Pay Adequate Attention to Security When You Bank Online

It would seem that the computer is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives each and every day. There’s a good reason for that perception… it’s true. One specific area that is becoming incredibly popular is online banking. Customers love it because it is very convenient and a great time saver. The banks love it because it automates a great many functions for them and cuts down on their overhead.

The number one concern of anyone that deals with online banking should be security. Putting your personal information over the Internet can be risky, there is no denying that. Fraud and identity theft have become huge problems in the modern age. There are any number of hackers and thieves out there in cyberspace just waiting to prey on innocent people. They lurk in the deep spaces of the Internet just waiting for some of your private information that they can steal.

Fortunately for us, the financial institutions of the world are very aware of this problem and are working aggressively to combat it. There was a time when a bank’s chief security concern was whether they would be robbed or not. I think we’ve all seen the old movies about Bonnie & Clyde, John Dillinger and the like…to say nothing of the daring train robberies of the wild west. Now banks face a new and much deadlier challenge than ever before, and instead of wearing a mask and using a gun, the bad guys are now invisible and use keyboards. They can access information from the safety of their homes and apartments. And even at the local coffee shop through wireless connections.

Identity theft has now become so prevalent that thieves are rifling through garbage to attain any information that they can use to steal from their unsuspecting victims. With this said, there are some simple, common sense approaches that will go along way to securing personal bank information.

1. Do not share your passwords with anyone and make sure if you write it done put it in a safe place where only you know where it is.

2. Keep important documents locked in a safe or safety deposit box.

3. Shred documents that you no longer need and use a cross-cut shredder.

4. If you bank online, make sure your bank is using a secure, encrypted site (It’s OK to ask what security features they employ). Make sure they use https in the address and you should see the lock symbol in the lower right-hand corner of your browser.

5. When using an ATM make sure no one can see the codes you enter.

These are just a few of the things that can be done to keep banking information secure and to avoid possible crimes against you. While many of these suggestions seem to be glaringly obvious, all to many times they are taken for granted or just plain ignored. It is at these times when the criminals are at their best. Individuals that grow careless and complacent are exactly what criminals look for. Don’t be counted as one of the careless!

Acceptance Is a Universal Need

When exactly does one start to yearn for acceptance?

Is it when we are born?

Is it when we first feel the pain of non-acceptance?

Is it when we begin to be challenged in sports?

Is it when we fall into the ever talked about `peer pressure`?

Is it when we fall in love?

Is it when we start a new job?

Is it when we become a new member of a family?

Is it when we move to a new city or country?

Is it when we write our very first book?

It is probably all of the above when people feel the need to be accepted and they will do anything to succeed in this quest.

Athletes and bodybuilders will take drugs to win acceptance.

When we fall in love, our entire being wants to feel accepted by our mate.

Authors will spend hours and hours to write the exact words to please their readers and go to great lengths to publish their creation.

Becoming a new member of a family whether it be through marriage or adoption will create a need to be nurtured as one who genuinely belongs.

Starting a new job is a definite acceptance need, we need to fit in so we can relax and apply ourselves 100% to our job.

Moving to a new country or city or even just a new neighborhood is very challenging for us and to be accepted and fit in, is a very important step in our settling in.

Let us not forget` Peer Pressure`, that’s a tough one, children just getting started in high school suffer the most with this one, hormones are swinging and their emotions are so sensitive. The fears that they have struggled with for the year before is all up front and they have a whole lot of reality to deal with. To fit in and be accepted by their peers is more than half the battle.

A baby has a world of a  need to be accepted and see parents smile when they are pleased. 

The pain of non acceptance for the first time cuts like a knife. It wounds us for life, creating a scar that we grow with forever.

All these worries, needs and desires are in all of us that live and breathe. Some of us feel the hunger for acceptance less than others. Some of us cannot live without acceptance, and we become obsessed in our thinking, trying to do anything so that we can fit in.

Do you read the words “self-esteem” in anything written here today? It is in every sentence. The need for acceptance somehow affects our self-esteem which in turns affects our emotional stability where jealousy, worry and anxiety spring from. If you know the feeling of non-acceptance or low self-esteem, then you know how controlled you are by the worry that follows them and how much of your life is imprisoned by that other mind. Low self-esteem and non-acceptance are exactly that, `another mind` and one can actually feel them at war. It is a reminder of the good devil and bad devil scenario. Trust me here it is no fun for the person that is imprisoned by it, not only do they have to balance the two minds, but they also have the guilt that they feel when they see what the result of the battle in their heads is doing to the people around them. The constant questions that one faces are an added pain to the already lonely tortured person.

                                 

So if anyone out there knows a person that suffers from non-acceptance or low self-esteem, HUG them and please try to have more patience and understand that they are not having a picnic and that if just saying, “stop it” or “just don`t think about it” could stop it, they would in a heartbeat. We all need support and acceptance to get us through our lows. Kicking someone when they are down, never ever helps them to get up.

Giving Rein to Your Creatvity

Creativity is a quality that we all have buried inside of us, one way or the other. It involves 

the invention of something new or the re-invention of something already existing to make it 

useful of interesting.

Some peoples creative abilities are closer to the surface and one can easily see the manifestations of them. People say that their creativity is inborn. For others, expressing creativity takes more time and cultivation. The important thing to note is that we can all be creative. You just have to take steps to extract it from within you. Try the following:

1. Change your perspective.

You might have heard the phrase Think outside the box. You should try looking at the situation from a different point of view. Change your perspective. Consider all factors that are affected by your problem or your concern. Try to breakdown the problem into several elements then shuffle them. Think of what would happen if an idea is replaced. This aspect is important in enhancing creativity because it helps you remove possible fixations that may hinder creativity.

2. Mentally move away from your current location.

Imagine how another person would react if subjected in the same situation. Picture how different situations would continue when dealing with the same problem. Application in different settings can be also be done; and then from there, adapt a solution to the current setting.

3. Let your imagination run wild.

Exercise your imagination. Modification can trigger creativity because you see things in a different light. You can also try to exaggerate or think of the extremes, be it magnification or minimization of something. Thinking of the possible differences between these two situations could produce ideas. This is the ultimate brain exercise.



                    
                    



4. Your comfort spot.

The environment has to be right. You should have somewhere you can focus without being unnecessarily disturbed so you can give a problem your full attention. This should extend to the people you are with. You tend to do better at something when you are with like-minded people. To put it simply, hang out with creative people to help enhance your creative abilities.

Most of the time, people tend to be more creative when they are with people who are doing the same thing. It was also found that if you wish to be more creative, you should try hanging out with creative people.

5. Time, time, time.

You cant rush creativity. Hurrying does not help in the outflow of ideas. Your mind tends to go into a state of slight disarray when you are trying to force things. Studies show that results produced in this state are generally lacking. If you are low on time, then keep a list of activities like this one close to you. Go over each of the activities and exercise each one. Give it time.

6. Get helpcommunicate your ideas to others.

A different view of the problem could help. Better yet, many different views! Never be shy to ask. Diversity is very helpful in relation with creativity. Organize a brainstorming session. The spontaneous generation of new ideas helps in formulation of more ideas. The products of brainstorming can be the raw material in the construction of the idea.

Remember that in brainstorming, 4 rules are followed for it to be successful:

– There should be no criticisms. Criticism hinders the free flow of ideas. This can be postponed until the session has ended.
– Combining and/or modifying ideas are encouraged.
– Quantity is preferred over quality in brainstorming.
– Weird or strange ideas are encouraged.

These are just some ideas to get your creative juices going. They can be adapted to suit each individual. A large amount of it is down to you. How inventive can you be? How open are you? Remove the boundaries from your mind and you will find your creativity will increase.