Where to Begin?Written by Damien Senn
January is king of months for those looking to make new beginnings. After reflections and indulgences of December, excitement of a new year unfolding brings contemplation of better days ahead. Unfortunately for many, contemplation is where party ends. As clock ticks over into February and then unwinds into March, hopes of transformation begin to fade, habits of old return, together with routines of years past. Not because of a lack of enthusiasm or good intentions mind you, but rather a lack of knowing where to start.The best place to start. What I am going to say now may sound radical as well as a little simplistic, but best place for you to start is from exactly where you are right now. Take some time to actually let these words sink in, as they contain seeds of your own personal greatness. 'If only'. You've probably caught yourself contemplating at one stage or another what it would be like 'if only' you could start somewhere else. I know that I have felt this way at various stages in past. The type of internal ponderings I am talking about here are things such as 'if only I'd gone to University', 'if only my parents hadn't got divorced', 'if only I had more experience', then maybe, just maybe I'd have what it takes to go after my dreams. If you find yourself engaging in this kind of dialogue, then start to build your awareness around it. Regardless of experiences that you've either had to relish or endure in past, they have given you one magical ingredient. They have prepared you for now. All your disappointments, triumphs, hopes and fears have brought you to this moment. In acknowledging and accepting them as they are, you consciously begin to reclaim your power to take control of your own life. Know where you want to go. Once you have accepted where you are, you have to decide where it is you want to go. If no particular course of action immediately resonates with you, then begin to more fully explore things that you enjoy doing most. Think about what your life would be like if you spent more of your life experiencing things that you really love. We all have power to achieve this within us, you just have to be prepared to be open to it.
| | How to Respond After Identity Theft OccursWritten by Gary E. Cain
How to Respond After Identity Theft OccursBy Gary E. Cain Author www.dollarsforever.com Identity theft has become one of most frequently reported crimes. But, maybe you are asking yourself: What is identity theft? I am glad you asked. Identity theft is wrongful use of your name, birth date, social security number as well as financial records and banking information. An identity thief obtains this information by going through your trash, or by pretending to be a bank officer, or government official, or by creating a false web site that looks similar to your on-line banking web site, your on-line auction web site (ebay, for example), or your on-line shopping web site (yahoo shopping, for instance). This personal information is used to secure credit cards, bank loans, or to make furniture, and/or electronic goods purchases in YOUR name. However, when identity theft occurs, you have certain rights under Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). In order to effectively respond to suspected identity theft you should or can: (1) Place a fraud alert in one of three consumer reporting agencies and that agency will notify other two consumer reporting agencies regarding your fraud alert. The agencies are : üEquifax at 1-800-525-6285, or on Internet at www.equifax.com üTransUnion at 1-800-397-3742, or on Internet at www.transunion.com üExperian at 1-800-680-7289, or www.experian.com (2) Obtain a copy of identity theft report from a federal, state, or local police agency such as FBI, State Department of Justice, or Sheriff’s office. You can find more specific information pertaining to identity theft report at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. (3) Put an initial theft alert in your consumer report file that will be valid for 90 days. Yet, you can place an extended alert in your consumer report file that will remain valid for 7 years – if you also provide a copy of identity theft report.
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