Social networking sites were originally created to connect people, but today’s sites do so much more. Everyone knows that successful careers are built on who you know. So, whether you’re looking for a new job or just wanting to move up in your field, these ten sites can help you move forward.

LinkedIn – The site for professional connections, leads, and jobs. These are all business people, and that’s what you’re looking for. Making connections is an essential part of any career, and, should you find yourself looking to change companies, start a new career, or simply move up in your field, you want a wide range of people to help you achieve your goal.
Facebook – The go-to site for everyone now, Facebook overtook MySpace as the most popular social networking site and caters to millions of users. The ability to make connections and renew acquaintances allows Facebook users to connect with current co-workers and potential employers they may never have come across in the real world. Be careful of what you post and who you friend though, employers will check you out. Join groups that show what kind of worker you are, and avoid things that could reflect negatively.
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Twitter – Tweeting what you are knowledgeable about just may get you noticed. You’d be surprised how many ‘lurkers’ there are on Twitter, and some of those people may be looking for the next big thing in your field. By following groups and individuals in the field you are in, or one you are interested in, you can garner all sorts of useful information. People can pack a lot in a tweet.
Classmates – Reunite with old friends and teachers, bond with classmates you never knew in school, and make new connections worldwide. After all, you never know where your friends have ended up. It could be that the class clown is now a CEO and in despite need of some trustworthy employees. You could be just what he’s looking for.
DeviantART – For those in more creative fields, this site may be the answer for you. Allowing users to post their artwork and original designs, DeviantART provides a medium for artists of all kinds to reach potential employers, gallery owners, and buyers.
MyLife – Similar to Classmates, MyLife helps to reunite former friends, relatives, and loved ones. The added benefit is that you can search for yourself and see what other people will see when they look for you. This will help you to control and edit your web presence, the contents of which could affect your future.
LiveJournal – Another ‘artsy’ site, LiveJournal appeals to the writer/blogger-type artist, which is great exposure for such a private field. Connecting to communities and showing off your skills could help move you forward. You never know who’ll be reading.
MySpace – Ah, the old version of Facebook. Sad to say, MySpace has lost its appeal for many, but it is still the tried and true for some companies. Keep it updated and pertinent; you might be surprised by who is still there.
Perfspot – The perfect spot for college grads and young professionals, Perfspot is poised to be the new ‘it’ thing in social networking. Connect with other young professionals and share tips, job offers, and info.
Ecademy – A membership organization for entrepreneurs and small business owners, this site is not free, but it offers help on how to effectively use social networking in your business. Use this site to grow your small business, or just learn how to use social networking to strengthen your ties to the community.

In this increasingly digital age, everyone has a web presence, whether they know it or not. Be aware of what you look like to others online and how that affects your marketability. Use social networking to your advantage, like it was intended to be. And whatever you do, don’t forget- what gets put online, stays online. Forever.

Much has been written and said (and a lot more to come) about the incredible Olympic performance of Michael Phelps. And there’s no question in our minds that he deserves every one of the accolades and then some.

Well, he did it. 8 gold medals in 8 races for Michael Phelps. A truly amazing accomplishment.

And the beautiful thing is that all of us benefit from his performance. Every time Michael stood up on that gold medal platform, he reminded us that anything is possible.
Why?

Because he’s an outstanding example of someone who has followed the Universal Laws that always bring success. And you can find the clear evidence of that in some of the media coverage of
Phelps.

In an article about Phelps and his coach, Bob Bowman, NBC Sports reported, “Bowman, who is something of a student of success literature, said a recurring theme of his coaching and direction is that successful people…make a habit of doing things other people aren’t willing to do. And that’s our game here.”

“The difference between successful people and failures is that successful people make a habit of doing the things that failures do not like to do.”

And that’s just one pretty obvious reason for Michael’s success, but there are others…Contrary to what NBC might have you believe, the purpose of these games is not to have you sitting around spending more time on your butt in front of the TV!

The purpose is to get you inspired to go out and reach for YOUR dreams!

Like the Universal Law of Cause and Effect, “the greatest principle in the history of mankind.”

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“The Law of Cause and Effect says that everything happens for a reason. For every effect in your life, there is a cause, or series of specific, measurable, definable, identifiable causes.

This law says that if there is anything you want in life, an effect that you desire, you can find someone else that has achieved the same result or effect, and that by doing the same things that they have done over and over you can eventually enjoy the same results and rewards.

“Success, however you define it, is not an accident. It is not a result of good luck versus bad luck. Even if you have not taken the time to clearly identify how you got from where you were to where you are today, there have been a series of specific steps that you have taken that have brought you to where you are at this minute. And the fact is, they could have brought you to no other place. You are where you are, and what you are because of yourself. It has been your choices and your decisions over the months and years that have inevitably determined the condition of your life at this moment.

“The most wonderful part of this is that at any time you can start making different choices and different decisions, taking different steps and you will inevitably arrive at a different place than where you are today.

“The greatest thinkers of all time, going back to the earliest recorded writings of the earliest religions, the earliest philosophers and metaphysical schools have all emphasized the power of the human mind to shape individual destinies.

“The key to your enjoying more of what people call luck is for you to engage in more of the actions that are more likely to bring about the consequences that you desire. At the same time, you must conscientiously decide to avoid those actions that will not bring about the consequences that you desire, or even worse, will bring about consequences that you don’t want.

“The laws of cause and effect, action and reaction, sowing and reaping, are timeless truths, universal principles that have existed since the beginning of man on this earth. All success, happiness and high achievement comes from organizing your life in conformance with these timeless principles. When you do, you will achieve satisfaction and enjoyment at levels seldom experienced by the average person and of course, people will start to refer to you as lucky.”

College costs increase at about twice the inflation rate. Current increases have averaged 5% to 8%.

It is no secret that college tuition and expenses have been on a steady rise for many years. This has many families worried that they will not be able to afford to send their kids to college. Many even shy away from encouraging their children to dream of a college education. Trade skills are almost being forced on the younger generation. The daunting and staggering college costs are changing the way that we raise our kids.

Imagine if you were told not to dream. What if you told your parents that you wanted to be a doctor and they just had to turn you down? What does this do to the self esteem of a young child? Many families, college educated or not, struggle to keep up with housing costs and the cost of living in general. Saving for college simply is not in the cards for a lot more families than many would like to believe. What does this mean for the future of our country?

We are trending towards generation after generation of minimum wage and poverty level workers. What happens then? They can not afford college for their children and so the cycle continues. If you have been worried about affording college for your children, then there are some things that you should realize.

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So, you are wondering if college is really worth the cost. Consider college an investment. Not only is college an investment in your child’s self esteem and job satisfaction, but it is also an investment in your family and country. College graduates earn an average of sixty percent more than their peers. This makes an earning difference of almost one million dollars over a lifetime. With all of the college grants, financial aid, student and parent loans, there is almost no excuse for denying your child this investment in their future.

You may have to make short-term sacrifices to afford loan payments, but it should be well worth the effort. Students can defer payments until after they graduate. There are even payment plans that are income based, which means that your child will not have to pay more than they can afford as they get older. If you are worried about being responsible for hefty loan payments between times of employment, do not worry too much. Most student loans have deferment periods that can put your payments on hold until you are employed again. The government and loan companies have all sorts of special benefits and payment breaks for student loans.

The government does want our children to be able to afford college. We need professionals in our society to function. This does not mean that the rich are the only ones able to get educated and continue to be rich. Many loans are income based and your child can get just about as much help as they need. If they do not get as much as you need for actual college costs, then there are parent PLUS loans and private student loans to consider. These are available on top of Federal Student Loans, scholarships and financial aid. Do not stifle your child’s dreams. Encourage them to make a better life for themselves as well as their children and grandchildren. Choosing to go to college can affect many generations to come and, yes, our families’ futures are worth the cost.

You establish your credibility primarily through demonstrating your with agreements with yourself and others

A good gauge of your ability to keep your agreements is how many times you are late for work or for meeting. Being consistently late is feedback that your time is not “your” time at al, but belongs instead to a constant stream of interruptions and unnecessary delays.

Arriving on time begins with leaving on time. Make leaving on time a priority, a personal challenge. Make a commitment to yourself that being on time is your number one priority. Making excuses for why it wasn’t “your fault” won’t get you there earlier next time. In fact, excuses are an attempt to put a stamp of approval on failure. Chronic lateness is not caused by any one event. It is a symptom of how your entire life is working in terms of your ability to plan your time and work your plan. If you want to master time, master the following strategies and I guarantee you will arrive on time every time.

1. Don’t make getting ready the last thing before leaving. Proper preparation begins with proper planning. If getting ready is the last thing you do before leaving the house, rest assured you will leave late as often as not.

2. Keep losing your keys? Common sense would ask how many times car keys have to be lost before it becomes obvious that a systems approach is needed for keeping track of those elusive little rascals. Although systems approaches may be a part of your everyday business or career life, few people have employed the power of systems, even simple ones to their personal lives.

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The lost key syndrome is easily overcome if your keys are easily locatable every time you need them. Here’s how to ensure it. Put a bowl, try or decorative object on a table as close as possible to the door you normally enter and where you wil automatically see it. It’s so simple, yet so effective – no more lost keys.

3. House keys normally come with a “set” of keys – one for each door. Any multiple lock set up requires multiple keys and an excessive amount of labeling and duplication. What a potential waste of time and effort! Call a locksmith and have all the locks in your home changed to the same key. The doorknobs and locks don’t have to replaced only the internal lock mechanisms. Then one key fits all no matter which door you use.

4. One person in a relationship is often better at time management than the other. Don’t allow the difference to create a conflict if you are standing by the door ready to leave and your wife or husband, for example is not ready. It is better to deal unemotionally with the lateness of the person who is not ready. Remember you always have choice. You can leave on time and arrive on time without the other person. Or you can wait calmly until the other person is ready and go together. Effective time management can only be practiced on yourself. Demanding that others would do the same just wont work.

5. When you get angry in traffic its because you are late or about to be late and you feel stressed. As much as you want it to be, it is not the fault of the thousand drivers who are blocking the road in front of you. And getting angry is not going to get you there on time. I mentally made the decision a long time ago to change my habit of getting angry in traffic, I began to add the 15 minute “fudge factor” and started leaving on time. Soon the process became a habit and today, those around me are willing to bet that I will be on time – every time. Staying in control of your life requires emotional balance.

Any time you lose it and get angry, you have passed control to someone or something else. I no longer get angry – not in traffic. It’s simply a choice.

From now on, make it a priority to be on time, every time.

Carlos Slim, the Mexican tycoon and the world’s richest man, scoffed at Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for “playing Santa Claus” to cure poverty’s ills. But that’s where we are. Our guys—Bill Gates and Warren Buffett—are all about giving it away. Carlos Slim? Not a chance.

A few months earlier Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, made an assertion. In an interview that was widely reported, he stated, “Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving; that is, not going around like Santa Claus…. Poverty isn’t solved with donations.” In a recent two-hour interview in his office, Mr. Slim promised that there would be no ceiling on his donations. “We want to get to the root of problems, no limits,” he said.

Because Mexico’s income distribution is severely skewed, Mr. Slim has come to personify the small elite who control vast sections of the economy. So he has been feeling the pressure to give much of his enormous fortune away. Some time ago, he pledged to increase the endowments of his companies’ foundations to $10 billion from $4 billion in the next four years. He promises to spend money on education and health.

Very few would argue with Mr. Slim’s assertion that poverty cannot be ended by donations. Slim wants to build huge hospitals in northern Mexico where the country-region can ship tens of thousands of Medicare patients for health care that can be delivered at much cheaper costs.

Slim was unimpressed at how Buffett and Gates vowed late last year to combine their entire fortunes into the world’s largest foundation to do good works.

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“Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving,”Slim said. Unlike Bill Gate of Microsoft, considered the best-heeled man in the world, who donated a good part of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Slim considers it more important to establish opportunities that will accelerate the people’s ability to form new businesses. He repeats: “Poverty is not fought with donations” He elaborates: I think what Bill Gates is doing is well done, he is not just giving support, but dedicating himself full time to resolve the problems that generate poverty; which is good, because it involves more doing than giving.”

He also referred to Warren Buffet, No. 3 billionaire, who also donated 80 percent of his fortune to the Gates couple’s foundation. But he, said Slim, established a system in which the funds are not transferred unless the people managing them are efficient at generating high levels of revenue.

So, is Carlos Slim Helú a good guy or a bad guy? Neither, or both, depending on your politics. He’s a rich businessman who intends to use his skills, influence, money and the law to get richer. Just like every other rich businessman. And just like every other businessman who wishes or dreams he was rich.

Get real about money. Let’s face it: Most people spend way too much money on things they don’t really need. The more money we make, the more we tend to spend. This endless cycle of materialism has led many people to confuse the word “need” with the word “want.” As in, “we need a big-screen TV for our new home theatre.” Or, “I need a new pair of shoes to go with my new outfit.”

If you want to achieve your vocational passion, where every day you jump out of bed and can’t wait to go to work, then you need to re-order your priorities. Stay away from the purely material.

The pursuit of material success often is the root cause of burnout at midlife. In fact, a recent study found that people primarily motivated by the love of their work grow dissatisfied as they begin to make more money. The first step to breaking free from the materialism trap is to understand the difference between “need” and “want.”

We need food, clothing, shelter, reliable transportation, education, enrichment, and the technology necessary to do our work. Also, we need the occasional small indulgence to treat our children and ourselves.

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We do not need 500 cable TV channels, brand new luxury cars, 5,000-square-foot homes in exclusive neighborhoods, lavish ski vacations, and smart phones that do everything but think for us.

There is nothing wrong with wanting these things. But understand that these things do not make us happy, in and of them. And, they are often links in the chains that bind us to jobs we despise.

Often, those who make a leap to vocational passion end up making more money over the long term. But in the short term, income usually declines. It may even go away for a period of time. Typically, the first two years of a career change – in particular, one motivated purely by vocational passion – are financially difficult. Major lifestyle and attitude adjustments are critical to making the money last while you pursue your dream.

The amazing thing is that once you learn to live on less, it becomes a habit. The peace of mind that comes from relying less on materialism to define success usually leads to a greater and deeper happiness.

Now we understand that pursuing vocational passion requires a major adjustment in our attitude toward money and material comfort. The next step is getting down to the details.

The trick is to look at all expenses, both big and small. Leave no stone unturned. No savings is too small, and no category of spending should be free from scrutiny.

Consider these options to cut down your burn rate. Some will seem dramatic. But if you have decided that your only chance at happiness is to pursue a vocational dream, small measures won’t cut it.

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Not many people are left out there who have yet to discover card cravings. Nearly everyone is out to chase card bills.This is because the majority remains unaware of the insurance deals offered with the cards, most are suffering from credit card debt and are ergo unable to apply for second mortgage, let alone equity loans.

If you are like most people, you do not feel that you “deserve money”. The simple fact is that most people are broke. Most people are broke because they do not feel that they deserve money.

To be financially successful you must: save prodigiously, invest wisely, and act like an entrepreneur. If you don’t believe you are capable of financial success, figure out why.

OK, maybe now you are thinking, “I deserve money…right?” Well, here is the thing, if you have the thought that “It takes money to make money”, or “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer”, or “Money is the root to all evil”, then you do not deserve money…well, maybe not yet, but there is hope for you.

There are two sides to every coin, people can look at money as good or bad and often at times people look at money as bad to justify why they do not have any. I dont know, maybe someone with money or someone that was thinking of making money was with someone that did not have any and did not have any plans to make any. What they thought about having lots of money and they gave off one of the lame excuses as suggested in the previous paragraph.

Why do you deserve money? The answer is simple…because you deserve money! Look, making money is simply the result of exchanging your efforts or ideas for money.

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There are a many ways to make a million dollars and most of them are quite fun ways to make money and thats the key! If you are willing to learn how to have fun, make money and teach others to do the same, then it should end up being easy to make the money for you.

Start with this; how much money would you like to have, then ask yourself how much money do I currently deserve doing what I am doing now? If the answer is not 10-20 times more, then you are not doing the right thing to attain the amount that you would like to have. Time to change…

Change…is the word “change” scary to you? If it is, then you do not deserve money! Broke people are afraid of change. Change is natural and should be embraced by everyone. If we do not embrace change in our life then we are accepting where we are and probably will stay where we are. If you are happy with what you are making and like where you work, then go out and buy your boss a gift basket, sit down, be quiet and stop complaining about your finances.

There are many blogs and websites about “Financial Freedom”. I’ve come to notice that each site author has a slightly different definition of what Financial Freedom really is. So, my goal here is to just lay out in plain sight what my own idea for Financial Freedom is, so I might have a better chance of getting there myself. My idea of Financial Freedom is the ability to choose to do what you wish with your life, without the need to think about if there is enough money to do what you want. In order to break down what this really means, you’ve got to really understand what money itself is.

Money is basically what makes the world go round.

If you had enough income piling into your bank account to meet your basic necessities, such as food, a place to live and clothes, how would life be different?

Now, you may be saying “but I do have enough money to provide for the necessities.” And you may be correct. But, the real question I want to ask is, “How do you get that money?” Is the income you earn each month Linear (i.e., from working in a job or a self-employed business type setting), or is it non-linear, leveraged, and passive?

My entire goal is to create a lifestyle that does not require my presence.

How beautiful an idea is that?

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I however, embrace what I call the “Lazy” approach to Financial Freedom. Note that by “Lazy”, I do not mean the same thing as sloth. Financial Freedom to me means, to take whatever creative ideas you have, find out how to turn it into an income-producing business, and building that business up to a point of profitability.

By automating your business processes as much as is possible, you have now created a recurring stream of income that will flow, whether or not you wake up by 6am, or even by noon! The problem that I see from the employment method is that you have to be at work everyday to keep the income flowing long enough to create investments and such that will eventually create the recurring income streams.

And lastly, financial freedom is a lot about one’s personal choice. It is about how much you can control yourself into accepting things. Learn to make your own choices and don’t be bogged down by situational pressures. The day you would be able to do that, you would have achieved complete financial freedom.

So, what different things can you do to create automatically recurring streams of income? The key is to create the systems such that they do not require constant meddling on your part.

I would love to hear your views on Financial Freedom, so its your turn to talk…

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Users of visa card dont really have to bother about reverse mortgage or ever consult a mortgage broker, let alone come across mortgage refinancing. This is because their company deals with everything ranging from rental insurance to dental insurance.

Financial planning, something we all know we need to do, but always put off to the future. Financial planning is hard simply because it requires financial discipline, which is difficult to have in this consumer society.

However, financial planning is very important because you want to retire one day, be financially stable in the event of an accident, or unexpected loss of a job. Regardless of when you begin, the basics remain the same.

Here are my top keys to getting ahead financially. Once you have made financial planning part of your routine, it won’t seem so difficult. But getting your financial planning started can be the most difficult thing. These tips will help motivate you to make financial planning one of your main goals.

No matter how much or how little you’re paid, you’ll never get ahead if you spend more than you earn. Often it’s easier to spend less than it is to earn more, and a little cost-cutting effort in a number of areas can result in big savings.

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One of the biggest factors fighting against financial planning is debt, especially credit card debt. If something starts off as a small debt it turns into a big one simply because you were not paying off the debt. Financial planning means you have a plan and paying off debt should be the first goal of your plan.

Another financial planning tip is to invest. Financial planning means you are saving for the future in many cases, so you will want to take money you earn today and invest in the stock market, in bonds or a mixture. Saving your money with the help of financial planning will help money grow all on its own.

A great financial planning tip is budgeting. You won’t be able to save unless you know what you spend. Make budgeting part of your financial planning and you will realize saving is not so hard. This is tough for people to understand and often what they resist most when they begin financial planning. Choose one area at a time and set a goal for incorporating it all into your lifestyle.

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The typical american express card offers a number of side-deals like mortgage loans on lesser conditions. Companies like citi card and hsbc card offer other solutions to mortgage and frequently come up with auto insurance quotes for the information of the consumers.

Work as a team in managing your finances and maintain equal voices in your partnership no matter how much money either of you earns.

It is critical for married partners to work together in maintaining the different financial dimensions of their household. This includes both partners being involved in everyday financial decisions and transactions, as well as working toward your financial future together.

One of the more interesting topics is when a couple is struggling to handle their finances like a married couple. What I usually hear is one of the spouses handles all of the finances and the other just takes orders from the one who handles the money.

What I have found in my limited experience with marriage is that a budget does not work unless both spouses are working together to plan a budget and stick to it. My suggestion is to dedicate an hour every two weeks to sitting down with your spouse to discuss the budget and go over any changes or concerns about the budget and the general household finances.

When it comes to the subject of marriage and money, it always comes down to communication. I remember hearing a wife talk about how she handles all of the finances, but her husband gets angry with her when she spends money one something he doesn’t agree with. Well, get off your lazy butt and get involved in the finances, buddy! You can’t rant and rave to your spouse about where the money is going if you won’t take the time to help plan where it should go.

Another thing to consider is putting your defensive personality in check before starting to talk about the finances and the budget. It’s so easy to get in fights when talking about your opinions about the money. I may want $50 to go towards household stuff, but she may want $100. You can’t let this kind of discrepancies turn into world war 3 or else it will put a huge strain on other areas of your life.

It’s okay to compromise on issues with the budget, because when you put your spouse’s interests above your own, then you are making healthy compromises. Remember, studies have shown that issues with money is one of the leading causes of divorces. It can make or break your marriage, so take it seriously when you two talk about what to do with your dough.