It has been stated that the best time to plant a tree was years ago, the second-best time is today! And in terms of improving our credit standing, it is imperative to take actional steps today, if we are to accomplish our financial goals as a consumer.

In a recent episode, a credit expert authored a book encouraging teens to start familiarizing themselves to how credit scores can impact their future since the educational system has fallen short in this regard.

In this blog with your permission, I will speak about improving our credit history, succinctly, forthrightly, and without any gingerbread. Therefore, I encourage parents to help their teens to prepare them for the real world of credit, however, many parents find it a taboo to discuss this subject with their own, often because their own credit standing, in many cases, is tenuous at best.

​When you hear a familiar piece of music, how does it affect you? Does it transfer you into the realm of unforgettable memories? Does it soothe your nervous system and puts you into a pensive state of mind? Speaking for myself, it does the foregoing and much more.

In a recent episode, an Author, Entrepreneur and Musician talked about his mother who was encumbered with dementia; however, the power of music had a calming effect and would bring her to the time in history when she first experienced that music. These moments were incredibly special to her, she was transported back in time, and it confirmed to my guest that she was not entirely cognitively lost, he said.

Of course, this is only one case in point, however, a growing body of research suggest Listening to or making your own music affects the brain in many ways that may assist to encourage good health and manage chronic pain. We must ask ourselves as to what is going on neurologically.

When we think in terms of curiosity, immediately we may think of the idiom "curiosity killed the cat", which implies that being curious can lead to a precarious or dangerous situation. From my perspective, However, curiosity is a wonderful thing that is conducive to wanting to know, adding enrichment to our repertoire of knowledge.

In a recent episode, two professors discussed the book they authored, making a valid assertion that curiosity is the power of making connections, therefore, it is something we practice in lieu of a personality trait, but deals with the quality of investigation prompted by making connections based on our ongoing growth of experiences.

The quality of curiosity makes for exploring and looking for the answers in connection with our personal interests, always pondering on questions that cover our personal spectrum of interest which varies from one person to another. Hence, if it were not for this quality, we would not have had the Einstein’s of the world.

It has been understood that we think      around 400 words a minute, called inner voice or internal chatter, and sometime in the process a word or two will slip and become audible. Does that resonate with you? I wonder, how many of those words are positive or negative self-talk.

Positive self-talk is without question a powerful method for increasing self-confidence and suppressing negativity, which only creates unwanted anxiety and stress.

In a recent episode, a former National Super Heavyweight Boxer spoke of his story of growing up doing poorly academically, socially, and so many times bullied by his schoolmates until he had reached a point of either giving up or fighting back.

He decided to join a gym, however, it was several miles away and it took him about three hours one way which afforded him the time to self-talk, and this was the beginning of turning around in making a personal difference.