January 31, 2007

Dear Loved Ones,

More Blessed Year 2007 and Happy Valentine ahead of us!

Like everyone else, I commenced the New Year with resolutions, setting benchmarks, commitment renewal or whatever you name it. Among them are:
1. Be more faithful to the norms of our Opus Dei! Consistent with these are more Prayers, improve on interpersonal relationships and follow The Way, continue with my apostolate in Pinas, among others.

2. Spend more reading time - Friday afternoons at Barnes & Noble bookstore over starbucks coffee. For this month, I completed ‘Why we want you to be rich’ by D.Trump and R. Kiyosaki; ‘Rch Dad’s Guide to Financial Freedom by Kiyosaki, and the biographies of Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren.

3. Enjoy finer quality of life, such as maximizing the benefit of our 50” ‘high definition TV’. A visitor commented that ‘not utilizing the HD features of our TV was like driving a sports car on 1st gear all the way, when you can enjoy much more riding pleasure by moving up to the higher gears; so we decided to call our cable provider Comcast to add the HD feature, expecting to pay more. At first the Comcast customer service officer told me that the rate will become $80.00 from the $53.00 monthly (plus the $46.00 for Internet = $99.00, my present total bill), then he excused to schedule a technician to change the cable modem at home. Thus, I was prepared to pay $126.00 / month for Cable and Internet services. Then after a few minutes, he returned to the phone to say that since I was living in Anatolia, I was entitled to their Silver Package (Anatolia is exclusive Comcast area) and that my total bill was only $ 84.83 monthly), lesser than the current bill. Was it a case of excellent timing, luck? Whatever, it’s one of God’s marvelous Ways! At the start of the year, we are enjoying the ‘Starz and on demand’ movies on ‘high def’ TV, like the driving pleasure of higher gears!
Exercise actively by joining the Aerobics class on AM Saturdays and ‘Ballroom Dancing’ on PM Sundays in our clubhouse. The instructors are Flips, so as usual the Filipinos are active (more than 10 couples). It seems that there are more Asians than ‘whites’ in our Anatolia. As S. Covey said, ‘Exercise for self-renewal’!

4. Participate actively in the financial management of my 401K Plan under Schwab Plan. Since deferment amount is tax deductible, my objective is to maximize benefits. Feature of our Willdan 401K is: the employer Willdan gives its share of $1,000.00 for the 1st $4,000.00 the employee contributes or 25% share (compared to 5% bank interest on CD savings). I had 20% of my salary deferred to the plan and left it for Schwab to manage and invest last year. After careful study of the investment alternatives, advice from ‘guided choice’, I decided to exercise my options. At the year’s start, I realigned my investments to: 25 Bonds and 75% Stocks. The choices turned out good. In just 3 weeks, the net asset value of my deferment is now 130% or yielded 30% ROI of my original investment. Much better than what you earn in banks or even your own business. I hope to continue making good decisions.

To summarize my resolve for the year, consistent with ‘The Thinker’s Way’, are:
· Think critically;
· Live creatively;
· Choose freely;
· Reason boldly;
· Communicate openly;
· Love unconditionally

And still continue to pray hard, like everything depended on GOD!

Let us continue to pray for our country and people. Peace and Joy to You. God Bless us all!!!

Much love and Best Regards!!!
SUSAN BG

For my complete journals, please visit www.sbgerardo.blogspot.com Thank you!