#HappyNewYear #NewYear #2022 #COVID19 #coronavirus #FlattenTheCurve
It’s been an interesting year, or two.
Will 2022 be any better?
That’s up to each of us.
COVID-19 may be around longer than we want it to be. In fact, it may never go away entirely.
As we have with seasonal flu and other diseases, we have to learn that precautions may forever be in order. If everyone eligible got vaccinated and boosted, it would go a long way toward mitigation.
If we begin the year with that premise, let’s move on to the promise.
Things are getting better, as unemployment is dropping, and wages, in many cases, are rising.
Here’s the rub: going to work isn’t what it used to be, in many cases.
More customers/clients have become, for lack of a better word, abusive.
If you are on the front lines, you get paid to resolve disputes. But you do not get paid to take abuse. You may have no control over the situation, though some would have you believe you have absolute control to resolve their grievances.
You have to remember that the situation is not your fault, in most cases. While the pandemic and accompanying restrictions have brought out the worst in some, they have brought out the best in others.
Yes, it’s easier to say that when one is not being abused.
Let’s resolve this year to be kinder. Let’s resolve to understand why we might be frustrated, even angry. Let’s resolve that what’s making us frustrated and angry may not be what, or who, is in front of us, and not take out our frustration and anger on that thing or person.
Again, it’s easier said than done, but if we can all give it thought, perhaps we can minimize disturbances.
Remember, too, that not only you, but everyone around you, can be affected by your behavior. The next time you may feel inclined to disrupt an airline flight over, say, a mask, remember it’s not just about you, and your “rights.” And remember that the flight crew is there to keep you, and those around you, safe. You have a part to play in that effort. Play it graciously and cooperatively.
That brings us to what you may want for yourself, and others, in the new year. Is your situation ideal for you?
Do you want to take a different route, or direction, in 2022? Now is a good time to think about that.
Know that there are many programs out there that can improve your situation, financial and otherwise, without having to change what you are doing now.
These programs require no specific education, experience or background. They only require an open mind to check them out, a desire to change your own circumstances and a willingness to help others.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Meanwhile, whatever you decide to do in 2022, do it with kindness, humility, integrity and generosity.
Remember that what you do will not just affect you. And remember that the person who you think is persecuting you may be there to save you.
Happy New Year!
Peter
Author Archives: pbilodeau01
INVESTORS — NOT THE ONES YOU MIGHT THINK — ARE BUYING HOUSES
#homes #investors #InstitutionalInvestors #landlords
Home is where the profit is.
Yes, institutional investors, i.e. pension funds, venture capitalists etc., are buying up individual, single-family homes.
So says an analysis by Zachary B. Wolf for CNN, published on cnn.com Aug. 2, 2021.
Here are the trends, as Wolf sees them: 1) Many people still can’t afford to buy homes, despite low interest rates. 2) The coronavirus pandemic has encouraged, even forced, people to work from home, so they may need more space. 3) Traditional landlords – people who own one or two properties, big property management operations, even Real Estate Investment Trusts are tired of people not paying rent because they lost their jobs in the pandemic.
In short, other people’s peril, and big potential for juicy rent checks, bring out big investors.
Perhaps the advantage here is that the new type of institutional investor doesn’t depend strictly on the income from one rental house to survive. Eventually, they figure, the juicy rent checks will reappear. Meanwhile, other real estate investors are looking for relief.
Perhaps also, since these investors don’t necessarily depend solely on the rent checks, they will eventually bail out of this space by allowing their tenants to purchase the homes they live in. Typical real estate investors generally shy away from those scenarios.
Here’s another thought: The equity building in the property – the housing market for purchase is on fire in most places – would be the new investors’ profit. That may put less pressure on tenants/rents, presuming the tenants eventually get out from under their pandemic hardships. If you are a tenant, it probably doesn’t matter to whom you write your rent check.
However, for tenants, it could matter if something goes wrong with your property. How will these investors handle property management? Might they hire back the property managers from whom they bought the property?
If you’ve ever taken a class, or read a book, on making money by investing in real estate, they tend to suck people in with leverage. In other words, you (the potential investor) can start by putting a small down payment on Property X, and taking a mortgage. The rent covers the mortgage payment and a little profit for you.
As you become more successful, you buy another property the same way. As that property becomes successful, you do it again etc.
All this depends on nothing going wrong. And, when properties need major repairs, does the aspiring rich landlord have the cash to cover them? Then, if you have a pandemic, suddenly, renters can’t pay. The government then stops you from evicting them. They will certainly owe back rent, but how long might it take for you (the landlord) to see that money?
The good news here is there are easier ways to make a good income from other than a W-2 job. You don’t need to buy property, and the headaches that come with it. You don’t need to hope for tenants who will pay faithfully every month, no matter what happens. You don’t need to worry about big repairs etc.
The bonus: you don’t need any specific education, background or experience to take advantage of these many programs. And, you can help your friends do the same in the process.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Meanwhile, even professional investors see an opportunity in single-family real estate – one house at a time. It’s probably a temporary strategy for them, since they likely don’t need the headaches of property management for the long term.
But, perhaps, they could provide the relief tenants – and many landlords – need in this extraordinary time.
One can only hope for a win-win for all concerned.
Peter
CLIMATE CHANGING THE WAY WE LIVE
#ClimateChange #weather #floods #heat
There are fires in places that almost never burn.
There is extremely hot weather setting records in places that don’t usually get hot.
There are floods in places that don’t usually flood.
There’s even cold weather in places that never get cold.
No matter how you cut it, our climate is changing. We have to figure out exactly why, and what we can do to fix it. Science points to fossil fuels and industrialization as a cause. We want to keep being industrious, but we need to find different ways to do it.
If we don’t, peril will persist. Life as we knew it will be gone.
Weather, once unpredictable, is now pretty predictable. Still, no one could see the unexpected weather in many parts of the world. It’s not just the unexpected. Expected, predictable events are becoming worse than predicted.
For example, one can predict wildfires in California. But recent fires have been far more frequent and devastating, and less seasonal, than in the past. (If only we could move water from places that have too much of it, to places that don’t have enough.)
Also, one can predict triple-digit heat in Texas in the summer. But one never expects triple digit heat in Canada, forcing a British Columbia town to burn up.
Think of what triple-digit heat would do if it reached as far north as the Arctic. Even the final round of the Open golf championship in England saw record warmth for that locale (though it was actually a pleasant 80 degrees).
These changes may force people to rethink careers, where they live and how they should prepare for the unknown.
There are some disasters for which there is no possible preparation. But, for many, doing the right thing beforehand can mitigate damage, injury or loss of life.
Most important of all, we must act soon to determine the long-term global actions that will need to occur. As individuals, we can prepare as best we can to save our own lives and possessions. But, as a world, we have to take large-scale measures to mitigate these changes.
Some will sit back and let nature take its course. One does that at his or her peril.
If our actions as humans contributed to these events, our actions as humans can mitigate them.
Just as we can prepare as individuals to protect ourselves and our things, we can also prepare to change things that either aren’t going well in our lives, or are not sustainable in our lives for the long term.
Is what you are doing the thing you want to be doing? Have you thought about what might be if you did something else? Are you looking for something that would change your circumstances potentially exponentially for the better?
There are many programs that can help you do that, even without having to give up – at least for now — what you are already doing. No specific education, background or experience is required. As a bonus, they can be done regardless of the climate you live in.
To check out one of the best such programs, message me.
In summary, prepare for what you can predict. Presume what you predict will be worse than you believe. Throw in some preparedness for things you don’t expect to happen. Engage with the world to mitigate nature’s changes.
Don’t sit back and wait for things to get better. They probably won’t, unless you (and we) act.
Peter
PASSION, BILLS AND LIFE
#passsion #bills #life
“Passion doesn’t pay bills.”
So says the beginning of a TV ad for Etsy.
This makes one think of childhood, and something everyone’s parents may have said.
You may passionately want to be a rock star, the conversation then proceeds, but not everyone can be a rock star. You have to find something steady that will make you a living.
Play your guitar at home, during your off hours.
While it’s certainly true that not everyone who wants to be a rock star will be. Competition is fierce, and there’s a lot of talent out there. The difference between one who makes it as a rock star and one who doesn’t may involve a lucky break or two, or meeting the right person.
But the conversation with one’s parents almost always seems to devolve into encouraging the child, regardless of age, to settle for something he or she may not want.
We can extrapolate further. How miserable, and regretful, will this child be 40 years later that he or she did not pursue his or her passion?
Very likely, a lifetime of paid bills may be no consolation.
One should have a twofold consideration in the pursuit of life. What do you WANT to do? What do you have to do to get what you want? If you don’t get what you want immediately, what do you do in the meantime? The second part is: What do you do to ensure you have a good life throughout? What plan do you put in place to make that happen? How do I make enough to live well, save well, invest well for the future etc.?
The answer is to be both idealistic and practical. Give yourself some time to pursue your passion. If you fail, put a Plan B in place as you continue to pursue your passion. What you earn in Plan B can buy you time to get to Plan A.
Sock away a portion of what you earn toward your future, and invest it prudently. Don’t raid that stash for frivolous expenditures.
Perhaps you are the person who has not yet found his or her passion. Perhaps you started with a relatively secure Plan A, and it is treating you OK. You are content. Yet, you want something more.
(Remember, too, that secure Plan A’s are fleeting. They may not last as long as you want them to.)
Or, you may have a passion that is not necessarily paying your bills, but you want to keep pursuing it.
Fortunately, for either of those types of folks, there are programs out there that can help you generate a potentially lucrative income with a strong, part-time effort, while enabling you to help others at the same time. No specific education, experience or background are required – only the willingness to look at something you may never have thought you would do.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
In short, if you have a passion, don’t be afraid to pursue it. Pursue it because you enjoy it. If it pays off financially, consider yourself fortunate. Do something, preferably something you don’t hate, to accommodate your practical needs for as long as you need to. (Hopefully, for as long as you want to.)
Try to live the life you want with few regrets, so you can reach your death bed not wondering what could have been. Not everything you want to happen will happen, but make sure that if things don’t happen, it is not because of something you did, or didn’t do.
Passion may not pay all of your bills, but if they pay some, you would probably have achieved your goals. If they don’t pay any bills, make sure your Plan B does not stop you from pursuing your passion.
Peter
INITIATIVE IS NEVER GIVEN
#initiative #TakingInitiative #motivation
The only way to get initiative is to take it.
It’s never given.
So writes leadership expert Seth Godin in his blog, dated Oct. 10, 2019.
Those who work for someone else, or, perhaps, those who hire a fitness coach, medical or other professional etc., are content to be told what to do.
In many instances, following an expert’s advice, or doing what your boss tells you, is not only prudent, but desirable.
Other times, especially in a work situation, some people realize that doing this for a long time is not what was meant for them.
Therefore, they take initiative to do something different.
Though Godin in this blog post says initiative is never given, he would probably make an exception for the person who gives himself initiative.
Are you in a situation in which doing what you are doing is not going to satisfy you for the long term?
You know you can do bigger and better things if given the opportunity.
But, opportunities don’t always come naturally, or through happenstance. Sometimes, you have to look for them, and at them.
The good news here is that if you feel stuck doing something unfulfilling in your eyes, and KNOW you can do much more, there are programs out there that may be an answer for you. Here’s where you give yourself the initiative to look at them.
These programs can be done without you giving up what you are doing now – at least for now. By devoting a few, part-time hours a week, at least to start, you can potentially earn an income that could dwarf what you are earning at that unfulfilling job.
No specific education, background or experience is needed. All you need is an open mind, a willingness to work and the gumption to stay with it.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Sometimes, you have to get away from people ordering you to perform what you see are meaningless tasks. Sometimes, you may need to get away from a job that is wasting your valuable skill and time. Sometimes, you just need to change your life.
If you are waiting for the opportunity to come to you, you may be waiting awhile.
Instead, give yourself initiative. Look for something different. You might even find something you had never thought you would do. But, if your mind is open enough, you’ll check it out anyway. Because, you never know what you might find when you look.
If patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait, don’t tell that to those who give themselves initiative.
Yes, they may have patience. They may do what they hate until they find what they love. But they have given themselves the initiative to keep looking. Instead of waiting to see what happens, these folks keep looking to make things happen.
So, give yourself initiative. It may be the greatest gift you could ever receive.
Peter
IS COLLEGE WORTH THE INVESTMENT? DEPENDS
#CollegeEducation #colleges #education #investments
“If you are sending (your child) here (prestigious college) to get a job, you are sending them to the wrong place.”
That’s the likely response you would get from the admissions director of a prestigious college if you questioned him or her about a return on your investment, according to Maureen Downey, education columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Downey discussed the return on investment for a college degree in a column published Nov. 16, 2021.
Meanwhile, that same day, cnn.com published an analysis by Ronald Brownstein, a CNN political analyst, that concludes that the infrastructure bill approved in Washington that same week is heavily weighted to create jobs for blue-collar, non-college-educated workers.
What should we make of all this? First, college is not for everyone. Most advisers tell young people that college is the key to getting a good job.
But as Downey’s column points out, it largely depends what a student majors in that will determine his or her post-graduation job prospects, and likely salary.
So, especially if you are planning to go into debt to go to college, think long and hard. Some college majors, mostly in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, may be worth it.
Others, particularly in the liberal arts, may not – presuming you are expecting a dollar return on that investment.
But, if you just want an education, and money is not going to be a concern, then college could be a great learning experience and, perhaps, a fun four years.
If you are not suited to college, and are more suited to a trade, there will be a need for plumbers, electricians, carpenters etc., for the foreseeable future.
If neither of these paths suits you, there are a number of programs out there that could give you a potentially lucrative income, without having specific education, experience or background.
These programs, too, may not be for everyone. But if you have ambition, an open mind and are willing to be coached, they may be a very good alternative.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Education of any sort is never a bad thing. The more one learns, the more one can grow.
But college is expensive and time-consuming. Four years in college is four years of earning little, if anything. You have to see the payoff – not necessarily financial – at the end.
Remember, too, as Downey points out, in general, the more education you have, the more you are likely to earn, vs. the person with less education.
But getting back a lifetime of great earnings in exchange for going through college may not necessarily happen.
Therefore, careful choice is required. You have to know who you are, and who you want to be, to make such a choice.
The same path does not lead everyone to the same destination. Learn where you not only want to go, but also what best would suit you.
There is a path for everyone. Your path may not be the same as your friend’s. You have to find your own way.
Peter
MILLIONS QUITTING THEIR JOBS: WHAT WILL THEY DO NEXT?
#AvailableJobs #workers #employment #coronavirus #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve
A record 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September 2021.
So reports Anneken Tappe for CNN Business. Her article appeared on cnn.com Nov. 12, 2021.
She wrote that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 10.4 million job openings that month, because of a worker shortage. The number of openings dropped slightly from the 10.6 million openings in August 2021, the article says.
Meanwhile, employers hired 6.5 million people, while they lost, including those who left voluntarily, 6.2 million, the article says.
Earlier, the Associated Press had reported that employers largely were still looking for workers who had previous experience in the work for which they were applying. Speculation had been that workers were applying for jobs which were totally different from the jobs they had held – perhaps paying a lot more money.
The AP article also hinted that employers believe eventually they will regain the leverage in the job market that workers have now.
Still, if you are a worker and your job disappeared during the pandemic, but may be slowly coming back, you have to ask yourself: is the job worth going back to?
As the cooler fall and winter weather creeps in, are you worried that your kids’ school(s) will close for a period because the virus spreads anew?
If your kids had to do school remotely, could you work at the same time? These questions tell us that the virus has not left us, and, perhaps, won’t for a good bit of time – if at all.
Complicating one’s decision to return to a job is the lack of day-care options, or the lack of places a parent could drop off a child to go to school remotely while they work.
Another factor: have you, as a worker, considered all possible job options? You may actually find an employer, desperate for help, willing to train you to do something different. Perhaps that something different would allow you to work remotely, if you had to.
If you are an employer, have you considered offering better pay, training and work/life flexibility to attract more, or better, workers? Are you willing to invest more to keep the good people you have from leaving?
This push-pull of the current labor market is one reason, along with supply-chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, that prices on just about everything are rising.
Despite short-term pain your wallet may feel, if workers ultimately attain workplace leverage and get more pay and better benefits, everyone – yes, employers, too – will benefit.
Of course, if you are not sure what you should do next, but are willing to explore different alternatives, there are programs out there that may intrigue you.
They require no specific education, experience or background. They allow you flexibility to work from home as needed. They merely require an open mind to check them out, and the ability to be coached. You can even do them part time as you work a regular job.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
This labor market is difficult for employers and employees. It’s one of those transition periods from which good things can result. We just have to be patient in the short term.
Also, the more eligible people get vaccinated, the sooner we can keep the pandemic at bay.
So, what will be your next move?
Peter
TRANSITIONS CAN BE HARD AND MESSY
#transitions #energy #CleanEnergy #FuelPrices #gasoline #ElectricCars
Transitions can be hard.
But, many must be gradual. Otherwise, they get messy.
Take energy. We are in transition from primarily burning fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives.
Trouble is, one cannot flip a switch – yet – and go from one to another.
When we move too quickly to change, we have the mess we have today. We are urging oil-producing countries to pump more oil to bring down prices, while we are urging energy users to move toward cleaner alternatives.
Again, transitions can be messy.
We can’t go to all-electric cars on a wide scale, without having the ability to charge them quickly mid-trip.
Currently, you can drive X miles in your electric car, then you have to recharge it.
That’s fine driving around town. Once your charge gets low, you can go home, plug your charger into your engine, let it sit overnight and it will be charged by morning.
To take that same car on a long trip requires having rapid-charging stations as abundant, or nearly so, as gasoline stations. One can’t afford to wait multiple hours to recharge a car mid-trip. That hasn’t happened yet, but it will.
Here’s another rub. Many states’ and countries’ economies depend largely on fossil fuel production. It won’t be easy for them to transition to clean energy, or some other form of economic prosperity.
Energy consumption in general went down during the pandemic, so fossil-fuel producers produced less. Now they are being asked to ramp up production as the post-pandemic economy starts to bounce back. The result: energy prices are rising. Do they produce more of the dirty stuff, only to have demand drop – again – as the economy ramps up and cleaner energy conversions take place? They have tough decisions all around.
All this begs the question: are you in transition now? Did your job go away during the pandemic, and now your employer wants you back, but you are not sure you want to go back?
When you lost your job, did you find a better one? Are you still looking?
If you are still looking, and don’t want to go back to the job you lost, know that there are many programs out there that can enable you to earn a potentially great income. You could even go back to your old job, if it’s still there, and do something new part time in your off-work hours. That could allow you to quit your old job sooner rather than later.
No specific education, experience or background is required for these programs. You just have to be willing to look at something you may have thought you would never do.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Transitions, be they societal, economic or personal, can be messy. But, in most cases, the reward on the other end is a better life for you, and, potentially, many others.
You should not look at these transitions as losses, though sacrifice is usually required. You should look at them as if you were participating in a sport. Games have their ups and downs, but they eventually end. Though we all want to be on the winning end, there will be some losses for everyone.
You need to have the grit within you to see the positives of transitional outcomes and work toward them.
Peter
ARE YOU ‘LETTING THE GAME COME TO YOU?’
#sports #sportscasters #games #athletes #winning #winners
Often, sportscasters will say, when referring to a star player on a team, “He (she) let the game come to him (her).”
This statement can baffle, because it implies the star player sat back and became a star because the game just came to him (her).
Another popular commentary: “He (she) played within himself (herself).”
This also baffles. Why would someone play “within himself” (herself) when he (she) needs the whole team to win?
First, star players, or any players, on a team need to act. They need to do things, or make things happen, to win.
If they win, they generally don’t sit back and let circumstances dictate their behavior. Certainly, circumstances can cause them to alter their behavior – a missed shot may lead them to take another shot, for example. But they don’t passively sit back, or run up and down the field or court, and “let the game come to them.”
In short, these commentaries imply passivity among star performers, and they don’t become stars by being passive.
Perhaps the commentators meant to say that the game produced certain situations, and the star did something to either enhance those circumstances – things happen in the team’s favor – or alter them – things happen to benefit the other team.
As for playing within oneself, a star doesn’t just give what he (she) believes he (she) can, he (she) usually gives that and more. In other words, if his (her) body is telling him (her) that he’s (she’s) given all he (she) can, a player perceived to be a star always looks for more to give.
So let’s beg the question: are you just letting things come to you? Are you just playing “within yourself,” thinking there is only so much you can do to help yourself?
If so, you’ll get what comes to you. You’ll only achieve what you believe you can achieve.
But, if you prefer to aim for stardom, you will reach for more.
Commentators, or those watching you, like to confine you into something they perceive for you,
Your parents, or other elders, love to map out your life from an early age. Yes, more often than not, they urge you to settle for what life, i.e. your employer, gives you. They urge you not to stray from the person they hope for you to be.
But, as you get out into the world and start to rethink what you’ve been taught, you may want to go after something your elders, or even you, never envisioned you would do. When you do that, you feel a certain sense of challenge or adventure.
If whatever game you are in is “coming to you,” and you don’t like it or feel you can do more, there are programs out there that allow you explore things you may not have ever thought you would do. And, these programs can let you become a star, financially and otherwise.
As a bonus, you need no specific education, experience or background to become such a star. You need an open mind and a willingness to be coached.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
In short, letting the game of life come to you generally does not produce success. You have to actively go after what you want – and do everything possible — to help your team win. Sometimes, that means not playing “within yourself” and jumping out of your comfort zone.
So, play on. Strive. Thrive. It’s up to you to make things happen.
Peter
YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR ATTITUDE AND EFFORT
#attitude #effort #DreamJob #LifeWillHitYou #technology #reorganizations
It’s been said that the only things you can control are your attitude and effort.
How you feel about something may have everything to do with how much effort you put into it.
Circumstances happen. How we deal with them makes a difference between success and lack thereof.
Life will hit you in various ways. But successful people don’t let life control them. Instead, they deal with what comes their way, and move on.
If life knocks you down, you get up, dust yourself off and try again.
There was also a thread on the LinkedIn networking site that asked whether there is any such thing as a dream job.
That points to another matter. If you really like your job, and want to keep it, will you be allowed to. Even during labor shortages, as we are now facing, companies reorganize.
As technology progresses, and reorganizations happen, even dream jobs can go away – quickly, and without notice.
No matter how much you like your job, or how good you are at it, the job suddenly can disappear.
So what does one do to in that case?
Going back to attitude and effort, there are a number of options.
First, one can look for another dream job. If he or she is lucky enough to find it, he or she has to remember what happened to the last dream job.
He or she can keep losing and looking, and bounce around like a rubber ball, to borrow from the Bobby Vee song.
But that may not be anyone’s idea of a good time.
There are a number of other options that can allow a person, while he or she is working at one job, to build an income stream with a few part-time, off-work hours a week.
If a person doesn’t want a second job – second jobs usually aren’t that dreamy – he or she can become a part-time entrepreneur.
Those many programs out there allow anyone, regardless of education, background or experience, to have a separate business.
To check out one of the best such programs, message me.
In short, life will hit you. Life will knock you down. You won’t be able to control that.
But you can get up. You can prepare for what you may not really expect. The right attitude and effort can cushion life’s blows.
One can dream of a great job, but he or she has to be aware that dreams can come true, but may not last.
A good attitude and great effort will last, no matter what else doesn’t.
When one combines attitude and effort, he or she can create success eventually. It doesn’t matter what job you are in, or whether you like it. Having a Plan B, or C, or D etc., can blunt the trauma of life.
Your attitude and effort will create success.
Peter