10.21.08

Lady from Tibet

Posted in Uncategorized at 4:15 pm by BartonG

Today I was helped by a very old lady from Tibet.  She doesn’t speak any english - only the word Tibet. Without laboring the details, I was touched by her service. I am very grateful, as I should probably be helping her. If you have time, look into saving Tibet.

10.06.08

Weathering the storm ahead

Posted in Uncategorized at 3:16 pm by BartonG

Be warned. Yea, even be forewarned. No doubt there are tough finacial times ahead, but don’t let emotional fear-mongering get the better of you. There may be distasters, even natural disasters, but if  you’ve got yourself together properly there’s no need to lose sleep over it.

Here are a few things to help shield you from the storm:

  • Have a 72-hour kit, or a bug-out bag. 
  • Slowly aquire a 3 months food storage. Stock it with things you eat on a regular basis and diversify it. It’s better to have a week’s worth of full meals (protien, starch, and vegitable) than a full months supply of only green beens.
  • Invest globally and diversify your portfolio. Protect yourself by not putting all your eggs in one basket.
  • Get rid of  your guilty consciense. Mental and spiritual preperation for a (natural) disaster or the apocolypse is just as important as the physical. Repent, obsolve the problem with your neighbor, whatever. 
  • Speaking of your neighbors, develop your relationships with them. If crap goes down, these are the people who you are going to rebuild society with in the post- nuclear-winter future. Be good to them. Plus, it will expand your social network. You’d be suprised at how often a friend will know someone who can get you a job, give wholesale pricing, or help solve a problem.
  • Get out of debt.When things get worse, things will get extra worse for you.
  • Increase your frugality.
  • Become more self reliant. Start a garden, get a solar powered water-heater, make your own laundry soap.
  • Don’t freak out. Things might, indeed, be shiz-crazy like Mad Max from Thunderdome. But freaking out never helped. Keep a cool head, think logically and make the best decisions you can with the information you have at the time.
  • Prepare for the future at a steady pace. You should always be putting away 10% of your current income for retirement and buying two extra cans for your food storage with each shopping trip. Slow and steady. Don’t run faster than you have strength.

It is interesting to note that many church leaders (notably both leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Pope) have recently given messages concerning the ominous uncertainites ahead. From the recent LDS semi-annual general confrence, church members were urged to stand together and be unified, and to lift where they stand. The Pope mentioned how life is deeper than money.

Personally, I don’t think tough times are “bad”. Difficult times are an opportunity to gain the strength only offered by adversity. Be open-minded enough to experience what Napolean Hill said - “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.”