Economic Revolutions: Boomers to Millenials

By Toni Ryan, Princeton Captial

The Baby Boomers and the Millennials are two special generations. Their influence is worthy of evaluation especially because it is likely you will be interacting with both groups in some way in your daily life. Whether you work for a Baby Boomer or you’re trying to have a positive relationship with your kids (or grandkids), the trends and ideologies of these two groups of people are driving our social and economic structure.  Why? The Numbers – 82 million Millennials (born 1981 to 2001) and 77 million Boomers (born 1946 to 1964).
Baby Boomers were the generation that pushed revolutionary ideas in marriage, relationships, civil rights and social commentary. Millennials are the first generation to have computers in the home and classrooms, to have cell phones, instant messaging and hundreds of cable channels. The ease at which they use technology is the greatest difference between Millennials and every other generation.
Millennials have grown up very structured with very little free time. 60 Minutes stated that “It’s a generation in which rules seemed to have replaced rebellion, convention winning out over individualism and values are very traditional.” Confident and open to change, Millennials are on track to be the most educated generation in America.  Most millennials have Boomers as Parents.
How do each see the world?  Boomers are confident in themselves but have less faith in authority – Millennials are more trustworthy of authority and less of individuals - perhaps due to over-protective parents or terrorism. Boomers want a prestigious job title while Millennials want meaningful work. Boomers had controlling parents while Millennials had intrusive, hovering parents. Boomers were indulged as children while Millennials were protected. Boomers want freedom of expression while Millennials want structure and accountability.  Boomers resent oppression and want to attack it but Millennials crave community and social networks. Lastly, Boomers want to know what it all “means” while Millennials are curious to know how to “build” it to change the “wrong” in the world.
  At the core of these differences is the huge potential energy within the Millennials for achievement and the massive potential of the Boomers to mentor that energy.  Communication is the key.
To understand the uniqueness and similarities of these two groups of people, is to know how to succeed with your message.  Whether you are a business focusing marketing efforts for your product or service or just a person interacting at a social event, to understand the differences and similarities of these generations is to appreciate what is driving our society today.

Tips to Be More Positive

By Ashlei Jackson, Qlixite

Are you a “glass-half-full” or “glass-half-empty” type of person? Many of us want to be the first yet find ourselves passing through each day with the latter’s outlook. It can be difficult to channel positive energy in today’s world especially when everywhere we turn the bank account gets smaller, political fights are never ending and increasing acts of terrorism grace headlines. Many scientists point out that negativity is hard-wired in our brains because our ancestor’s survival instincts trained us to focus on any and all potential threats. Today, this translates into negative perspectives in which we identify situations and all of the ways they could go wrong. If a situation involves choosing whether to walk down a dark alley in a bad neighborhood, our negative outlook could be life-saving. If you are working on a project or trying something new and spend the entire time thinking of all of the ways it will go wrong, negativity will wreak havoc in your life.
According to Entrepreneur, being more positive affects your health (pessimistic people’s health tends to deteriorate more rapidly as they age) as well as your performance “on-the-job.” For example: optimistic sales people sold more products/services than their negative counterparts who were more likely to leave their job within a year.f you want to become more positive and enjoy your life day-by-day, you need to practice the skill of changing your thoughts.
Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania has conducted extensive research on the effects of positive/negative thinking. He has 3 ways to help train yourself into becoming more positive.

1. Separate Fact from Fiction - While our brains might be wired to notice potential threats, many negative thoughts are just that, thoughts not facts. He suggests that when you find yourself believing those negative thoughts, you should write them down. This will slow down the momentum of your negative thinking and help you see your thoughts clearly in black and white. If the statements you write down include words like “never, always, worst, etc.” they are inflated feelings versus facts. If, however, your statements still look like facts once you have them written down, take them to a friend or colleague you can trust to get feedback.

2. Identify a Positive - Once you’ve practiced writing down your negativity and getting rid of self-defeating thoughts, it’s time to teach your brain what to focus on instead. So if you find yourself slipping into negativity, consciously focus on a positive thought, memory or feeling. When life is going well, this is fairly easy. When life is giving you lemons, this might be a challenge. This is why it is important to practice and have a few “positive thoughts” at the ready. A key part to this is to be specific in your thought. Instead of thinking of being on vacation - think back to a great moment from your vacation last summer. Make the moment clear and vivid in your mind so you can easily remember your feelings of happiness. This will make it easier to focus on when it seems like your world is falling apart.

3. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude - Beyond whether you believe in God or a higher power, taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for physically reduces your stress hormone by 23 percent. Research conducted at UC Davis found that people who worked daily to cultivate gratitude experiences improved mood and energy with less anxiety.

So once again, whenever you find yourself experiencing negative thoughts, use this as a cue to shift into thinking about people and experiences that you are grateful for. It might be beneficial to create a habit of positive thinking by setting aside time every day (over your first cup of coffee or right before bed) to think about specific parts of your life that are good and gratitude generating. These three tips might sound very basic but their potential for training your mindset into a positive powerhouse is enormous. And besides, what have you got to lose...besides the negativity?

Meadow Vista Community Center Grand Opening

Faith Lutheran Summer Day Camp

Allergy Season is Here!

By Richard Peatman, Pharm.D., Meadow Vista Pharmacy

Runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, clogged sinuses and ears, fatigue and trouble breathing.  Yes, it's allergy season for 1 in 5 Americans.  Allergies occur throughout the year, but springtime is the worst period for most sufferers.  The medical term for this condition is called allergic rhinitis and, while it isn't life threatening, it costs billions of dollars each year in treatment and time off work.  All this suffering is caused by molds, pollen or a few proteins from mites or animal dander.  These allergens in the air react with the immunoglobulin (IgE) in a person's blood stream, resulting in the symptoms of “spring fever”.
In some people, the allergic process can lead to more serious complications such as asthma, sinus infections and ear infections.  For those who are prone to these conditions, it is especially important to seek treatment from your medical provider.  Available OTC products include antihistamines, decongestants, nasal rinses, steroid and cromolyn spray and numerous alternative medical therapies.  Your doctor can help you discover the causes of your allergies and work with you on avoiding things that trigger attacks both inside and outside the home.  You may need to be referred to an allergist for testing and desensitization therapy.
When treating allergies, remember that it is a 24-hour process.  Medicine must be taken on a daily basis to thoroughly control the symptoms.  Gaps in treatment allow the allergens to start their work all over again.  For those who experience more serious complications of allergies, such as infections or asthma, consistent and aggressive treatment offers the best hope for preventing or minimizing the disease.
New therapies are now available from your medical provider and offer an alternative to desensitization shots.  One example is Oralair®, a tablet containing several pollen types.  When taken regularly, a person will develop tolerance to these pollens and greatly reduce their allergy symptoms.  Oral and injectable immunotherapy offers a promising approach to treatment and avoids the pain and inconvenience of allergy shots. Remember, early and regular treatment is the best approach to controlling allergy symptoms.
For more information on how you can treat your allergies, go to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America at www.aafa.org.

Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbors Update

THANKS Meadow Vista Holiday Market for allowing The Meadow Vista Friendly Neighbor's Club to set up and sell Sees Easter Candy in front of your store to all those generous community folks who either donated money or purchased candy.  As you may already know, we are a 501©(3) non-profit organization, operated for the purpose of providing aid, relief and assistance in all areas of community welfare, cultural improvement, and community service for Meadow Vista and its surrounding communities.
     Please visit our new website @ www.meadowvistafriendlyneighbors.com to learn how you can join, how you can help, and how we help the community.  Our Club has been in existence since 1944.

Meadow Vista Lions Club Update

Thank you to those that attended our 2016 42nd Fundraiser Dinner.  Your support allows us to continue with our many community events.
Meadow Vista Area Lions Club upcoming events are:
• Mother's Day Breakfast at Sierra Hills School on Sunday, May 8, 2016, starting time is 7:30 a.m.   All Moms are FREE!
• Pioneer Day is Sunday, June 5, 2016, Lions will be cooking breakfast at Placer Hills Campus Cafeteria.  Starting  time to be announced at a later date.  
Come to a Lion's meeting at the Meadow Vista Grange Hall on the second and fourth Wednesday at 7 pm.