On my way to buy crap I didn’t need the other day, I tailgated a car that happened to have a great bumper sticker. All it had on it were the words, “It’s all Temporary.” That really hit me and made a lot of things click. Like when you’re trying to first ride a bike, and you keep falling on your ass, then all of a sudden you’re charging forward in a wobbly line. Kind of like that, but more useful.

A lot of times, we all get caught up with work and life stressors, and it gets us frustrated, stressed, and shortens our life. Globally, more than 3 out of 5 doctor visits are for stress related problems. Globally, 23% of women executives and professionals, and 19% of their male peers, say they feel super-stressed. While stress is useful in a fight-or-flight scenario, I find that most of the time I get worked up about something REALLY stupid (or someone really stupid). Seeing this bumper sticker put it all in its place. It’s all temporary. If you think about it, these three simple words make a lot of sense. It’s a common idea in Buddhism, and something that I’ve forgotten over the years. If some situation has you stressed out, just realize and understand that it’s temporary. It’ll be over in a few days, weeks, whatever, so really in the grand scheme of things it’s no big deal. Conversely, if it’s something good, also realize and understand that it’s all temporary so you should enjoy it and cherish it.

If you can get into that frame of mind, I find that it calms you down and makes difficult situations go down easier. While I still haven’t been able to stop all stress in my life, keeping these three words in my mind have helped tremendously.

There is a high likelihood that you’ll be getting married (if you haven’t already). Although the percentage of married people is declining, it’s still well over 50%. The rate of marriages is 7.5 per 1,000 total population, according to the CDC. Given that, you better prep yourself for a wedding.

While the cost of a wedding can run anywhere from $18 (lowest cost of a marriage license, depending on state) to million$$, it would be smart to plan out a budget. Read More

Sabbaticals can be a great way to revitalize yourself, especially in today’s hectic go-go-go working society. However, it can be tricky to pull off since taking such a big break from work has a few risks. Considerations include continuation of health benefits, pause in usual income, and resuming work after the break. If planned correctly, sabbaticals can be a great way to refresh your mind and gain new perspectives that can potentially help you once you get back to work.
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STAY CALM. Most important from the get-go is to stay calm. If you spaz out you’ll most likely end up doing something really stupid that can come around and screw you (yeah..you know where). Almost everyone gets at least one bad review in their careers, so stay calm, and see how to deal.
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Many people have an interest in starting their own business. Either it be from a strong entrepreneur spirit, or you’re just sick of working for your belligerent boss, many consider the prospects of leaving the supposed rat race. Being an entrepreneur indeed has its benefits, but many do not see the not so cheery extras that come with working for yourself.
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I spent this past weekend meeting up with friends I hardly get to see (damn you real life and your jobs). We all met up in NYC from our respective cities for a few days of catching up and craziness. Of course, when you stick a bunch of guys in the City, there’s bound to be some Y-chromo tendencies. So many hotties around it kind of makes you goofy. Obviously, for the single guys this is no thing; for the rest of us, it is a nut kick waiting to happen.
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There’s always that talk that you eventually need to have that just totally sucks. Either you’re telling someone they’re being let go, or asking for a raise, or telling your boss you royally fucked something up. Each of these and more are sure your get you stressed and chewin on your nails. The good news is that you’re not alone. Most people have a terrible time dealing with terrible conversations. Read More

Cash in Europe

At this point, the U$ blows compared to the euro. That translates to you getting screwed if you have to use euros. Add on the fees for converting money and the cash you get just isn’t worth what you think. Read More

As our parents and those slightly their senior begin to retire and leave the workforce, the dynamics at the workplace will start to change. This will give our generation options and opportunities that our parents didn’t have. The main factor in this will be the great change in total workforce size and also changing perceptions of society.

Payscale.com published an article discussing what the retirement of the baby boomers means for us.

There are about 78 million boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, and as they begin hitting retirement age-the first wave turns 65 in 2011-experts anticipate workforce shortages. Read More

There is a great article in this month’s Men’s Health on reaching our goals of success. Whether it’s “happiness, freedom, or a bank account full of f-you money,” success is something we are all striving for. They identified five virtues that they considered the pillars of success: ambition, intuition, focus, courage, and leadership.

These qualities can help you reach your goal, whether you’re trying to build a hundred-million-dollar software firm or open an old-school diner out on the four-lane.
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