Looking through the Windshield

I have had so many thoughts over the past few years, especially since I retired, thinking of the events in my life... the people in my life... and most importantly, what to do next.  I've run the full gambit, thinking everything from complete failure to one of many successes, from a friend, mentor, and teacher to being a pawn just used by others.  I guess there have been instances of all.  I have mentally worked hard to get past the negative thoughts so I could move forward and really feel accomplished. I've only always wanted to be a positive influence and make a difference to those I interact with. That's been hard to do, until tonight I hope.  I hope Joel Osteen just gave me the words I needed to hear.

The small image of the past is not as important of the wide open space ahead of us

I have to paraphrase, but he spoke of how always looking at the past limits our ability to move forward to the future.  It limits us from becoming all we can be.  My thinking has been that I needed to know how I did, to know whether I was on the right path or not.  Joel talked about looking in the rear view mirror while we drove.  Can you imagine how far we would get if that's where we looked most of the time?  He commented on how the rear view mirror was very small and the windshield was very large.  It's much more important that we spend most of our time looking through the bigger view of a windshield so we can see where we are going and all the possibilities of where we could go, rather than on that little rear view mirror to see where we had already been.  There is a subliminal reason the windshield is so much bigger.

Just as in life, my focus, our focus, needs to be on what is in front of us.  I'm not perfect and I've made mistakes,  but I've also led a life full of positives and success and I'm not done looking and moving forward.  It's time to spend more time of what might be, rather than on what was.  Join me as we move on to the fulfilled life God planned for us.

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With eyes wide open, join me in my Scentsy adventure,
Positive thoughts by positive people

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Burned Again With A Free Trial I Didn't Know I Had

I certainly am not the first to write about "free trials", but nevertheless, I'm sick of being taken advantage of by companies that offer 'free trails" and then continue to take your money when they know you are not using their product or service...  they don't care as long as your money becomes theirs.  I'd like to think of it under the guise of "theft by deception".  Companies need to be accountable and become honest and trustworthy.

I just discovered I've been taken advantage of, in my opinion, by NetFlix and their DVD.com Service free trial. Unfortunately, I can't even tell how long this has been going on, they only keep a payment history for 12 months, so I need to research my own bank records going back before that. I don't ever recall asking for the trial, I think it came automatically, for free, when I subscribed to NetFlix.  I have never, ever, rented or used the NetFlix DVD Service...  EVER.

Nevertheless, I'm sure DVD.com, NetFlix and others that use the free trial come on, along with numerous others that sell subscription serviced products are doing so with a clear corporate conscious, after all, they'll show you it's all written out in the fine print and legalese, somewhere. Many have written on this issue and have offered suggestions of how to protect yourself.  Easier said than done.

We all should do all that has been suggested, but what about the companies themselves?  I am more on the side of less regulation, but, in this case, I think we need to hold companies to task, make sure they are honorable, trusting, and, looking out for the customers who don't have the time, resources, and sometimes, wherefore all, to know what they should be looking for.

From the Federal Trade Commission

Read more from the FTC by clicking << here >>

All well and good, but I'm all for putting some requirements on the company.  Using my experience with DVD.com, a NetFlix company, that apparently was for DVD rentals for $7.99/month plus $0.50 tax as an example.  I never rented a DVD (or even knew I could).  So far, all I have been able to determine is that they have been charging me for more than a year, month after month.  Why couldn't they be required to confirm with me, or any customer, after a certain amount of non-use of the service, verify if I wanted to continue being and customer before being charged further?  Why not a 2 month or a 3 month limit of non-use to cause the agreement is automatically terminate and charges stopped?  Why not create a simple, easy to find cancel button?  Another company, Sirus XM, requires their customers to call to cancel...  you can not write, email, click a button, you must call, when they are open and it is convenient to them.

When you hear about free trial legislation, support it....  better yet, write your representatives.