HOW NOT TO END UP HOMELESS IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

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A recent episode of Megyn Kelly Today underscores one of the fastest growing trends in Los Angeles and other high priced metropolitan areas in the United States, Homelessness.

In the episode, reporter Jacob Soboroff highlights the story of single Mom Lily and her two daughters who moved from Colorado and is now living in LA inside an RV. Lily says she works but only earns $2000/month, considerably less than what's needed to cope with the cost of living, especially in high rent areas like Los Angeles.

Being a parent of a teenage daughter myself, Lily’s story hit home for me and touched my heart, precisely because she lives with two young daughters.

I can't even begin to imagine the adversity and struggles they all have to go through.

But even when circumstances seemed dire, it's refreshing to see how the two daughters are super positive and exude a resilient mindset; and you can’t help but feel optimistic that someway somehow their futures are going to be better and brighter because of real-life lessons they're learning due to their temporary bout with homelessness.

In a way, looking at it from the outside; I believe that because of this adversity, it will eventually cause this family to rise up and be successful in life. And the two daughters will most certainly use the lessons learned here as a springboard to achieve their dreams and goals in life.

According to the website homeless.lacounty.gov "A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in plain sight in virtually every corner of Los Angeles County: Nearly 58,000 men, women, and children are homeless on any given night. Homelessness knows no boundaries and affects people from all walks of life.”

The approved plan from the created LA Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) calls for a 6 step overarching initiative namely;

Prevent Homelessness
Subsidize Housing
Increase Income
Provide Case Management and Services
Create a Coordinated System
Increase available affordable homeless housing

An ambitious but nonetheless needed plan bankrolled by Proposition HHH approved by voters in 2016.

The problem seems huge and very daunting, but by reaching out to those affected, one individual at a time, there is hope that this crisis can be averted by timely intervention and awareness of what's available in terms of assistance.

FOR HELP

If you or a loved one needs services in LA County, go to LAHSA Help page.

One of the most common themes on why individuals and families fall into homelessness is due to poor personal financial management.

You constantly hear about how lower-income individuals are living paycheck to paycheck and being one paycheck away from being homeless.

Although these are legitimate concerns, these are also preventable by being self-aware and learning financial literacy.

Learning to control debt or staying away from it is the first step from being bankrupt and homeless.

Another is to use and be on a BUDGET.

When we’re aware of our income versus expenses, spending only on necessities, and living within our means; these efforts will eventually lead to better financial decisions and life choices which include having a place to live that you can afford.

We can’t always expect to have anyone else be accountable for us, we have to take responsibility for our actions and it all starts with being financially literate and practicing a prudent lifestyle.

Along with being financially literate, one of the things that will ensure professional success with a career or work is by being a constant learner.

A simple google of free online classes in almost every subject matter out there will certainly help you not only widen your knowledge and skills but also provide needed perspective on the world around us and it's impact on our personal as well as financial well being.

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By making sure that you’re in constant learning mode, taking classes online, certifying for a particular subject or just by keeping well-informed on the latest technology, culture or events; can go a long way and bode well for our present and future state of mind.

Read, engage in discourse, stimulate your mind with the right content either online or offline; FREE TIP- make sure not to waste time on social media that may pull you in the wrong direction or influence you in a negative way because they’re out there.

No matter what life may throw at us, by being resilient and having a can-do, positive attitude will more often than not ensure we will endure whatever negative circumstances come our way.

By realizing that adversity will come, and by resolving to be better and rise up above it, will most definitely ensure our success in overcoming these negative situations.

Excerpt from a previous post:

Arnold Schwarzenegger once said part of his 5 life rules is ‘ignore the naysayers’, in short, don’t live for the approval of others, there will always be haters, learn to turn their negativity into fuel to drive you forward. Life is hard, it will get harder if we don't learn to take our lumps and tough it out, get back up and get back into whatever race, journey, competition, etc.

Being resilient is not about ignoring the fact that there will be disappointments and failures; it's about how we react to them, are we going to hit and punch back, or are we going to cower in fear and shrink?

Be strong, learn to bounce back, don't wallow or settle for mediocrity. We were born to be winners believe it or not, on the inside of us, are all the recipes we need for success, it's just waiting to be harnessed, brought out, practiced and wielded.

Learn to 'TERMINATE' the doubt and doubters; move and keep moving forward and upward.

Along with being resilient, being positive and hopeful that ‘better things are ahead’ will cause you to get up and ‘fight the good fight’.

A study from Johns Hopkins University about the links between 'positivity' and heart health states that;

Hope and Your Heart:

"The mechanism for the connection between health and positivity remains murky, but researchers suspect that people who are more positive may be better protected against the inflammatory damage of stress. Another possibility is that hope and positivity help people make better health and life decisions and focus more on long-term goals. Studies also find that negative emotions can weaken immune response.

What is clear, however, is that there is definitely a strong link between “positivity” and health. Additional studies have found that a positive attitude improves outcomes and life satisfaction across a spectrum of conditions—including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and brain tumors.

So there you have it.

It most definitely pays to be positive and hopeful, in that individuals are better suited to make positive life decisions, including those that cause relationship and career successes that ultimately prevent hopelessness and homelessness.

By being aware that what we put in our minds directly affects our external decision making, we should constantly be on guard on how we nurture our mental health, and to a larger degree, improve our physical health since it's all related.

Practicing positive mental exercises such as meditation, prayer, reading positive literature, and being thankful overall for our life, health and circumstances will ultimately prevent damage to our way of thinking and keep self-destructive tendencies and thoughts at bay.

Homelessness is indeed a problem but it's a preventable one.

By making sure we practice awareness, proper mental and physical health, personal development, resiliency, and an overall positive mindset and attitude; we are set up to combat, prevent, and even help others who may be inclined or be suffering from any of these negative tendencies en route to being homeless and ending up in the streets.

Let's all do our share to lift each other's burden and by doing so provide hope and help for our fellow man and community as a whole.