Financial Advice for Hard Times

Parents Missing the Opportunity to Connect?

Are parents missing the opportunity to connect?

A recent study by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America concluded that “parents who are waiting for the right time to talk with their kids about drugs and alcohol may be missing every day opportunities to connect on this important issue”

Apparently, “Generation Text” has arrived. 63% of teens say they are more likely to communicate by texting than by relying on websites to stay connected. Consequently, parents may be able to use text messaging as another tool to stay in touch with their kids.

“While nothing can take the place of an in-person conversation between parents and teens, for some parents, emails, cell phone conversations, and even texting can help start a conversation with a reluctant teen and reinforce talks you’ve already had…”

New Thanksgiving Tradition: National Day of Listening

Picture by Joseph Tate

Learn – Participate – Listen – Share

StoryCorps has designated November 28 as the National Day of Listening. They are asking you to start a new holiday tradition this year: Set one hour aside to record a conversation with someone important to you. You might choose a relative, friend or neighbor… the key is that this person is important to you.

Here’s a quote from their site:

By listening to their stories, you will be telling them that they matter and they won’t ever be forgotten. It may be the most meaningful time you spend this year.

To help get you started they offer a simple 5-step process with all the tools you need to get started.

Download the Do It Yourself Guide.
Select your interview partner.
Create a question list. (They provide an online question generator)
Record your conversation.
Save and share your conversation

Question: Who would you interview and if you could only ask one question, what would it be? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Check out this Do-It-Yourself Companion Video

Am I Really an ISTJ?

Photo by cobalt123 | via flicker

What do Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Kirk Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Greta Garbo, and I have in common?

We all scored as ISTJ on a Myers-Briggs type personality test. In case you’re not familiar with the measure, the initials stand for Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judgmental. I recently came across the Humanmetrics website and took the Jung Career Indicator™ determines careers most suitable for your type from personality type standpoint.

So what kind of careers are suitable for an ISTJ? Here are the top five listed on the site: Management, Administrative Management, Accounting, Computer Programming, and Technology Education. Sound like anyone we know?

Here is a brief excerpt from a much longer description of the ISJT of personality from this website.

ISTJs are often called inspectors. They have a keen sense of right and wrong, especially in their area of interest and/or responsibility. They are noted for devotion to duty. Punctuality is a watchword of the ISTJ. The secretary, clerk, or business(wo)man by whom others set their clocks is likely to be an ISTJ.

Why should you take the test? I believe God wired each of us in a unique way and for a unique purpose. Understanding the unique way God made us can help us understand our purpose in His kingdom.

By the way, the test is free, so why not take the test and tell us about you in the comments below?