Michael

Goal setting, don’t forget the flatware

Goals give direction and more importantly a defined target to achieve. Most goals should be rational and achievable. It is okay if some goals shoot for the moon.... look at what we have accomplished! Perhaps these days goals should be more altruistic and define character or aim for a better character. Goals should have benchmarks of progression to help keep us looking up and knowing we are on track. Dichotomous benchmarks can help shape goals and keep us from flailing and undermining our sense of well being if something is un-achievable. (If I succeed at this point I go on to phase two or step two. If I see myself failing at a benchmark, I reconsider my methods and or my goal: is my approach correct; is my goal achievable for me; how do i re-orient my goal to make it achievable?).

Goals require an assessment of resources. Is there access or enough access to material resources? (i.e. computer time at a library or your own ad do you have a good enough connection to an ISP). Is there the time requirements to accomplish the work load of achieving a goal? Is there the support from friends and family and community members to help you achieve your goals? Do friends and family and community members consider your goals attainable and realistic and of good character? Can the assemblage of time, material, support and knowledge cause a goal to be achieved? Consider that perhaps the assemblage of components is a determinate factor of the quality level in achieving a goal.

Michael: not just any ol' meteorite impacting the earth

A scientist studies a crater to discover what made the impact. He knows there was an impact because of the crater that attracted his attention. I am beginning a study of philanthropic organizations to understand social impact. In this case there is no crater to sample and study. Philanthropic org's fill in voids and develop or build bridges. Sometimes their work is incredibly quiet. Samples and test sites dont ripple at the surface and beg for study. Special radar is needed to look below the surface and detect the substanciation. "How was this bridge built; how was this void filled or circumvented"? "What were the indicators that a bridge is needed or how is the void detected"? Working backwards to find how others have developed programs to constructively assist people and places. Working backwards to understand what and how to decipher true gaps in the social fabric from illusions. Networking and integrating into these special tools that respond to detected voids and gaps in the social and economic fabric to help me understand social impact. I see voids and gaps in the social, economic and justice landscape around me. Some of these gaps are personal and some are just near my periphery or within my line of sight. Some seem to attract my attention for opportunity to enlist my skills and insights; coupling curiousity with education and talents and ability to learn and do more. All offer challenges personal and cognitive and creative.

Michael: What and Why For Budgets

Why's about budgets! Budgets give us a point of reference. They help us to take on responsibility and to live up to its fruition. Budgets have many facets and applications. By having income and staying in budget we can afford a home and food. We can plan purchases and curb over-spending on entertainment or frivolous and momentary impulse items. Curb doesn't mean we have to cut out. We should allow, if financially possible, some entertainment. Sharing a movie or dinner or recreation maintains a better more rounded character. It gives each of us a chance to do more than socialize - we get to learn more about and to a greater depth our friends and circles of people met. We can extend a range of understanding and depth of compassion. A person can look and grow outward without looking down upon.

We have more responsibility than just our personal budgets concerning our financial resources and time. As individuals and as communities we have an obligation to participate in the general well being. To find an interest and budget time for community volunteerism is one facet. It can enlarge our scope of awareness and increase our circle of friends. It can give us respect from our communityand enhance our self image; our self respect. Community volunteerism gives a small part of ourselves away but can give an incomprehensible return to our community and future as a community in lives enhanced by the bridges made.

As we look outward to greater or larger scope and circles of responsibilities our budgetary role becomes multi-tiered. We are drawn into debates concerning state and national spending. Whether we choose how, we will be a part of ongoing short and long term fiscal budgets that allow levels of government to provide services, protections and infrastructure. How we respond to the greater and lesser of these responsibilites has a long term affectation on our well being. In our budgets we must blend personal, community, state, national and international well being with knowledge and intelligence. We must judge what is affordable, and realisitc and do-able and what it takes to make something big or small happen.

Michael: Environments

Appreciation for the natural environment is much more than admiration for a forest of trees or alpine glade beneath austere mountain tops or beautiful sandy beaches with lapping waves of the sea. Appreciation for and there in responsibility shouldn't come from the limits of what we receive back personally. I hope to expose some thoughts on home, work, social and industrial environments that have reflections and ramifications on our perceptions, utilization of and enjoyment of the natural environments around us.

Lexi

Colorado's Underground Music Showcase

Colorado's Underground Music Showcase::

Volunteering doesnt have to be the same ol go sit at my grandparents nursing home and hope you dont fall asleep in the middle of their stories (as great as that would be!). It can be fun volunteering! Volunteering for your community not only helps out your local business', populus, etc. It also makes you feel great about yourself :)

Colorado!

Go volunteer in July for Colorado's UMS!
Its easy and fun :) Not only do you just get to help out our local music scene, you get to listen to great music all day! Maybe from bands you havent heard of before or bands that are your old favorite! Check out their website for more info:: TheUMS.com I hope to see you there! Come say hi to a few friends and I, i would love to see you there! :D

Currently listening:
Nocturnal
By The Black Dahlia Murder
Release date: 2007-09-18

Lexi: Environment::

Sorry the environment blog is kind of late :) i happen to have a life outside of myspace!

Resource use vs. available resources?
Not too many think about this balance. To me, maintaining the environment is about a balance between what we as people use and take for granted in resources, and what the earth makes available for us to use. Sucking up resources at a rate faster than the earth can produce them is what is tearing apart our planet. Very serious thought should be put into what the earth's population should be doing right now to change the current rate of damage that we are doing to the planet. Not like, "Oh well we are producing this much green house gas per capita..." thought, but more like, "Oh my god, i must go get my neighbor and we must go change something, anything right now!" type of thought.
Changing what you do in your daily routine is one of the easiest! ways to help, even just a little, in saving the environment.

Summer-time energy saving tips! :) ::
-Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units but not to block the airflow. Not only does this help the environment, it helps keep your AC unit cool, which is more cost-effective! :D
-Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
-Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use!
Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.
-Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.

More tips:: http://www.energy.gov/index.htm
Currently listening:
Never Take Friendship Personal
By Anberlin
Release date: 2005-02-01

Lexi: Budgeting & Managing Bills

As an 18 year old, budgeting and managing bills is something completely different for me than it might be for someone older. I've only been paying my own bills now for a few months and the first time I ever paid my phone bill I ran downstairs and yelled at my mom ecstatic because I was paying for something on my own. Managing bills is something that our generation, I believe, will have a harder time learning than any other previous. The amount of things available to our generation is exponentially larger than any other generation and given the current economic status, the prices are exponentially larger as well. Learning to budget and manage bills is a skill that needs to be acquired early and taken seriously. Our generation has a tendency to pick up terrible buying habits...buy it now, take it home, pay for it later... maybe. These habits lead to financial problems quickly if bills are let to run rampant. At this point in my life bills are something that make me feel accomplished and independent and able to take care of myself. Budgeting is something that easily controls bill problems and makes paying bills much easier. The budget system that i have worked out for myself works like this: I total my expenditure for the month (bills, gas, etc.) and take half out of my first paycheck and half out of my second paycheck. So that I know I have enough money at the end of the month to pay for my bills. The money left over is the money that i am free to spend on other things (food, clothes, etc.) and is spread far enough out to last me the whole month! Doing that makes my life so much easier to handle and much less stressful! Doing fun things without breaking my budget is a skill I have acquired. I live in Colorado, its way too easy for me to drive to the mountains and hike for hours or drive into the city and just get lost in the activity on the streets. Getting outside is the simplest way to save money on a budget, have fun and get bonus exercise!

My mom and I having a blast at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. All we had to do was walk around downtown and we were entertained for hours :).

Nicholas

Nicholas: Tips on Budgeting/Managing your Money/Bills

Considering I was literally forced to save money in order to get my first car, I can personally give you guys a few tips on having an effective method on saving money and also managing your money, so that you learn discipline, responsibility but also have some fun saving your money.

My brother became a junior in high school and of course needed transportation to school. What Junior or Senior wants to ride the bus to school every day? So inevitably my parents passed my car over to my brother which left me without any transportation. For 4 months I had to walk to work or ride my bike. It literally forced me to sit down and look at what I was spending my money on, and most of it was on junk! Going out to eat all the time with friends and treating my buddies every time we hung out. I needed a plan, some structure.

Soon after, my parents and I sat down to look at my expenses and income. I basiclly had to suck it up for a couple of months to earn a couple of thousand dollars to buy my first car. My parents said they weren't going to help me on this one, in order to see what kind of discipline I had. Well, I was a little hard headed and it took me about a good month to actually change my buying habits. Three months later I bought my first car and felt AMAZING at my first new achievement.

Here are some tips... 1- You MUST have self discipline! If you don't, your money will disappear before your eyes.
2- Sit down with a friend or parents and write down your expenses. Add all of your bills and expenses for each month. Work on setting a spending limit so that you don't run into your bill money.
3- Also, it is very helpful to be aware of how much you spend. Keep a small notepad and jot down the prices everytime you purchase an item. This will help you find out where your money is going.
4- It took me a while to realize that I needed to be patient with my time and money. If you expect to see a fortune after your first week of saving and managing, I would have to say you may get a little disappointed, lol. BE PATIENT
and 5- Last but not least, make saving a fun experience. Try to challenge yourself on how much money you can save. Set a goal and test yourself to see what you're made of. Is your will weak?, or will you stand strong and be determined to reach your goal?!!
WARNING!!!: ONCE YOU GET GOOD AT SAVING, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO QUIT! Once you see your money doubling in a snowball effect you won't want to stop! At least that was my experience. I haven't been late on a bill now for a while. Try it out. Let me know how it works for you.

Tyler

Goal Setting

Happiness is achieved by accomplishing goals that you set for yourself. I take this subject quite seriously. And yet, my philosophy on the subject is very simple.

First of all, I believe that anyone can achieve any goal no matter how impossible it may seem. It could be a financial goal, a goal in happiness, a goal in health, a goal for a relationship, etc.

The fact is that accomplishing a goal should be an easy thing to do, no matter what it is. I believe that taking the steps and action to accomplishing any goal should feel effortless and fun! This is most efficient because it does not feel like work. Some may say that to achieve your goals, you must make a plan, work hard, and pay your dues. The problem is that if you are having a terrible time in the process, it will be harder to achieve.

Basically, if you know what you want, you believe you can have it, and you stay positive while working to achieve it- it will come to you.

This is definitely an abstract approach to the subject of goal setting. But I believe that this is a good bottom line to accomplishing any goal. It's helped me tremendously. :)

Tyler: Be friendly to our environment.

I am happy to see that "going green" is getting more popular in our society.

With advances in technology, we as consumers are given the opportunity to drive fuel-efficient cars, use energy-efficient lighting, and (in due time) harness our energy from wind, water, and the sun. That's awesome! But everyone knows that. This is about the things we take for granted that affect the environment greatly.

Many of us are still enticed to use more and more energy. With refrigerators the size of my living room, it's no wonder this appliance takes the cake (literally) when it comes to using electricity. And how about these gigantic riding lawn mowers? Pricey, popular, and guaranteed to pollute. Curb-side trash service is quite a convenience- just throw EVERYTHING in there! Also, make sure you leave all of your house lights on, keep those three-prong devices plugged in, leave your TV blaring, your computer on stand-by and for goodness sake run that dirty spoon through the dishwasher! :(

It's very easy to use excess energy when it comes to convenience. Going upstairs when "out the door" to turn off a bedside lamp seems like a waste of time. We must remember that doing so will 1. Save us money (more than we know) and 2. Will save that potentially wasted energy.

In a family of four or less, go with the standard size fridge- any more space and you could easily overstock it and waste food.

PLEASE look into getting a manual push-reel mower. It offers better exercise, FAR less pollution, and left over grass blades to contribute to a healthier lawn. Plus they're quiet. Mowing your lawn can actually be relaxing.

A general rule of thumb that I am just starting to follow, is to turn off any device that requires a three-prong plug when not in use. These devices really eat electricity. And watch out for those sneaky appliances that appear to be off, yet are secretly on stand-by mode. If you see a light of any sort, then power is still being used. So unplug it :)

MY FAVORITE- don't run your dishwasher for anything short of a full load. Not only does it save energy, but it allows for you to simply toss (place) the dirty dishes in a box, and forget about them for awhile until you have enough to qualify for a cycle. YAY!

Also, make an effort to separate trash from recyclables. Recyclables include cans, bottles, newspapers, glass, cardboard... basically anything you could potentially make into something else. If your neighborhood doesn't offer recycling pickup, stockpile your recyclables in a large bin and cart it to your nearest plant every few weeks.

I wish I could do all of these things. I'm getting much better about turning off my electronics and lights. I am looking at manual lawn mowers. I've gotten rid of my mini-fridge that used to be in my room. However, I don't recycle (YET) and I have a Jeep that is thirsty. Not too many people can truly say that they're doing everything they can to help the environment, but it's the little things all of us can do that will help in the long run.

Tyler: What is a budget?

I don't know. What is a bugdet to you?

Everyone has a unique situation when it comes to making and spending money. The goal is to make MORE than you spend. Perhaps easier said than done.. For this blog, I will share my personal situation which I guarantee is MUCH different than yours. But it may offer some perspective...

I am a touring drummer. I certainly don't consider it to be a job. At my current level, I barely make enough income to get through the day. That's why it's extra important that I spend it wisely. Every day, I am paid anywhere from $15-30. This mainly goes to food, since lodgings and gas are paid for by the band.

For food, I go to Subway. I find Subway to be particularly budget-friendly because they are currently offering a $5 footlong (and free water). I eat half of it, and save the other half for later. Works perfectly, and is decently healthy. That's something anyone can do to pinch those pennies. In the evenings, all-night diners are my best friend. However, they are a little more costly. I can usually find something for $7-10. But look! There goes my $15... :( At least my main responsibility is covered.

On days when I make a little more, I make sure to spend no more than the standard $15 on food. A smart thing for me to do would be to pocket the rest of the cash and start saving. Unfortunately, I need to work on that. When I have extra money on the road, I commit the sin of wasting it one way or another. A particularly bad habit I've adapted is buying a lotto ticket daily. $2 out the window. Sometimes I win! But sometimes I lose. Regardless, I need to drop that wastful habit.

Coffee is also a big waste. Intelligently, there is almost always a starbucks nearby calling my name. Why in the world would I spend $4 on a cup of coffee KNOWING that an apple (50 cents) has just as much of a "kick"?? So balancing the budget so far-

$15 for food
$2 dumb lottery ticket
$4 cup of (non free-trade) coffee

My new goal will be to eliminate that extra $6 daily from my budget. That saves $42 a week. Tours usually last about a month for a total savings of $180! That's a good amount to have once I go back home. Looking at that, there's no way I want to spend it on unneeded crap.

It would be surprising if you took a look at the little purchases you make daily. As a closing statement, (I just now convinced myself) I will say this. Perhaps the most important part of saving some extra money is to look at your DAILY purchases, and cut out the ones you don't need. Happy budgeting!

Ty

Andrea

Setting Goals & Accomplishing them!

Setting Goals & Accomplishing them!

I am usually very good at setting goals for myself and seeing them through (which of course is the hard part!) So to explain my point, I would like to tell you a story about a goal that I set that took some time to see through, but I finally did it! I went to college straight out of high school. I even knew what I wanted to do pretty much right from the get go. I worked full time and went to school, and for a short period of time I even worked two jobs. Unfortunately, that got old pretty quick. In about 3 and 1/2 years I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but then I let life "get in the way". My priorities went askew and I stopped worrying so much about school. I made it to graduation day and my whole family came out to see me. I was 21 at the time, and even though I was there walking across the stage, I knew I had failed a class and would likely get the news that I had to re-take it to get my diploma.

I was right...no diploma! I didn't tell my family, I just went about my daily life and kept working. Secretly of course I needed to find a way to graduate, I couldn't live with this failure. I was always good in school and really did not like the idea that I let myself end up this way. By the time I was able to get myself back enrolled in school, I was the single mom of a 2 year old baby and had no idea how to find the time to take my class and graduate.

I decided to go on my lunch breaks at work. I took an 11am class, and skipped my lunch breaks at work for an entire semester. I would rush out of the office, drive to school, take my class, and rush back. It was tiring and stressful, but it had to be done. I graduated finally in 2007 (by now I was 27), this time for real. I invited my sister and cousin and a friend of mine to see me walk the stage again, and it felt really good.

I am now 28 and halfway through my MBA. The sky is the limit everyone, and if you want something, go get it and don't let anyone stop you! There is always a way, you just might have to take some detours to get there. Thanks for listening. :)

Local Impact: Akron, OH

I am very lucky to live in a community that is actively engaging its citizens on a daily basis. Ohio has too many non profits to even name, and of course they are for very good causes! It is so hard to choose which one to support with what little time and money people have.

The nice thing about my community is, we share! The non profits in Akron, OH play very well together and partner wherever possible, making their impact even larger than you can imagine.

A prime example of this -
Today I was testing out the course for our Rubber Duck Derby to be held in July. An event that will support our development of the park I work in. When testing the course, several rubber duckies got stuck under a waterfall, and we had no way to fish them out. Well, I started making phone calls to see how to solve this problem. The solution? The Red Cross!! They allowed me to borrow a swimming pool hook to fish out the ducks and saved the day! In return - I will promote their events at my event. See how easy it is?

My Video this week -
The floating Towpath - Just recently finished it is a huge floating portion of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail making it possible to travel from Akron all the way to Cleveland without leaving the comfort of the Towpath. North Hill Community House - a neighbor of the park I work in, this non profit is dedicating to keeping kids safe, educated, and healthy. They provide free lunches in the summer during the week, tutoring, and a a quiet place to study and do homework for many inner city kids. Gary & Patricia Wyatt run the facility and are dedicated to helping as many children as possible. They have become good friends of mine, and partners of projects I work on!

You can help too, don't forget. Whether you can give 1 hour a day or 1 hour a year, you time is important and makes a difference!! :)

Environment is what you make it!

Current mood: contemplative

Our environment is what we make it. The world we live in, the people we surround ourselves...it is all greatly influenced by the way we act and live.

What you put out there is many times what you get back, its sort of a karma thing. The first thing you need to do in order to help the environment is to just be aware of the "footprint" that you leave. Turn off lights and appliances when they aren't in use, ride your bike or walk to your destination if that is an option. Recycle your paper, cans and bottles. These are obvious ideas, but still most people don't take the time to think about them and actually implement them into their daily lives.

When I started working at the park, the two other women that worked their were really into recycling. They conditioned me into doing the same, and now it has just become second nature. You can do the same thing for the people in your lives. Being a role model makes a huge difference to people, watching others care about the environment will in turn make them think about their "footprint".

My motivation for helping the environment around me is so that others after me have a beautiful planet to live on, just like I do. I have a daughter, so this is even more important to me. I want to make sure that she has a safe environment to grow up in. I want to set an example of caring and protecting my environment so that she will learn to do the same.

This weekend I visited a close friend in Florida who works for Disney. I found some great displays in their stores that included a lot of environmentally friendly products. They can be seen in my video blog for this week!

Andrea: Tips on Being Financially Responsible...

May 19, 2009 - Tuesday
Current mood: confident

The first thing you have to do in order to make sure that you are being true to yourself financially is to pay yourself first! This is a tip that a financial advisor I know gives to all of her clients. Pick an affordable amount in your budget and make sure you set aside that amount each paycheck for you.

In order to find out the amount that is appropriate it is always good to take note of all of your bills that you have to pay vs. your income. I made myself an excel spreadsheet, and was appalled to see how much money I was "throwing away" each month. Once I saw it on paper, it made it much easier for me to be more careful with my money. Less lunches out and fast food all together. All of those extra purchases throughout the day really add up fast. It also helps me keep track of what bills that I need to pay and when.

In our economy people also wonder how they can have fun on their shoe string budget. I pride myself on being able to hunt down free festivals and activities for myself and 4 year old daughter many weekends. We take short road trips and explore, or just go to the park for a picnic. There is plenty of fun and excitement to be had in your own backyard, and also some great deals for further travel if you look in the right places!

To sum up - be aware of what you are spending and how, think about what is important to you when you are spending your money!