Monday, November 28, 2011

Give



Give


By Keith Bunn Jr.
November 28, 2011


As I mentioned on Facebook not too long ago, this is the season of giving. It can be the one time of year that you can really make a different in someone’s or some family’s lives.
I’ll give you an example, but I want to make clear that I am not bragging in any way shape or form. Last year, around this time, I had decided that I didn’t need any more material type stuff for Christmas. I realized that I was very content with what I already had. Instead, what I wanted to do with the money that would have gone towards my gift(s) is to give it away. So what we decided to do was to go to a restaurant and anonymously pay for a couple of other peoples’ meals plus nice tips, and then when our meal was over, we would give our waitress a big tip. To make a long story short, there just so happened to be only one waitress that was working that evening so she got all 3 tips. She was so happy, the last thing I heard her say was, “I think I’m going to cry.” We left that restaurant feeling 10 feet tall.
Now you don’t have to do what we did, in fact, there are tons of ways to give to others that don’t cost you a penny. You can give some of you time helping at a homeless shelter or a nursing home. Sometimes those folks would just love to have someone to talk to. And who knows, maybe there is something they can give you from their life experiences and knowledge.
You can also give of your talents, whatever that may be. If you’re a mechanic, help fix someone’s car whether or not you know them. Or teach some kids on how to fix cars. If you can sew well on a sewing machine, teach some kids on how to make their own clothes, repair or alter clothes for others, or volunteer to make costumes for a school play. Whatever your God given talent is, don’t waste it on chasing the all mighty dollar. You will be given much more in return by giving away your time, talent, and money to others.

As with all my blog posts, and social media posts, I welcome any comments and feed back on the topics I write about. It is the only way you and I will learn more about ourselves and each other, so ask away!


“Surplus wealth is a sacred trust to be managed for the good of others.”
-       Andrew Carnegie –

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www.cavusfinancialcoaching.com , http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cavus-Financial-Coaching/120347681380181 , and https://twitter.com/#!/Cavuscoaching

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Why?




Why?

By Keith Bunn Jr.
November 20, 2011


Out of all the books I’ve read, podcasts I've listened to, etc… the one thing that is constant is that you have to know why you want to do anything you want to do. I know that sounds like it would be a no brainier, but think about it. How many times have you wanted to do something, get out of debt, lose weight, save money, etc… and you started doing just that, but a week, month, or a year later, you stopped doing what you wanted to do. We all do it, (myself included). And we give some sort of excuse for why we stopped. It was too hard, I didn’t get results fast enough, I felt deprived, the list goes on and on.
If we can remember the why’s, we can all accomplish our goals. Why do I want to get out of debt? So I have more money, take trips, and give more. Why do I want to lose weight? So I can have more energy, live longer, and be healthier.
Now this part is mainly for the guys out there. Women do it to from time to time, but this is more of a guy trait. Guys, don’t go home when you’ve discovered some kind of plan, whether it deals with money, diet, etc… and announce to the household, “We’re on a plan!”  Because if you don’t go over the why’s first, you will have some serious resistance and you won’t get anywhere with whatever plan you came up with. For example; if you discovered a plan to get out of debt and you came home and said to your family, “Hey guys, I just heard about this plan today about how we can get out of debt and start saving some serious money. What we’re going to do is, we’re going to go on a budget, we’re not going to take a vacation this year, and the kids are going to have to quit all their sport events. And dear, we’re going to have to sell your car to get rid of that payment.”
If you did that, your family would think you went crazy and they would be right. If instead you said something like “Hey everyone, I was thinking today, what would it be like if we had extra funds to do things and go to places that we always wanted to do? We could take that really big trip we’ve always talked about, we could possibly put that addition on the house we’ve talked about for years… what do you guys think?
Now once you've got the family fired up and dreaming about the why, the out come of the changes, then you can go over your ideas on how you can accomplish those goals together.


“The triumph can't be had without the struggle.”  - Wilma Rudolph - (1940 - 1994)


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Sunday, November 13, 2011

How is this helping?



How is this helping?

By Keith Bunn Jr.
November 13, 2011


I guess I just don’t get it and I do have to admit that I really haven’t paid too much attention to all the “Occupy Wall Street” protesting for the simple fact that if you ask one person why they are protesting, they will give you an answer. If you go over to the other side of the same group and ask the same question “why”, you will get a completely different answer. And it is also different at all the other places that these protests have spread to. My question to all those protestor every where is, HOW IS THIS HELPING YOU!!
I understand you’re mad about the corruption in our government, but how is this helping you? I understand that you maybe out of work, but how is sleeping in a tent at the protest site for days or weeks at a time helping you find work? I understand that you feel like the rich are getting richer while you are becoming more broke, but how is holding a sign all day that says “We are the 99%” helping you to build some wealth of your own? I just don’t get it!!!
Part of the reason I don’t get it is because my wife and I are trying to get our financial act together because we’ve realized that its not up to Washington DC, the state of Michigan, Kent county, or the city of Grand Rapids to fix our lives or our financial mess. IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY!!! And your life and mess is yours!!!
One of the problems I think is a lack of knowledge. The knowledge that protesting isn’t going to solve your problems, its not going to stop the corruption in the government, its not going to get you employed, and it is surely not going to help you pay off any debts you may have or start building wealth of your own. To fix these things in your life, you will either figure them out on your own or with some help. Either way, will be a lot better than protesting.
And to help you out, I’ll give you some book titles I recommend you start reading immediately. For helping you find work, I recommend 48 days to the work you love and No More Mondays. Both by Dan Miller.
To help you understand rich people and to learn that they are not like the people you see on TV or in the movies, I recommend The Millionaire Next Door, and The Millionaire Mind. Both by Tom Stanley. And finally, to help you figure out how to start paying off your debt and build some wealth of your own, I recommend The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.
The choice is yours. You can either sit in the poo that is your life or you can do something to get out of the poo.


"Here is a good question to ponder: What is in your life today that is not in line with what you want tomorrow?" - Dr. Henry Cloud –


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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Negative in, Negative out



Negative in, Negative out

By Keith Bunn Jr.
Originally posted on November 6, 2011
Re-posted on April 15, 2013 



I have this friend at work that no matter what topic we start chatting about, it seems that he always has a negative outlook on things. It’s like he is Chicken Little and the sky is always falling. Which is too bad because he really is a smart guy.

I think one of the biggest reasons he is like that is because he reads and listens to a lot of negative stuff on the internet and radio. I am a firm believer that if you constantly put negative stuff into your head then you will have an overall negative outlook on life. You will constantly think, I can’t do this, I can’t do that, no one can get ahead, I’ll always be poor, and every one is against me. That is just no way to live! Find some motivational speakers like Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell, Max Lucado, Tony Robins, and even Dave Ramsey and listen what they have to say and see if your outlook changes. I can almost guarantee it will.

Now I’m not saying that life is a bowl of cherries, its not. It has its ups and downs in everyone’s life, but to listen, watch, and just be negative all the time is just not right and will affect you and others around you.


"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford - 


The main reason I do all this is to give people hope and to try to inspire others. To make them think about their finances, whether they are young or old, so they can win financially.
If you have any questions for me about my posts or about your finances, you can call me at (616) 454-2046 or e-mail me at cavuscoaching@gmail.com. For more money news, facts and ideas follow me on Facebook, or Twitter. Thank you!