Finding the Flow

We complete our education and then dive into the workforce, but what do we do in-between that makes us happy? If your job/career fulfills your every imaginative thought and brings you joy, then you have turned your passion into your career. But if you have a job that doesn’t necessarily give you a sense of elation, then having outside hobbies becomes an important aspect to ones happiness. It’s easy to get caught up in a rut of perpetual monotony when you have work hours that don’t change and responsibilities that you must adhere to on a daily basis. That’s why freeing yourself from life’s various stressors and indulging in pastimes that bring you a sense of joy can be more beneficial than you think. A relatively new branch of psychology called, “positive psychology” studies what makes life worthwhile. In this branch of psychology, pleasures are said to be the activities that bring fun to life and can help with relaxation and allow enjoyment for a time period. If you’ve ever engaged in an activity where you are completely in tune with the task and have lost track of time, then you’ve probably been in a state of flow. The activity that positive psychologist refer to as “gratifications”, cause the person who’s engaged to feel removed from stress and reach a near meditative state. This might occur with a person painting a beautiful scene on canvas, an amateur chef cooking a gourmet meal, or a fishing enthusiast merely fishing in a sparkling lake. The activity that brings about these feelings is subjective, so find the one that brings joy into your life and find the flow!

Mindful Practices to De-Stress and Simplify Your Life!

August 1st starts “Simplify Your Life Week! It’s time to de-clutter, organize and take charge of the messy areas in your life. Time is a precious commodity to most Americans which means time management is an important concept to implement. Time management can be an effective tool to achieve more if the concentration is on the results and not just being busy. According to Elizabeth Scott M.S, an award winning blogger and author in health psychology, there are many ways that we can simplify our lives just by following a few simple principles. Scott suggests cutting superfluous activities from your schedule if you feel too overwhelmed. Although everything seems important in some respect (or else it wouldn’t be on your mind to get done), try to cut out things according to their priority level. Even if that means you might feel like you are going to disappoint people, making these sacrifices can help you develop a more manageable schedule. Another way to simplify your life is to multi-task, however the key is to know when to do it. A risk of multi-tasking can be poor cognitive performance, which makes sense since your focus is on multiple tasks and not centered on mastering one. A way to effectively multi-task, Scott suggests, is to pair one thought-intensive activity with a mostly physical one. An example of this would be walking on the treadmill while discussing plans with your significant other. If finances are a messy area in your life, focus on creating a system that works for you. Whether that be creating a monthly budget and sticking to it or switching from credit cards to charge card, which means you must pay the balance in full every month, find what works for you. Maybe tax time or warranties are an issue for you. In that case, consider creating a filing system that organizes your important warranties and receipts for deductible merchandise. An important area to focus on while you are striving to simplify your life is to live in the moment. If you are taking up space in your mind re-living past stress or worried about future stress you are not giving yourself the ability to fully engage and appreciate “the now”. Take in every moment and free up space in your mind to concentrate on the task at hand, chances are you’ll achieve more in less time. As many people can attest, if they’ve ever had a “nervous stomach” your thoughts can manifest and elicit a physical response. However, chronic stress can be much more detrimental to one’s health. So simplifying one’s life can not only benefit they’re cognitive state but also reward their health. For tips on meditation follow the link below. Remember this first week in August can be the month that you make lasting change that can affect your life forever! http://zenhabits.net/meditation-for-beginners-20-practical-tips-for-quieting-the-mind/

What are the Benefits of Having an Independednt Agent??

With all of the options for insurance carriers on the market today, it may seem daunting for some to decide which company is the right one for you.  They all claim to be able to save you money and many are now online, which can take away the humanistic element of great customer service.

Although these multitude of options are alluring, the purpose of insurance is to cover your losses if something were to happen to you, your loved ones, your home or virtually anything that you deem valuable and want to have coverage for.  At the end of the day, having the right coverage at affordable prices is the most important aspect of having insurance.  So the million dollar question remains...why have an independent agent? 

Independent agents have a plethora of resources and expertise of MANY different insurance companies at their fingertips.  With this advantage, they are able to find the right company, with the right coverage, at the best rate possible.  The independent agent will give you OBJECTIVE advice because they offer many different carriers and are not “captive” to one company.  This in turn keeps insurance companies on their toes because it is at the Brokers discretion to choose the company that is offering the best rates for their client. 

The independent agent wants to build a relationship with their client and make sure that all of their needs are being met.  Whether that is finding a better rate for the same coverage with another company or finding new discounts that carriers are offering, your independent agent is working for you.  When you build a personal relationship with your agent you can trust that you are getting expert advice for your specific insurance needs. That way when unique circumstances arise in your life, which they do for all of us, you'll have confidence that you have the right coverage to cover your losses.  When the independent agent is doing their job at an optimal level it will bring in new business for them and keep their existing customers happy, it's a win-win for you and your agent.   

GA$ PRICE$

Analysts expect West Coast gas prices to rise beyond $4 a gallon after a fire knocked out a key section of one of the nation's largest oil refineries. Five separate investigations will be done to determine the cause and effects of the Monday night blaze at Chevron's Richmond refinery.The average price of regular gasoline jumped in California from $3.86 a gallon on Tuesday to $3.94 on Thursday, according to the website GasBuddy.com. The Richmond refinery produces 16 percent of the region's daily gasoline supply. The fire knocked o ut a unit that makes a specialized blend of cleaner burning gasoline that satisfies air quality laws in California, Oregon and Washington.With the refinery's output in question for what could be weeks, analysts say prices could reach $4 a gallon as soon as Friday!

EARTHQUAKE!!

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.4 quake struck at 11:23 p.m. Tuesday and was centered two miles east of Yorba Linda in northern Orange County. There was a magnitude-2.7 aftershock about a minute later. The quake was felt throughout the Los Angeles area, including the San Fernando Valley some 50 miles from the epicenter. Los Angeles firefighters found no damage after a citywide assessment completed early Wednesday. The epicenter is about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Luckily, authorities in Orange and Los Angeles counties say there are no reports of injuries.   Earthquakes don't have a calender, they are always unexpected! If you don't have insurance with us, call us at 818.887.5952 and make sure you are happily insured before another earthquake hits!

DUI Checkpoint

Where is the DUI checkpoint today in the San Fernando Valley? It will be held from 8 p.m. Friday through 2 a.m. Saturday on Sepulveda Boulevard between Chase Street to the south and Parthenia Street to the north. Motorists caught driving under the influence face jail time, license suspension, vehicle impound, plus additional fines and fees, mandatory attendance at DUI classes and other expenses, INCLUDING increased auto-insurance premiums. So, make sure you are driving safely not just today, but everyday. And remember, just one drink is one too many! Have a fun and safe weekend!

Superheroes Are Taking Over The Movie Theaters!!

Any of our readers interested in either comics or superheroes? Because now is the perfect time for all of you to be heading over to the movie theaters! Spiderman and Batman are coming soon to theaters, so don't miss out on all the action!

The Amazing Spider-man
This new movie isn't a sequil off of the other spiderman movies. This Spiderman is the start of a whole new movie series which in fact, follows the original Spiderman comics. Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

The Dark Knight Rises
Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.