One Last Month to Make it Count!

Can you believe it, summer is almost over. Did you get to accomplish everything you planned? Did life sneak up on you, such as unexpected bills, a loss of a job or did your situation change? Well, the busiest 2 months of summer are over, with literally weeks until school starts up again. There's a lot of juggling finances as you finish off your summer trips, buy school clothes and rush to the store to buy up all the school supplies you can get your hands on. For the kids the hustle and bustle has just begun, but for the single parent this is just a normal month. How often do we have a busy month like this and we don't think twice about it. It's a regular routine for us, we work, we buy, and we're broke. There's no "ifs", "ands" or "buts" about it. We work hard, play less and fall into an eternal cycle of Single Parenting. Half the time we don't know which end is up, just as long as those kids are fed, the bills are paid and we can get to work on time.

Now, stop for a minute and consider something here. In the last month and a half, how many hours did you actually spend doing something that was enriching your mind? By that, I mean doing something in your life that allows you to gain more knowledge, more insight in your life or meditate on the surroundings in which you dwell. This summer I had a very interesting class through the University of Phoenix online. It was more stimulating than anything and it allowed me to sit back in my own life and see how things are run. Although suggesting school for everyone is not feasible, there are many different ways to enrich your mind while taking care of the kids and maintaining your busy life. Here are a few that I came up with that may be fun to try!

  • If you are web savvy at all, do some research on a subject that you've always had an interest in but never found time to go to the library to investigate. With the internet so friendly these days, log onto www.google.com and type your subject and within seconds the world is at your disposal. Even if you spend 15 minutes a night searching for something that you wouldn't normally search for, you are opening your mind to something new.

  • Check out a movie that may be out of the ordinary for you to see. So it's not the usual sappy romance movie, or the typical action thriller. If you go check out a movie with some type of a theme that you wouldn't normally see, it may lead your mind in a direction you never thought of going. You never know, "Legally Blonde" movie might open up an interest you've always had in politics...

  • Start a simple website about a hobby that you enjoy. Even if your main purpose is to get information out there to others, you might surprise yourself when you run into information pertaining to your favorite pastime that you never knew about.

  • Read an interesting book. Even a fiction book that is made up, may have a subject that you might be interested in. Many people get stimulated by books that have a more fictional story line. You can learn new and interesting facts from even the silliest books now a days.

    There are so many different things one can do to increase your brainpower. I encourage you to seek out fun and exciting ways of enhancing your intellect while maintaining your Single Parent way of life.

    About The Author

    Marta Dodd is a Single mom and Webmaster of www.navygirl.com and www.onemilitaryparent.com. She has been a single mom for 12 years and is also serving in the United States Naval Reserve. Balancing Single Parenthood and the military is a challenging task which she shares with the world. Stop by her website and see what this ambitious lady is up to!

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Discover The Spark That Motivates You In Business and Life

    Can There Be Any Other Business Like Your Own Business?"Whatever... Read More

    Breaking Even: When is Enough, Enough?

    I had the most interesting discussion today with a friend... Read More

    Teaching kids -- UGH!! (...and what I learned from it)

    I have a confession to make: I don't like working... Read More

    Awaken The Sleeping Attitude Within You!

    I have made the statement numerous times that; "You are... Read More

    Information Age: Knowledge is King

    In our information age, having the right knowledge at the... Read More

    The Dawn On The Nile Valley Has Secrets To Tell! (3)

    Me and Mao Tse-Tung!My first political experience was with Mao... Read More

    Have You Ever Not Done Something Because Someone Said You Couldnt?

    "Every truly great accomplishment is at first impossible." It's a... Read More

    Are You the Motivator

    We're all aware of how important teamwork is and how... Read More

    Death by Overwork: Motivationally Speaking Its a Zero

    The Japanese have a word for death by overwork: Karoshi.... Read More

    The ONE Question Winners ALWAYS Ask?.

    Over the past several years I have experienced my fair... Read More

    How to Beat Procrastination and Self Doubt

    Fear of failure (or success) and a lack of energy... Read More

    Five Mores to Enhance Your Performance

    When you think about the most successful, happy, fulfilled people... Read More

    Ill Put My Money On The Kid!

    Now, the Fun Part. It is nigh time to find... Read More

    What Does Your Future Hold? Do You Have A Plan? Or Are You Just Waiting To See What Happens?

    We often find ourselves in a situation in which we... Read More

    Live Life with Gusto

    Life is a gift; live it with gusto everyday. Don't... Read More

    Hurry Up And Procrastinate

    I've been meaning to write this column, but I keep... Read More

    How to Make Bite Size Resolutions for 2005

    It never fails. Another new year approaches. You watch that... Read More

    Motivation: How to Get Unstuck

    Have you ever felt stuck?You know the feeling - you're... Read More

    Wisdom Comes to the Inquisitive Mind

    Throughout my life I have observed many things and I... Read More

    Getting Out of a Rut

    Are you feeling bored or restless? Do you need to... Read More

    I Give Up! How to NOT Say Those Words!

    Boy, I tell you....it seems the world is just going... Read More

    Motivation; 7 Musings on Motivation

    1. Most of us are motivated by one of two... Read More

    Speed Reading Technique

    Four Brilliant Tips to Speed Read Faster than EverMany people,... Read More

    Whatever Happened to You?

    Whatever happened to all the dreams? The wants, the desires,... Read More

    The Simple Life

    When we talk about a Simple Life, we are not... Read More

    A Formula For Improved Achievement

    Your ability to perform in life is determined by a... Read More

    A Reality Practice

    Suggested practice to gain freedom from self-limitation.It is suggested that... Read More

    Ahead of the Curve to be on Top

    I once heard a statement that no matter how good... Read More

    Five Great Ideas From Aristotle

    It was Socrates who said that the purpose of philosophy... Read More

    Glass Half Full

    YES MY GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL AND YOURS CAN... Read More

    Our Future

    I'm back from Hawaii; it was ten days of physical... Read More

    If The Fear Fits...Dont Wear It!

    Undoubtedly one of the most challenging tasks we can face... Read More

    That First Step To Massive Success

    Do you ever procrastinate? So do I!I had some work... Read More