Today my wife and I celebrate 10 years of marriage.  I wouldn’t say it’s all been blissful, but through the years we’ve argued, fought, loved, lived and created a whole host of memories.  So today I take a moment to honor my wife.  Since this is my site, I’ve decided to write a little letter to my wife for the whole world to see… and for my wife to know that I love her.

Dearest Lover and Friend,
   It’s been ten amazing years.  Ten incredible and amazing years.  We’ve built all sorts of memories encompassing sadness and much more joy and happiness.  You’ve become the single most important person in my life.  Someone I can count on when the chips are up or down.  Someone who loves me and has singularly taught me more about what true love is than anyone else I’ve ever met.  
   When I say that you’re my best friend, I mean it with every ounce of blood in my body.  I knew I wanted to marry someone who I could share everything with.  And, I found you.  I consider myself one of the most fortunate men alive.  To have you as a companion and best friend is something that is extremely important to me.  And something that I strive to never lose.
   In ten years, we’ve argued, fought, loved and cried.  We’ve grown closer and begun to know each other as only lovers can.  We know what hurts the other person and we know what makes each other smile.  There is so much history together that I would be completely lost and devestated if I ever lost you.  I’m so excited for our future together as we work together to learn how to better communicate our thoughts and feelings.  As we learn to work on our future together.
   There is nothing that gives me greater pleasure than the two of us working together on a common goal to achieve it… together.  
    Know I love you.  Know that you mean more to me now than ever.  Know that when you hurt, I hurt.  When you cry, I’m sad and may cry too.  When we fight… I get sick to my stomach even when I may have started it.  Words really can’t do justice for the way I feel about you.  Know that you are loved and I will do whatever it takes to continue to demonstrate my love for you.
   You are beautiful.   Sexy, attractive.  Interesting.  You amaze me all of the time.  I find you hotter than ever.  In fact, if there were a hotness meter it would be off the charts.  You’ve given birth to two wonderful boys, and baby, when I look at you, well, let’s just say you still got it (and I still want it!) ;-)    I’m so amazed that you’ve lost 80lbs… That’s incredible.  Many people only dream of having that level of success.  You go girl!!!
   Well, guess I’ll close but before I do… I would marry you all over again, and am really looking forward to the next 10, 20, 30, 50 years… however long we have together!  So my only question after all this time, and one you’ve answered before…. Will you marry me?
Your Lover,
Christopher

Someday I’ll get a nice car… Someday I’ll get a better paying job… Someday I’ll save for retirement, get out of debt…  Someday, I’ll win the lottery…  Have a nice house, be a nicer person… Someday.

Really????  I heard a challenging message this past week which got me thinking about somedays.  I have a ton of somedays…. somedays that have never happened, some that have and those that are yet to come.  I have the same struggles as you… dreaming about what could be and talking about somedays… but what am I doing to reach my somedays and am I able to enjoy where I’m at after achieving a someday goal.  Are you and I going to be among those who dream and never achieve?  Or, will we put the plans in place, stretch ourselves and reach for those somedays with Herculean effort?

To achieve your somedays you will need to plan the steps necessary to achieve your someday.  And then, act.  Get with it. GO GET IT!

However, there is one key thing that we often forget.  What to do when you achieve a someday?  Are you like me and once the goal is achieved move directly on to what’s next?  Are you constantly looking to the next someday or are you able to enjoy where you’re at?  I have trouble with this.  I’m always about the next goal… today’s goal is yesterday’s news as soon as it’s achieved and I’m thinking about tomorrow’s dream.  There is little to no acknowledgement nor celebration of the achievement at hand.  I’m working to change that and want you to consider doing that as well.

What are your somedays?  Are you waiting around for that promotion? The next raise?  Are you waiting to win the lottery?  If so, my challenge is to get off your butt, make a plan and then get going… what are you waiting for?  Don’t be 50,60 or 70 still dreaming about and regretting the woulda, coulda and shoulda…

Are you achieving your somedays?  That’s incredible… You are totally what I want to be.  My challenge to you is to enjoy each achievement… take a day, week or so to relish and enjoy the success.  The important thing is to remember and cherish those moments while you continue to aspire to new heights. Go forth and seize the day!

It seems like everyday there is a story in the news that yet another database of personal information has been stolen.  If it was your bank or place with whom you have done business it’s likely that you scrambled to find out whether or not your information was grabbed as well.

Here are a few tips to help keep your information as safe as possible AND clean up the mess if it does.

1. Put a marketing block on your credit report.  This typically has to be done by sending a letter to all three credit bureaus.
2. If you believe your social security number has been used to fraudulently open credit lines that you didn’t authorize, then you need to immediately put a fraud victim alert on your report.  If your state allows a credit freeze, then put a credit freeze on your report.  Apparently a credit freeze is the strongest prevention measure available.
3. Purchase an identity theft prevention package.  Not sure which one to pick?  I’ve heard excellent reviews for this particular program and am looking to purchase it for my family in the next few months. http://www.zanderins.com/idtheft/idtheft.aspx
4. What else can you do to help protect yourself.  Get out of debt.  Eliminate and close all debt accounts.  The fewer accounts you have lessens your exposure.  It doesn’t eliminate it, but reduces your risk.
5. Shred any personally identifying information that you throw into the garbage or recycling.  Typically a good crosscut shredder should handle this just fine.  Shred credit cards, addresses, receipts with any piece of card numbers… etc.

Unfortunately these things may not prevent the worst from happening.  Item three, however, will make the pain of managing the clean up much more manageable.  What are you doing to protect yourself today?  Are you taking the steps necessary to protect your identity?

Take action today and make it happen!

Several months ago my family paid off the last of our consumer debt.  We only owe money on the house and have a decent fixed rate.  I love it.  I love being able to buy things with cash.  I love not having any concerns around making credit card payments…. I love not having student loan payments. No car payments.  Nothing.  In a few years we won’t have a mortgage payment either.

Freaking awesome.

If I want to change jobs, no big deal.  If I want to change careers, it will take time but I can pay for it all.  With cash.

I look forward to buying things because I don’t any pangs of guilt when it’s paid for.

So, you think this sounds good and you want in on it.  GOOD!  Here’s what you need to do:

1. Learn how to budget and stick with it.
2. Pay off all of your debt except the mortgage…. this will take you some time… It took us 3.5 years.
3. Build an emergency fund
4. Save for retirement and kids college.
5. Pay off the house and become incredibly wealthy.

What’s holding you back?  For us, a combination of stupidity, not having a workable, realistic budget and deciding it was time finally got us on our feet and on a program.  Take the time to decide what your financial goals are and how you will achieve those.  You can do it.  It’s worth the time, the effort and even the sacrifice to be able to say “We’re DEBT FREE!”

I’m tired.  Worn out and frankly am about ready to go to bed.  What I planned for this evening and what I did were two different things.  What I ended up doing was fulfilling and what I planned would have been exciting in another way.  The first left me physically worn out and the latter would have fried my brain… not certain that one is better than the other…

So, here’s what I’ve been up to.  For all of my writing and thinking, I’ve finally taken some steps to follow my own advice about pursuing dreams…  Here is what’s in the works:

1. Working on my first official business plan.  I’m supposed to meet with a business consultant tomorrow but may need to re-schedule due to my full-time job and not quite having the plan where I want it to be.  I have another unrelated idea that’s still in the thinking stage, once I have this business plan wrapped then I may tackle that one as well.
2. Creativity.  Music.  Performing arts.  Trying to push them out of my mind as a career choice.  I’ve tried for 11 years.  I don’t think I can do it anymore soooo… In college I felt alive when performing on stage.  So, I’ve decided to take some classes in a couple of the performing arts, theatre, vocal and dance are what I’m looking at.  Not certain how long the trip will last nor what it will look like.  Doesn’t really matter, except that I’m going to start preparing for that possibility and developing a plan to make it happen.  That means that I may not be posting more than 1 a week or so on this blog.  However, I will be launching a second blog shortly that will follow my journey.  Should be a fun ride regardless!
3. I will respond to any emails that I’ve received by the end of the weekend.

I attended my first networking event last night and met some really cool and interesting people.  If you’re looking for a medical supply vendor check out http://www.equatorservices.com/. 

That’s all I have for tonight.  Success is a choice to take a journey into the unknown, and I’m choosing to head down the path.  It should be a heck of a ride.  How about you?  What are you doing with your life?