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When retirement crosses the mind of many, it raises certain questions: when will I retire? will I ever retire? how much do I need to retire? where will I retire? should I retire? and so on.

A guy randomly started asking every member of his team at work -"what is your number?"

At first, it was unclear what number he was referring to until he rephrased, " put a number on the amount of money you will need to retire."

Everyone in his group started throwing out their numbers. One million, five million, ten million and twenty million dollars were the amount of money his colleagues said they needed someone to give to them or that they needed to have to retire. Until they get that they will likely not be able to retire.

Looking at one of his colleagues, he asked loudly: "what is your number? because you have been so quiet." His colleague began his response by saying: " what retirement means to me is entirely different and not the traditional reply you would usually get."

The initial response of this colleague left everyone in his group in deep thoughts and reflection on what retirement actually means.

The response continued...

Two things:

1. Retirement means flexibility and control of my own schedule, and spending more time doing more of what I cherish in life.

2. Not working because I have to work but because I want to work.

Anytime I have enough income to cover all my monthly expenses without having to go work for it or earn it through my sweat, I will retire at that point. As of today, I need $3000 per month to maintain my decent lifestyle. Whenever I can generate $3000 or more per month passively, I will no longer need to work to survive. Rather, I will work to give value and solve problems that will foster the lives of others and greater causes.

Retirement recommendation...

Figure out the amount of money you need to maintain the lifestyle you desire, and work towards creating enough passive income generating sources to meet or exceed the amount you calculated.

Ever wonder why some people who win millions of dollars in lottery end up miserable after a few years?

If you get handed five million dollars and a beach house now and asked never to work again but relax at home, you will die slowly and possibly wind up depressed even though it all seems fantastic.

According to Ezra Cornell, " idleness is to the human mind like rust to iron."

Retirement does not equal not working ever again.

What do you think? Do you have your number? Feel free to leave comments and below share your thoughts on this with us on facebook.

Reaching the finish line is a very rewarding and major milestone in any life event. Life is full of challenges and at some point in your life, you will feel like giving up in the middle of the process or even before you get started. What are you seeking in your life? What have you always wanted to do?

Here are a few steps in making your dream a reality and reaching the finish line:

Have a purpose

It is necessary to know that you need a purpose to reach the finish line. Without a purpose there will be no need to even try. Lack of purpose can be compared to getting in your car and driving around without making any plans or having any idea of where you are headed. You have to know why it is worth it to reach the finish line. Do not do anything until you have come to resolution with the purpose of your journey.

Set Standards

You have to know when to say no to distractions. Stand up to yourself and set your own rules for the process. The standards you set will make you standout among the crowd. Make it your responsibility to fight through the end. Your standards will define what you can accommodate. Write your standards down as you embark on any project.

Believe

Believe that you can have whatever you want. You have to trust yourself and see the possibilities rather than the limitations. Believe in yourself even when others do not believe in you. Accept the possibilities and discard the impossibilities in getting that which you seek.

Begin

You have to get started. Stop procrastinating, just pick up your boots and hit the ground. The only way to give yourself a chance at living your dreams is by getting started.

Track yourself

During the process of getting to the finish line, you need to track yourself. Tracking yourself gives you access to better utilization of the unlimited power you have in you to achieve the maximum within the most attainable time. Set a timeline and measure your progress. Write down your timeline and map your progress.

Visualize

Operate out of your imagination and you will propel yourself to the finish line before you know it. Use your mind-sight and not your eyesight. Your eyesight sees weakness and limitations, but your mind-sight sees your strength and the finish line. Take some time and picture getting that which you seek in abundance. Envision the celebration and how it will feel like when you finally get what you are longing for.

Commit

To reach the finish line you have to be relentless. You need to be committed to reaching the finish line. Without commitment you will not keep your agreement to reach the finish line. Commitment means that no excuse is acceptable. Commitment holds you accountable to the standards you have set to reach the finish line.

Remember, you cannot get the MEDAL unless you reach the FINISH LINE. Apply the steps above and take ownership of your life now!

Please feel free to share and leave comments below. Please like our page for more insights.

Job mobility is something that happens at least once in a person's life. You might be interviewing for various positions now or maybe looking to make the next career move within your firm or outside your firm. Perhaps, you feel stuck at your job and want to take action. Regardless of whether you are actively or passively making moves for a job switch, it is important to do some evaluation. Here are some questions you need to answer to help you in making the best decision for your next career move:

1. How challenging is this job or position?

Do not look for a job that is just safe and comfortable because that is a recipe for disappointment and failure. Ask yourself whether this position will teach you what is needed to rise to the occasion. Whenever you put yourself in a position to be challenged you are creating opportunities for yourself. Challenges make a person evolve and build a stronger persona. A job that doesn't challenge you will limit your ability to learn and transcend. Human beings need to be challenged in order to build thicker skin.

2. Any room for professional growth?

Before you make that move, stop and check if any room exists for professional growth. Make sure the job has career development plan and some form of advancement plan that matches what you are looking for. Do not focus on the current role. Instead, target jobs that prepare you for the next role and help you build useful skills as well as support your development.

3. Do I like the people?

The people you are surrounded by affect your success. So it will be paramount to weigh the quality of people you will be spending a huge chunk of your day with. The team you work will have an impact on how far you go. Evaluate the possible relationships you can build with the people on and off site. Do the people seem fun? Do they challenge you? Do they help you learn? Do they share some things in common?

4. Is the compensation Fair?

No one likes being underpaid and most people do not want to work for free. Compensation is not just the cash you get, it includes everything that comes with the cash. Your compensation package affects your attitude at work and life outside of work.

Please feel free to share your thoughts by leaving comments, subscribe and connect for more.

Many people go through life never discovering what they have in them. Fear has put many in spectator seats rather than being in the action zone. Fear has made passengers out of drivers.

Opportunities, investments and goals have been cut off as a result of fear. There's nothing wrong with having fears except for the deprivation it causes. Having fears does not make you less of a person or abnormal, but it sure creates barriers for you.

"Fear is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases." -Norman Vincent Peale

Fear can age you. Fear can hold you back from doing something you know you are capable of. Fear can paralyze you. Fear can kill dreams and hope.

Are you at a place you will like to be in life?

Are you in the relationship you desire?

Do you go to a job you like? Does your job challenge you?

Do you feel like you have hit the ceiling?

Are you satisfied with your results so far?

How long will you keep allowing fear to hold you back?

How long will you keep letting fear kill your dreams?

What do you benefit from being under the spell of fear?

How to conquer the fear factor:

The only way to handle fear is ACTION. Face your fears. Do what you fear. Fear is nothing but false evidence appearing real. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. You possess the power to make anything appear real in your life.

Start practicing the reconditioning of your mind to recreate your reality by letting that which you fear propel you to reach a higher level. Let fear be your driving force.

I had the opportunity of chatting with one of the best lawyers in America at a political fundraiser, and I asked him at what point in his life he knew he wanted to be a lawyer. His answer shocked me and also stuck with me. He said: 'As a kid I always had a fear of public speaking and I figured that the only way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to put myself in a position that will expose me to public speaking. Hence, my pursuit of law school after my undergraduate degree in engineering."

The fear of public speaking made Warren Buffet select his college classes by docking any class that required him to speak or present in front of the class. Warren Buffet recognized that in order to reach his full potential in the business world, he had to conquer his fear of public speaking. He tackled this fear by enrolling in Dale Carnegie communication course with thirty other people.

You can use fear to empower yourself to do the things you do not want to do. You can use your fear to develop yourself and make life better for you.

Instead of allowing fear to work against you, make fear work for you. Go from saying I can't to I can. Let your fear motivate you. Let fear inspire you to tap into your inner being. Let fear drive you to no retreat. Let fear drive you to develop resilient attitude.

You are more powerful than whatever you fear. Take the plunge now. Repeatedly approach your fears rather than avoiding them.

For more insights and questions, leave a comment or link up on our facebook page .

success tools leverage network debt motivate

Ever wonder why some people are more successful or richer than others? Is it because they have multiple heads? Not really. These six tools below make the difference:

1. Leverage

In short, leverage is doing more with less. Successful people leverage anything they can including technology, skills, network and experiences to produce more result. Successful people leverage time by outsourcing services. They use technology to produce more. Past experiences and lessons learned are used by the successful to embark on future ventures.

Here is a scenario: You make $150 per day cleaning one house. There is a demand for your service and you have 20 potential clients per day. The issue here is that you cannot be at 25 locations in a day cleaning. Guess what? You can get 24 additional cleaners, charge them a percentage -say ten-percent for referral and earn additional $360 per day(i.e $15 each multiplied by 24 people). In this case, you're leveraging other people's time, skills and experience.

2. Debt

There is good debt and there is bad debt. Good debt is any debt that puts money in your pocket whereas bad debt is any debt that removes money from your pocket. The rich do not borrow money to spend on liabilities instead they borrow money to invest in a business and acquire assets that will pay them on a regularly basis while possibly increasing in value. For example, borrowing money at an interest rate of five-percent and making returns at a higher rate say ten-percent will be a good example of using debt to make more money.

3. Network

Successful people are always expanding the magnitude and quality of their network. They attend events that will expose them to people who they aspire to become. They know that to achieve outstanding result, one needs an exceptional network. Take a look at your network now. Your income is the average of five of the most people you hang around. The benefit of network is uplift -both psychologically and economically. Strive to tap into networks with the presence of people you aspire to become.

4. Systems

Successful people set up structures that will withstand strains. They don't want to reinvent the wheel therefore, they put systems in place that will automate a process for future purposes. Another reason why the rich and successful come up with systems is for scalability purposes. Keep in mind that scalability is one of the sure ways to grow and yield higher returns.

Imagine this scenario: You are a dealer on high maintenance products; each time a customer wants to purchase your product, you have to give them a 15 to 20 mins tutorial on how to use and store the product. If you have 20 customers per day, that is equal to 300mins to 400 mins ( approximately 5 - 7hours) of your time. Since time is limited in any given day, you can only sell to a limited number of customers. What if you recorded the tutorials on a CD or other device and included the recording with the product. You will no longer be limited to how many customers you sell to. This is one of the tools the rich and successful people employ.

5. Sales

Another vital tool successful people utilize is sales. They know that people will not know what you have to offer until you promote it. Successful people always find avenues to engage, convince and equip others with knowledge that will make others buy their views, opinions, products, services etc.

6. Negotiation

This is a powerful tool engaged by the rich and successful to get what they want. They know that in order to be successful you have to be a strong negotiator. Strong negotiating skills help in managing different life situations, knowing when to make an offer, withdrawing an offer and maximizing returns.

The willingness and ability to utilize these six tools will definitely increase your likelihood of success at a geometric rate.

Feel free to leave some comments, share and subscribe for more!

A huge concern among nations is the increasing rate of cyber-attack. Top American officials are suggesting setting basic international rules to curb future calamity. Businesses, government and individuals are under the endless wave of cyber-attack and it is apparent that none is winning the cyber-war. Hackers are increasingly gaining super-user privileges that enable them to do anything on a computer system or network they access. The gravity of impact grows as cyber-attack increases.

According to federal records obtained by USA Today, attackers successfully compromised the security of U.S Department of Energy computer systems more than 150 times between 2010 and 2014.

The United States seems to be the most targeted country and also the number one source of cyber-attacks. Other countries at the top cyber-attack source are Germany, Mongolia, France, China and Bulgaria. Cyber-attack breaches security, destroys trust, confidence and alters data integrity. The shift from physical, brick and mortar institution to online and cloud computing has made cyber-attack more attractive.

Also as efforts toward interconnecting and modernizing the electric grid continues, the anxiety of potential cyber-attack escalates.

Who is the most exposed to cyber-attack?

The short answer is everyone. But here is the breakdown of the victims:

Universities and colleges - Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report noted that 10 percent of security breach involved the education sector in 2014
Energy and utility industry
Financial and insurance Firms
Government
Manufacturing firms
Small businesses
Services and non-traditional sector

Why the attack?

Universities and colleges are the abode of the brightest minds and ground-breaking research. The sophisticated hackers that have graduated from credit card theft. They no longer need just credit cards but ownership of the next scientific breakthrough, expensive research and access to numerous data of students (the country's future). Students' grade reports could also be changed.

Hackers would like to gain control of the nuclear power plant's computer system. The electricity grid is a huge interest of attackers because the nation could suffer a severe power outage or blackout if attackers intrude core grid network and systems.

The opportunity of tampering with bank balances, investment funds, 401k and other retirement funds to display wrong numbers.

Cyber-attacks want to access tax information, social security numbers, and highly private personal records.

Cyber espionage - this is a big one carried out by governments to acquire political and military information.

Another motive for cyber attack is cyber crimes like identity theft, drug trafficking, child pornography, fraud and harassment.

The aftermath

Cyber-attack is a chain reaction that impacts the economy and the consequences include but not limited to:

loss of contracts by companies with security breach
damage of reputation
lack of trust and confidence among parties in a business like or pursuing similar interests (like banks and their customers)
blackmail
loss of intellectual property, personal, business and public assets
expenses -cost of restoring compromised network systems and rebuilding infrastructure

What's in it for you?

Demand for cyber security experts is on the rise. There are thousands of cyber security jobs with average of six-figure salaries being added to the labor market daily. This is an opportunity for anyone willing to add some cyber security skills to their resume to excel. This also provides a platform for you to help tackle cyber-attack.

Sources: NBCNews, CNN, Utica College.

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1. Define your image

2. Clarity

3. Consistency

4. Take Charge

1. Despise

2. Decide

3. Commit

1. Procrastination

2. Fear

3. Laziness

4. Blame

5. Distractions

The all-electric Porsche Mission E features the following:

How does this beat the Tesla's Model S? A few reasons...

The response continued...

Retirement recommendation...

Have a purpose

Set Standards

Believe

Begin

Track yourself

Visualize

Commit

Confidants

Constituents

Comrades

1. How challenging is this job or position?

2. Any room for professional growth?

3. Do I like the people?

4. Is the compensation Fair?

"Fear is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases." -Norman Vincent Peale

How to conquer the fear factor:

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