Rough week?

They say videos of cute puppies or kittens helps and I totally believe this. Smiling and laughter are very effective, too.

As for me, a funny commercial always puts a smile on my face. Hope this gives you a smile and a laugh, all in under 60 seconds.

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m. 

I'm all for saving and being responsible with how you spend your money. There are plenty of people who have decent incomes, but because they live beyond their means, have little to no financial security. That said, you can only cut so deep or in other words, at some point you have to spend money to live, feel alive and have a life. It's a sad state to go your whole life without enjoying any of your income and then die with a big bank account and not much else to show for it.

Life is about balance and in addition to saving money, I think it makes sense to earn more money, too. Easier said than done, right? I'm no financial guru, but my advice is once you have figured out the right balance of being responsible saving and spending, you should start considering ways to increase your income and give yourself a little more breathing room. It's amazing how a few extra ducats a month can decrease your financial anxieties.

Which brings me to point of this article. I recently made $1000 in 10 minutes. Nothing illegal or unsavory and no gambling was involved. In fact, it was my own money I was making or rather getting back. I stumbled across this site that helps you do a search for your own lost assets (e.g., a paycheck you never picked up) that has been sent to the State after a certain period. This is required by law.

Long story short, I filed a claim with NJ and about 8 weeks later a check arrived from the State for $1000!

You can check for yourself and/or your family members here: http://www.missingmoney.com/

Good luck!

And if you do end up getting some money back and if the spirit moves you, you can show your thanks by either:

1) Tipping me here: http://www.joekwonjoe.com/coaching/ (scroll to the bottom of the page and click the green "Donate" button)

or

2) Becoming a patron of my Why It Works podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/whyitworks

Good luck!!!

Some FAQs

• Every U.S. state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and the nation of Kenya have unclaimed property programs that actively and continuously find owners of lost and forgotten assets.
   
• The purpose of unclaimed property laws is to protect consumers by ensuring money owed to them is returned to them, rather than remaining permanently with financial institutions, business associations, governments, and other entities. Prior to the enactment of unclaimed property laws and the establishment of state programs, there was no centralized means though which owners could seek to recover unclaimed assets. Most companies in possession of unclaimed property had no particular reason or incentive to attempt to locate missing owners entitled to property.
   
• In FY 2015, $3.235 billion was returned to the rightful owners by the state government unclaimed property agencies of the $7.763 billion collected. Programs strive to return a higher percentage of unclaimed property receipts to owners and each year more money is returned. For almost all states, unclaimed property collections represent an immaterial percentage of overall state revenue (less than one-half of one percent).
   
• For decades, it has been recognized as the appropriate policy for unclaimed funds to be used for the public good, until such time as is recovered by the rightful owner. Without impacting the obligation of the state to return unclaimed funds, collections are utilized to finance operations, including special programs such as for public schools and college scholarships. The U.S. Supreme Court stated in the 1951 Standard Oil Co. v. New Jersey case, "property thus escapes seizure by would-be possessors and is used for the general good rather than the chance enrichment of particular individuals or organizations."
   
• Claims can be made into perpetuity in most cases, even by heirs.

Source: https://www.unclaimed.org/what/

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m. 

I still remember that moment like it was yesterday, with an odd mixture of bemusement and shame. My very young son said something that sounded so obnoxious and so much older sounding than his years. I struggled to figure out where he learned this phrase, something along the lines of, "Well, that's not very helpful," and realized in horror he learned it from me!

Reality - 1, Joe's ego - 0. 

Most of the time, other people are a poor mirror through which to see ourselves. Our friends and colleagues, no matter how clearly they see us, generally sugarcoat things in order to avoid conflict, conserve energy and because of a relatively small investment in who we become.

Our parents know us better, but there are challenges here, too. Rose-colored glasses, guilt, or fear of damaging the relationship can all argue against sharing too much truth. 

Now on the other hand, our young children, they have no agenda. They just reflect back what they see and hear. Got a problem with road rage? Don't be surprised at the words and gestures they have magically learned. Stingy with tips? The same behavior will be modeled. As I learned that day, our young children are a brutally accurate mirror of who we are.

It's a gift really, if we open our hearts to accept the unintentionally provided feedback. It is a chance to really know ourselves better and without the doubts about the other person's agenda getting in the way.

Why is this important, Joe? I have a good life and though I'm not perfect, do I really need to take cues from a child? Or maybe I don't have a kid and I'm pretty happy with who I am. Why should I even bother thinking about this? 

You have every right to be happy with who you are and minimize consideration of feedback concerning yourself. Plenty of people go through life this way and seem to do alright.

The key thing to remember here is that your world is a reflection of who you are. We can only give what we have inside. And in a righteous twist of karma, we can only receive what we give. So if you want something in your life, you must possess it yourself first, and then give it to others. If you want a loving person in your life, you must love yourself AND be a person who gives love to others. Only then will love come into your life. There is no amount of power and money that will work to enable you to order up love and have it delivered to your doorstep like Amazon Prime same day delivery. 

On the other hand, if you find your life and the company you keep miserable, stop and consider for a second whether you are miserable inside and are unconsciously projecting and attracting the very misery you abhor by the way you move through life.

The world is configured to be a REFLECTION of who YOU ARE. And since the world is a reflection of you, you are the source. The source comes first.

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.