It's been one year today that I was involved in a terrible car crash that almost took my life. But- I am alive now and well. Although I would like to be further along in my healing process ( I am still in a wheelchair. Ugh!) I am grateful for the little things- just like knowing that someday I will be able to walk again.
It was nice to meet with my favorite Doctor- Dr. Bellino yesterday
I know he doesn't think he is doing much for me right now but just meeting with him every three months and looking over the x-rays and discussing my progress is an enormous lift to me. It has that quality of a warm blanket placed over you on a chilly day. Sometimes you just need that warm blankie.
Allen’s Thanksgiving Prayer
Thanksgiving Prayer
In this food I see clearly the presence of the entire universe supporting my existence.
I recognize that this food is the gift of the whole universe,
Each morsel is a sacrifice of life, May I be worthy to receive it.
All living beings are struggling for life. May they all have enough food to eat today. These plates are filled with food. I am aware that each morsel is the fruit of much hard work by those who produced it.
May the energy in this food,
Give me the strength,
To transform my unwholesome qualities,
of greed, anger, and ignorance,
Into the wholesome ones, of generosity, love, and compassion.
I am grateful for this food, I accept this sacrifice,
By relying on Buddha’s Boundless Heart.
May it help me realize the Path of Awakening,
For the sake of all beings.
-Allen Alix
I can't thank everyone enough for their prayers, and cards, and visits, and calls. It has really made a difference. I am healing every day- sometimes not as fast as I would like, but still on the road of recovery.
We all give thanks for what we have -but we should also give thanks for what we don't have. Things could be much worse than they are and we can be grateful that they are not. Keep this in mind this Thanksgiving. I know I will when I think about how another few inches and my fate would have been much different.
My friend emailed me this and so I am sharing it with you...
~~ Beauty of a Woman ~~
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
The passion that she shows.
The beauty of a woman
With time, only grows..
A new study by Merrill Lynch Investment Managers' Americans and their Money Mistakes survey shows that nearly half of Americans say their biggest mistake was to wait too long to start investing, more than a third said they lost money by holding on to underperformers, and admitting to buying "hot" stock without doing any research or buying an investment without understanding the fee and tax consequences. They also said they allocated too much of their portfolio to one investment or stock.
I conclude that although most people have at their disposal a large amount of information to make informed investment decisions, they don't. That's why it is important to work with a financial coach or a financial advisor to guide you through the maze. Let's work out your goals, your risk tolerance, and the tools you need to make good investments. Email me at fern@afdadvisors.com for more info.
This is part of an article written by Peter Baigent for the Money Minders Report.
Thanks, Peter
A Sucker Born Every Minute
An article about choosing safe investments. First published in our client newsletter "The Balanced Report" Spring 1993
By: Peter F Baigent, CLU, CHFC, RFP, CFP
This old adage should really be rephrased as "There is a sucker born every minute and two to take him". In our work we are constantly amazed at some of the horrible deals some people get involved with. They most often come to us for advice when it is too late to back out. Our function at that point is only to suggest how they can go about seeking legal redress for their bad investment and to explain the tax deductions they will be entitled to if they have lost their money. Their reaction is somewhat akin to 'Kill the messenger'. But, most respect our opinion and objectivity and will try to make the best of a bad situation with our guidance.
The worst investments seem to come from deals with family and friends. In these cases the normal investigative analysis and scrutinizing that may be required of an arms length deal is often brushed aside due to a blind faith in the other parties judgment or abilities. In some cases the party involved is too embarrassed to ask for collateral or personal guarantees. Many people fail to realize that if their friends could raise the funds they needed at a bank they will usually do so to realize 100% of the profit potential for themselves and not have to share it with anyone. At the bank they will have to give personal guarantees, legal and binding commitments as well as collateral. Why should they object to as much from their friends?
We have been in this business long enough to know that this years' Hero is next years' Dog. Diversification is therefore very important to keep from getting burned. In real estate they have the saying the three rules to successful real estate investing are 'Location, Location, Location'. In the investment business the rule to successful investing is 'Diversification, Diversification, Diversification'. If you or I were to buy stocks for our investment portfolio, we might be able to buy 10 or 15 different companies stocks, below that the transaction costs would be too high and the record keeping cumbersome. In a mutual fund they will have from 50 to 200 different companies in the portfolio. This provides economy of scale as well as lots of diversification. If some of the manager's choices do not do well there will be enough other stocks to soften the impact. This reduces the volatility of the investment. If a small fund or investor makes a big gain on a single stock it has a dramatic impact. In a large fund the big gain is diluted by the size of the fund. Over time the larger fund will do the best and you will sleep a lot better at night, not worrying about the ups and downs of the market.
My mother has a saying that "A fool and his money are soon parted" In our work we see this too often. If you want to lose your money buy lottery tickets or go to Las Vegas. If you want to make your money grow, the above rules are worth remembering.
"You know whether you are distant from God or not by how you treat other
people."
Lee Lozowick
Lee is the lead singer in a blues band, playing to tens of thousands of people in Europe each summer, has recorded over 20 albums and authored 17 books. He is an uncompromising advocate of conscious child-raising practices, founded The Baul Theater Company, started, written most of the lyrics for, and sang with three bands
He says that the fruits of our spiritual practice are always and only expressed in and through our lives, has no use for the term enlightenment, throws curve balls around unexpected corners of the mind, warms the heart in totally unsuspecting ways, and hardly ever evokes a neutral response. He gives very few public talks in the United States, but will be speaking at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
"You will determine whether rage or reason guides the United States in the struggle to come. You will choose whether we are known for revenge or compassion. You will choose whether we, too, will kill in the name of God, or whether in His Name, we can find a higher civilization and a better means of settling our differences." [Gen. (Ret.) Wesley K. Clark]