Yvonne and Bill don’t want to give up on their dream of an oceanfront retirement home. But they’re also realistic. Their nest egg is not what it used to be prior to the global financial crisis and their pension fund has dwindled. They’re thinking that it may be time to broaden their horizons and think creatively about their options. They’ve always been an adventurous couple and have traveled widely. Should they consider an overseas retirement? They like the idea of Central America as it’s close to home. But can they find the perfect place to live out their golden years in Central America?

But what about you? Does Yvonne and Bill’s situation resonate? In this article we explore three different options by putting you in the picture:

Maybe you’ve fallen in love with the Caribbean. You can’t get enough of the white sand, azure waters and tropical vibe. You like the exotic but don’t want to have to learn a new language or adapt to a new culture. If this is the case than English speaking Belize should be at the top of the list. The real estate here is much lower in price than more established parts of the Caribbean, the scenery is stunning and the diving first class. Belize offers a value packed retirement program for anyone aged over 45.

Or maybe you’re a fan of beachside living on the Pacific Ocean? You like the Caribbean as much as the next person, but the Pacific is what gets you’re emotions racing. Some of the most beautiful Pacific coast landscapes in Central America can be found on the southern part of Nicaragua’s coastline. Dramatic headlands, frame secluded coves and the hills roll inland offering the kind of views real estate developers go crazy about. The best news: Nicaragua real estate for sale is the cheapest in the region according to asking price research conducted by Reveal Real Estate and the cost of living is far, far lower than in the US.

Or perhaps you’re more of an urbanite and want to live in a cosmopolitan city. Access to top class restaurants, art galleries, golf courses and nightlife is important to you. The good news is that in Panama City you wont have to make many compromises to you living style. It’s a world-class financial center and the region’s most cosmopolitan city. As you drive the 30 minutes from the airport and catch your first glimpse of its impressive skyline you’ll know that you’ve arrived somewhere that will provide the kind of city living you’re after. You’ll also benefit from the discounts and tax benefits offered in the Government’s program to attract boomers interested in a retiring in Panama.

Anyone that has ever listened to a speech meant to inspire you or to teach you to become successful will agree they have some good advice, but would you be surprised to know you can probably get the same advice just by listening to your favorite athlete? The internet is absolutely loaded with sites for softball quotes and athletic quotes and some of the most memorable quotes were not done by a professional athlete. It is a lot more believable coming from someone other than Donald Trump, who is very good at what he does, too good, maybe, to make me feel like I can possibly do what he has done.

When we hear this being told by someone who is so famous, we find all sorts of reasons it will not work for us. We do not have his personality, he knew the right people, and he just had what it took. And he might have had all those things, but the point is, he had more than that. He loved what he was doing, he did not give up, and he always gave it his best. When you read some of the athletic quotes, you will find that is what they are saying, too.

When you go online to look these up, be careful. There are sites where you can get in for free and other sites that charge you, and some sites are not up front that they are going to charge you. They say, put in your “phone number and we will show you the quotes” and, if you look very carefully, you can find the information about them charging your phone number a fee for the privilege. Usually, it is a nominal fee of about $10.00; however, most of them charge this each month.

So go find a few quotes that are inspirational to you, write them down, and put them where you will see them often. Before you do; however, let me give you mine as a piece of advice before you start, “Look before you leap”. Oh, wait, I think someone already said that!

One of the most unpleasant things about growing up is finding one’s own identity. It can really be a very difficult task since there are so many influences on our self esteem and what we perceive as “normal”. There are literally millions of people everywhere who go through life subject to the opinions of greater society. It is a much harder job to develop an individual identity while disregarding the constant wishes of often very powerful forces that affect popular opinion.

Quite simply put, it is very hard for the average person to feel good about themselves when it comes to beauty. After all, how can people live up to the many images seen in movies and magazines that are impossible to live up to? In order to develop a keen sense of personal identity it is essential to separate the images of beauty from what we choose to solidify in our own minds as the definition.

Beauty in the media is often heightened to the point of absolute absurdity because what we see on the big screen is impossible to replicate in real life. In print, images are finely airbrushed to the point where every imperfection is concisely eliminated. Both actors and actresses enjoy the benefit of hours of makeup, solid cinematography, and even special effects. The problem is it is very difficult not to separate these elements as standards we want to obtain. The media tells us yellow stained teeth are disgusting and the bikini line should be clean shaven. Skin should be flawlessly crystal clear, hair combed to perfection, and fashion is all important.

The effect of all these intense messages has influenced the conception of beauty in an intense and cerebral way. Without us necessarily realizing it, we live our own lives and see ourselves in certain ways due in large part to the strong images we see in front of our eyes every day. The next time you really think about who you are and what you value as true beauty, think how much of that concrete idea comes from a source other than you. Be careful not to lose your own individuality to powerful commercial forces and you’ll go a very long way into establishing true identity.

If you are a college student, chances are that you have never lived away from your parents before and you will start to feel like a real adult.  Of course, this normally means moving away to a city you aren’t familiar with and meeting new people.  Of course, with unfamiliar surroundings come problems.  You are more vulnerable and don’t always know how to protect yourself.  This is why people search for info on how to defend yourself against an attacker.

First of all, whenever you go out at night make sure you stay with friends and don’t go wondering out on your own.  You especially want to avoid going down dark alleyways on your own at night because you don’t know who might be lurking about.  If you do end up on your own, keep to well-lit areas with lots of people about and get a taxi to take you home.

When out drinking make sure you don’t leave your drink unattended.  It’s true that there are people out there who will put drugs in your drink when you are not looking.  You really don’t want to end up the victim of rape.

Be aware that many burglars target student properties because they are seen as an easy target and also students are often equipped with expensive gadgets such as laptops, iPods and digital cameras .  So make sure that what property you are living in is well-secured and that windows and doors are kept shut.  You will also need to have contents insurance so that if anything is stolen you can claim on your insurance.

There are a number of different items of self-defence on the market such as pepper sprays and taser guns.  You need to be very careful about what the law are in relation to these weapons.  You also need to make sure you know how to use them because you might be overpowered and have them used against you.  All too often people just buy these products without giving it any proper thought.

So if you are a student, make sure you know all the different ways you need to keep yourself safe.  It can seem like a big adventure but bad things happen to people.  Make sure you don’t put yourself in a situation where you are in danger.

This is a guest post by Chloe from Bob The Builder Toys Blog.

If you have a pre school child the chances are you will have heard of Bob The Builder. But have you ever watched any of the cartoons with your child? They are probably not top of your viewing list but if you ever have got past the theme song and carried on watching rather than sidling off to get some ironing done, you will be pleased by the messages they send out.

This cute little builder guy enthrals children with his positive attitude and we can only hope that some of it rubs off on them. He is often coming across problems in his building work, just like any other real life situation, but does he throw up his hands in horror and give up? No, when the other Bob The Builder characters ask him, “Can we fix it?”, he always answers, “Yes, we can.” You never hear him say, “Oh, I don’t know” or “I’ll have to think about it”. It’s always, “Yes, we can.” How reliable is that?

Such attitudes are hard to come by these days and we could all learn a thing or two from this show, whether we are parents, business owners or just the kids who watch it so much. So what problems are you facing at the moment? Are your colleagues at work getting you down? Are you struggling to fit everything into your already busy schedule? And who isn’t facing money worries? Try immersing yourself in a Bob The Builder episode with your little one and let the positive vibes rub off on you. At the end, reconsider your problems and decide “Yes I can fix it”. Think about things from a different viewpoint and go ahead and find your solution.  This may be that you need some help or some more information but at least you have progressed. Half the battle is deciding that you WILL fix it.

You may be holding onto a dark secret that no one else knows. You may be well adept at coming up with excuses, lying and generally throwing people off the scent. But what you may not realize is that there are thousands of people out there just like you. Do you have a genuine driving fear? Then, you could do with some help and guidance on how to overcome that fear and get yourself on the road.

There are so many people in the US that suffer from driving anxiety and its hardly surprising when the rate of car accidents and death by motorists is so high. Many people suffer from driving anxiety because they are afraid of being in control of such a large vehicle. This may be due to a bad experience, an underlying fear from a parent or family member that has been passed on or simply an irrational fear. The main key is to try to overcome your fear before it begins to rule your life. Living without a car could limit you in so many ways. You would have to live somewhere with excellent public transport links, you would be limited to a job that you could reach by bus and you would have to think of alternate emergency transport methods for times such as an accident at home. Living without the freedom of your own transport can also be damaging on your self esteem. You may feel that you can’t attend parties, functions or other social gatherings because you will have to hitch a lift off someone or there are no bus routes that go that way.

In light of all of this there is on wonder that people are reluctant to open up about their fear. So if you are one of those people who are suffering in silence, don’t. The problem won’t go away by ignoring it.

Over the last few years, survival and preparedness blogs have sprouted up all over the Internet. It seems everywhere you look, there are so called ‘survival experts’ everywhere you look. I’ve read a good number of these blogs and I have a warning for those of you who would run out and take advice from perfect strangers. Beware of what you read on a preparedness blog!

The problem with some of these so called experts is that they are actually Internet marketers instead of for real survival experts. Their only experience with survival situations is what they read on other blogs. I doubt many have even been outside of the city, yet they give out advice to unsuspecting readers so that these readers will buy their products in return.

Before taking any survival bloggers advice, do your research to see what kind of real world experience they have. Real survival bloggers like M.D. Creekmore and Jim Rawles are the real thing. That doesn’t mean they’re the only ones you need to read, but you need to know that the person you’re taking advice from has the nearly the same type of experiences that these two bloggers have. Even though both have different beliefs and live totally different ways, both are living the survivalist lifestyle and know what they’re talking about.

Any good blogger should be able to provide proof that they are who they say they are. Finding good advice on serious manners such as survival is hard enough as it is. It shouldn’t be made harder by a bunch of marketers trying to make a buck out of consumers who are looking to prepare their self for an emergency.

If the blogger’s blog you’re reading is full of advertisements and reviews that seem fake, then chances are you’re reading a blog by an internet marketer rather than a real person who is living a survival lifestyle.