(Nelson Mandela)

It’s appropriate that our title comes from Nelson Mandela.

After many years spent in prison, he became president of South Africa.

Are you satisfied with your life?

If so, you should be a happy person.

If not, are you willing to consider other life choices?

Understand that a decision to go in a different direction will be difficult.

But, nothing worthwhile is easy.

Maybe you already know the path you’d like to take.

In either case, you must consider the effect on loved ones.

Be careful and do your homework.

If not today, when?

We bought a unique bird feeder just to attract Baltimore Orioles.

It has a littlt cup on the feeder filled with grape jelly.

Sure enough, The Baltimore Orioles began stop by for some jelly.

Slowly, sparrows began eating the grape jelly too.

My research tells me that grape jelly isn’t a food source that normally attracts sparrows.

But, THEY HAVE ADAPTED.

CAN WE?

There are many changes going on in our world.

Among them, our society is becoming more confrontational.

Each of us can reduce this by being KIND to people we meet each day.

I may be askiing you to leave your comfort zone.

Can we adapt?

If not today, when?

I think most people equate generosity with a wealthy person.

Luke 12:48
“To whom much has been given, much will be required.”

This includes a person who has various talents, wealth, knowledge or time.

Each of us has something we can share.

These are all gifts that can be shared with another.

Generosity is not just about money. That’s easy if you have it.

The giving of your talent, knowledge or time are actually more difficult to give.

Do you have something of value you can share with someone in need?

Remember, it is in giving that we receive.

If not today, when?

(Benjamin Franklin)

My dad used to tell me “Everything in moderation.”

Benjamin Franklin believed that passion is a desirable trait.

But, it must be applied only in pursuit of a reasonable objective.

I would add one more qualifier, OBTAINABLE.

Pursuit of the unobtainable is a waste of time and effort.

Do you have any goals for your life?

If you make a list, scratch out the ones that are unreasonable.

And zero in on the ones whose result would be “A life worth living!”

If not today, when?

(Charles Dickens

Good advice from Charles Dickens.

He was a famous English novelist who was considered the greatest novelist of the Victorian Age.

His works included A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale Of Two Cities and Great Expectations.

His advice to us is very profound, but hard to take because it’s hard to set past misfortunes aside and plan a better future.

But, that’s what we must do.

If not today, when?

The number of US cities where first-time homebuyers are faced with at least a $1 million price tag on the average entry-level home has nearly tripled in the past five years, according to new research.

A Thursday report from Zillow indicates that a typical starter home is now worth $1 million or more in 237 cities, up from 84 cities in 2019, underscoring America’s ongoing home affordability crisis.

“Affordability has been strained across the board,” Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow, said.

“We see the largest number of million-dollar starter homes in expensive coastal markets.

We see them in markets with very low homeownership rates and we see them in markets with more building regulations.”

Almost half of the US cities with $1 million starter homes are in California. New York, New Jersey, Florida and Massachusetts.

Move To Another Employer-The best way to get a good raise is to move to another employer. Many have gotten a 20% and higher raises with the move. (Forbes.com)

Research Is Necessary– If you intend to stay with your present employer, you must find out the average pay for your job classification.

Presentation Of Accomplishments– You must be able to present a printed document describing the results you’ve had in your area of responsibilities.

Timing?– Don’t request a raise if the company is struggling financially. If, however, you have made a substantial accomplishment to the company’s success, the timing is right.

Focus On Your Results, Not your Time With The Company!– A reminder to your boss that you’ve been in your job a long time is the wrong thing to say. It gives your boss a guilt trip. Length of service doesn’t deserve a raise, RESULTS DO!

A toxic mix of surging rental rates and vanishing support for renters has catapulted evictions above pre-pandemic levels in some major cities.

Evictions have increased most significantly in Sun Belt cities where housing affordability has worsened and where renters often have fewer protections.

Tenant eviction filings are well above the pre-Covid average in Gainesville, Florida (+46%); Las Vegas (+43%); Houston (+42%); Phoenix (+35%); Nashville, Tennessee (+31%); and Fort Worth, Texas (+25%), according to records tracked by the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Experts blame a combination of higher rent, the expiration of Covid-era protections and policies that make it easier for landlords to evict tenants in some cities and states.

For the past two years, potential homebuyers have faced a double whammy of high prices and high mortgage rates.

But a recent report from real estate marketplace, Zillow, found that nearly one in four home sellers offered price cuts in June.

That’s the highest level for that month since 2018.

Also, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell this week to its lowest level since mid-March.

This, along with a jump in new home construction and the expectation the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates in September, could make buying a home more affordable in the future. (CNN)

Let’s hope so!

 

It’s an effort to stay in touch with distant relatives.

You just don’t have the intimacy with them and their kids.

And you miss many of each other’s significant events.

One of our sons and his wife had airline tickets to visit us last week.

The big power outage caused them to have to rent a car and drive for eight hours.

Their effort was greatly appreciated by our entire family.

It’s expensive, both in time and money. for either party to visit the other.

But, it’s important to maintain and enrich the relationship and to encourage the next generation to follow.

Although FACETIME enables both parties to see each other, it doesn’t replace an in-person visit.

Reciprocal visits can keep your relationship maintained and nurtured.

If not today, when?