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Showing posts from November, 2021

FEAR POWER on DISPLAY

  Belgium confirms case of new,  heavily mutated  Covid variant Dow Drops 900 Points…   The photographer captures the face of fear on the CNBC website Friday (26 Nov 2021). The loss of value in savings and investments is more powerful than an equal value of an increase. People fear losses of all kinds. The trigger of fear is the new virus variant, which can trigger fear of death and severe illness—especially for those who have lost a loved one or struggled through a hospitalization or even a tough bout at home. Fear is a powerful motivator to take action—self-defense—hide, avoid threats, seek safety. Action in financial markets isn’t really about the value of a company or business but about human nature and that powerful emotion of fear, which drives action. Fear also motivates people to avoid vaccines. Of course fear is not the only reason people have avoided the vaccines—skepticism and distrust are other reasons. Seeking safety is a good thing wh...

Thank You for the Memories

  Photo: Mr Brown upper left; Rev Kenyon lower right We had Sunday dinner in the kitchen by the window. My wife asked me about people in my life. Soon we began sharing stories of those people we admired or respected. Somehow, we went back to our childhood—perhaps it was the holidays. We both grew up in very conservative churches with strict behavioral codes but we had fond memories of some people who made life special and created good memories. When I was 13, we moved to Millville NJ. I turned 14 in the summer and entered 9th grade. So, it was a new community with a new school, new neighbors, and a new church. If you moved to new settings, you know the anxiety it can bring. I’m thankful for the things kind adults did. In those days, adults didn’t have first names. My dad wasn’t a fisherman but I learned to enjoy fishing when two different Millville men took me fishing in the Delaware Bay. Thanks Mr. Montgomery (Pictured below) and Mr. Sharp. Mr. & Mrs. Montgomery At that ti...

Gratitude: The Effects of Expressing Thanks

  Can expressing thanks really make a difference in your life? A classic and oft cited study suggests the act of writing about things we are thankful or grateful for is good for us. Here’s a summary of what Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough found in a sample of 192 college students— mostly women (147). The Research Method The students were divided into three experimental groups at the beginning of a quarter. The students completed 10 weekly reports. The three groups: 1. Gratitude . They were asked to think about last week and write down 5 things that they were grateful or thankful for. 2. Hassles . The researchers explained that hassles are things that are irritating. They were to think about what happened today and list up to 5 hassles. 3. Events . The students were asked to think about the past week and write 5 events that impacted them. How the researchers measured change in the participants—what the participants did. 1. They rated their feelings using 3...