work even if you're unemployed, and collecting.  Rich are moving back, to 'give back' having previously left to protect their wealth from taxation.

            They tend to travel, be fit, and enjoy taking care of their bodies with a sauna (pronounced ‘sowna’), and/or steam, hot & cold bathes, and massage.

            Swedes are technophiles, always on the leading edge of adopting, if not creating technology; much market testing is done there.

            Sweden has planned magnificently for everything from dishwashers, to toilets with  two-sided handles (for low water volume in case you've only urinated), to heated towel racks, triple-paned windows (to save energy), elevators up the middle of old building stairwells (with seats!), to outdoor neighborhood recycling bins (with low level slots for the handicapped), to overnight street cleaning (with NYC-style vehicular sweepers on the sidewalks!), to fitness facility showers that turn off after a predetermined number of seconds (to save water), to level sidewalk cafes on steep hills, to buses with wide rear doors at curb level that allow baby strollers free access & free rides, to charging you for bags at the supermarket (to promote environmental temperance),  to handing you a personal credit card swipe machine (for security), requiring only a PIN (vs digital signature) when making retail & restaurant purchases, to the ability to pay individuals directly, electronically.

            I would argue that the US is not the world leader in technology and planning.

            People don't block the doors on the subways or vandalize the drink & candy machines on the platforms.  Meal portions are smaller.  They are an involved and aware member of the world community, enjoying a much larger middle class, health insurance, and retirement benefits in spite of higher tax rates than in the US.  They are proud, good citizens who exercise their societal responsibilities.  Millionaires, who once left the country to protect their wealth from taxes, are returning to enjoy the quality of life, and 'give back'.

            They are a hearty, smart, good-looking people with a strong work ethic, and great sense of humor.

            Granted, they've had hundreds of more years to evolve than Americans, but we tend to be ethnocentric, and want everything big, and now.  Many of our citizens rape the system, and leave the country.

            Although we, and the whole world, identify with the 'American Dream, we are not necessarily as good neighbors as we could be.  We are not aware of how our older brothers and sisters live, nor do we learn from them as fast as we could.

            We are so caught up in our individual rat races that we don't stop to smell the roses and dance around the Maypole.

            Don't get me wrong, Auntie Em, there’s no place like home; I like living in the USA, especially the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  I enjoy our freedoms, and hopes, and being near family, familiarity, and the ‘crossroads of the world’.

            But I also recognize that our time as the world leader may be beginning to wane, just as it has for so many other kingdoms, and empires, and that there are great things, people, and places outside the US from whom we can learn, and befriend.

            We may have adopted policies of policing the world that we must follow through on, and we may have been imperialistic or bullies, like any adolescents, but we can grow, and our neighbors can help.  In the meantime, like older siblings, they wait for us to mature to a point where we can be better listeners, family members, and world citizens.

            In the meantime, with balance, they celebrate their pasts, enjoy their presents, and responsibly plan their futures.

            Do you?

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