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The Simplest Things in Life and Making the Right Decisions

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Peace of mind, family, good health, and creature comforts are what we all desire throughout our lives. Sometimes the simplest things can make a huge difference.

Peace of mind comes from making the right decisions for the right reasons. I recall several times in my life, pivotal points if you will, that caused me to pause.  To this day I can remember the exact circumstances, the people we were with, and the decisions I made that could have, would have, made more sense had I listened to the significant others in my life and my inner voice. Instead we are often so focused on what we perceive to be the desired outcome, based on our assumptions, and ignore the good advice and counsel that comes our way. Do you recall times like this in your life?

Life is full of decisions and what I’ve learned years ago, and hopefully not too late in life, is that when you are making major decisions listen to your inner voice and especially those close to you no matter how it is presented. When you dismiss others input it is often because you have a preconceived notion of what you want and desire. Wouldn’t it be so much better if we stopped to consider their side of the story without getting defensive?  Ask them for clarification and why they feel the way they do and LISTEN. Instead of being dismissive and getting mad at the messenger maybe, just maybe, it would be a good time to swallow your pride and pause for the cause and the good of the family.

Without peace of mind it’s difficult nurturing your family and maintaining good health.  When making decisions today I try to remember that there are always two sides to every story and it is important to see beyond the obvious.  Your family and friends often have a different perspective that will fill in the blanks and help you see “The Rest of the Story” as Paul Harvey use to say.

You can’t have peace of mind without being financially secure in retirement as well and the statistics on retiree’s savings are dire.  Thankfully, federal employees still have a pension plus the Thrift Savings plan to rely on. Will your annuity and Thrift plan provide all that you need? It’s best to be debt free when you retire and to help you prepare financially download our free report titled How to be Financially Prepared When You Retire [2].

Creature Comforts

I found a creature comfort about a year ago that I can’t do without today.  I tried Dr. Scholl’s Custom Fit Orthotic Inserts [3] that I found at Wal-Mart. They have a unit in the pharmacy that looks like a scale and it analyzes your feet for the proper orthotic fit. I purchased a pair and my feet never felt better.  When I put my shoes on it feels like I’m walking on a cloud. I spent hundreds of dollars on over the counter and custom orthotics over the years without success.  If you suffer from tired sore feet give them a try. Dr. Scholl’s is offering a $10 off coupon on their web site.

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The information provided may not cover all aspect of unique or special circumstances, federal regulations, and financial information is subject to change. To ensure the accuracy of this information, contact your benefits coordinator and ask them to review your official personnel file and circumstances concerning this issue. Retirees can contact the OPM retirement center. Our article is not intended nor should it be considered investment advice. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic economic factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change.

Last 5 posts by Dennis Damp