"Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words." -- unknown
By Dr. Michael J. Hurd @ Dr Hurd.com
Editor's Note: Follow the link as there's more links than I've published here. RK
Janet Yellen Suddenly Dislikes Inflation. Watch Out!, July 14, 2022 - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday the U.S. faces “unacceptably high” levels of inflation. She says that bringing down costs is a “top priority” for her “administration.” But her boss is Joe Biden. Joe Biden blames Putin, Trump, eats ice cream and tells people to drive way overpriced electric cars and suck it up. If this is her boss, why should we pay any attention to what SHE says? What caused inflation in the first place? Every economist you read will say it’s an increase in the supply of money by the Federal Reserve. Some economists say this is a GOOD thing. Others, like von Mises, George Reisman and Milton Friedman explain it’s a bad thing, because it’s anti-market and it devalues the currency. In short: Exactly what’s happening.... read more
The Emperor Has No Gender We're not allowed to talk about the following. "The science has settled it," we're told about transgenderism for children. But it's still happening, just the... read more
Editor's Note: These next five I think are interesting because he's outlining what I see going on, and quite frankly, I think it's always gone on ebbing and flowing depending on the times and conditions. People will always be people, but that doesn't change the fact stress seems to be at an all time high, and I think very understandably so. Followed by My Take . RK
Stay Prepared – But Don’t Stress Over It, July 13, 2022 - A friend told me that she wants to stop “mining for issues.” I liked her metaphor! She told me that she found herself actually looking for things to be anxious and worried about. Looking back at my clinical experience, I realized that many reasonable people are programmed to be that way. After all, critical thinkers are predisposed to solve problems by anticipating, preventing and resolving a crisis. These are admirable goals. Focus and self-awareness are necessary components of maturity and survival...........read more
Beware the Stresses of Social Media , July 12, 2022 -The American Psychological Association reports that the use of social media has skyrocketed from seven percent of American adults in 2005 to 65 percent or more today. For those in the 18-29 age range, the increase is larger, from 12 percent to a whopping 90 percent. But while an increase in social media usage is hardly surprising, the number of people who just can’t tear themselves away is stark: Nowadays, 43 percent of Americans say they are checking their emails, texts, or social media accounts every few minutes. People tend to blame the medium. “If social media companies and smartphones didn’t exist, we wouldn’t have this problem.” But it’s human beings who created social media and choose to use it. And not everything about social media is automatically good or bad. It’s not the content of social media so much as the way we handle it that counts. Are you rational in the way you use your phone and computer, or are you constant and compulsive about it?............ read more
Adapt your Working Values to your Retired Life , July 6, 2022 - A website visitor writes that he and his wife recently retired here at the beach. But in spite of that, he’s not happy. It doesn’t have to do with anything specific; things are fine with his wife and his nice home. They are making new friends and exploring the area, but he can’t get rid of his general anxiety and sadness. He restates that he and his wife looked forward to retiring from their successful careers, but now that it’s a reality he’s having trouble making himself feel happy, though he is well aware that he should be happy at this point in his life.... read more
Life in the NOW: The Key to Stress Management - July 5, 2022 - Readers ask me if it’s possible to be a “rush-a-holic,” i.e., to be addicted to rushing or being in a hurry. I agree, but I believe that it’s not the rushing itself that holds the appeal. Some love the thrill of a deadline and the sense of urgency that a deadline can bring. I have met people who procrastinate – not because they want to put things off, but because they need to create a crisis. They crave the sense of urgency brought about by the need to get something done in a hurry. Interestingly, I sometimes see this with retired people. Some say, “I postpone doing things so I won’t run out of things to do.”... read more
Reality Isn’t “Mean” … It Just IS, June 29, 2022 - I received a kind email from a reader who enjoys my columns. (Thank you, by the way!) She remembered I wrote that how you feel is determined by how you think, and asks if that concept doesn’t open the door to rationalization and fooling yourself. She continues: “I have a friend who lives in her own little world. She remembers what she wants to, revises facts, and refuses to discuss (or acknowledge the existence of) anything that might upset her. She is ‘happy’ all the time, in spite of what’s really going on. So how do you tell the difference between fooling yourself into feeling better and actually changing your thoughts for the better? Dear Reader, you answered your own question. “What’s really going on” is called reality.... read more
My Take - For those of us who are newsies who absolutely want to know what's behind the curtain, and have the corresponding anxiety that goes along with that trait, you will find his thoughts worthwhile. I don't get all that anxious because I expect things to go South, although there are times even I can't stand it and stop reading and writing about what's going on. However, as a rule, I simply don't expect things to go well forever. Once we understand and accept there are always going to be flies in the butter you can "mostly" avoid being too anxious. But his advice is sound.
My current anxiety? China has a run on it's banks and are refusing to give the depositors their money. That's happened in America in the past. It can happen in America again.
I stopped using Twitter and have been kicked off LinkedIn, and you know what? The sun still rises in the East and sets in the West. Day is light and night is dark. Life goes on, and I think all the better.
When retired people, well off retired people, have anxiety over their life, I think it's caused by two things. They smart enough to know and recognize they're running out of life, and they no longer have a focus in their lives. We had to focus on our careers, our children, and our marriages. Our careers are over, our children are grown, and our marriages, if successful, are stable. Retired people need focus, not just sitting on the beach. We need to do what we can to help our children and grandchildren have as good a life as we can via advice, involvement without intrusion and even financially when necessary. Pass on with a smile knowing we've done as best we could. We can't take it with us.
I have a line I use all the time. The truth isn't unkind, it's just the truth. Well, reality isn't mean or unkind, it's just reality, and sometimes it sucks. Get over it! Overcome it! Keep your expectation of life modest, accept the big moments and deal with bad times, remembering, as you row against the tide, the tide will turn in you will be in the lead.
Have a good weekend!
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