Underemployed? Unemployed? Uninsured? ADAPT!!!

Do good people fall into bad times? Can you see yourself becoming a hardship case? Ever visualized living with your children and depending upon them for support? If faced with such obstacles, those bridges formed during the course of your life need not be burnt.

Merriam-Webster defines:
• Underemployed – having less than full-time, regular, or adequate employment
• Unemployed – not employed: a: not being used b: not engaged in a gainful occupation c: not invested

KeiserEDU.org states: “With nearly 45 million Americans without health insurance, expanding coverage to the uninsured is a major, national health policy issue. There is a large body of research that documents the relationship between health insurance coverage, access to health care, and ultimately health outcomes. Furthermore, those lacking coverage are disproportionately low-income and thus more financially vulnerable to the high cost of care, exposed to higher out-of-pocket costs compared to the insured, and more often burdened by medical bills.”

When an individual go from full-time employment to underemployment or become unemployed their means of living is diminished. Also, the ability to maintain their lifestyle is depleted. One goes through a tremendous transformation via psyche and finances, then their family and friends are affected directly and/or indirectly. The first battle is developing a control mechanism for reality to settle. Life’s financial obligations still need to be met; so house/rent payments, automobile payments, automobile insurance, medical insurance, prescription costs, automobile fuel, utility bills, grocery… the list goes on and compiles monthly.

There is a psychological challenge to deal with those financial nuisances, but then come the spouse, the kids and the bill collectors. What is an individual to do when confronted with life’s crash dummy, called you? It is as if someone had the power to turn off your switch, and place you in internal darkness. You are forced to deal with imaginary and life demons.

Your first instinct is to analyze your savings and investments to see how long you can either maintain your lifestyle or prune your lifestyle plant down to the bare necessities. This decision ultimately affects your family and friend relationships, because the social aspect of life forces you to pump the brakes. However, in most cases you can apply for and receive Unemployment Compensation (UC). Please keep in mind that the worst thing you could do is quit a job, because that decision will eliminate your ability to collect UC benefits. Even if terminated (fired) from a job, there are still chances through the appeals process that allows you an opportunity to collect UC benefits. Although UC benefits are only a portion of the pay received through full-time employment, and the amount caps out in the State of Georgia at $320 per month, it will not maintain your financial float. During the summer of 2009, an additional $25.00 was added to the State Extended Benefits amount.

The ceiling is beginning to hit the fan as your world begins to cave in on you. At this point, you instinctively begin to borrow money from family and friends in an effort to save your automobile, residence and other financially obligated possessions. This process only brings your love ones into your poverty zone. In such an economy of 2009, it is wishful thinking to believe that you will become employed within a couple of months. There are people that have been unemployed for over a year, which was primarily the reason for so many forms of UC benefit extensions. There was a First Extension available: First-Tier Emergency Unemployment Compensation (1st-Tier EUC), then Second Extension available: Second-Tier Emergency Unemployment Compensation (2nd-Tier EUC), and Third Extension available: State Extended Benefits (SEB). The 2nd and Tier came as a result of President Bush’s stimulus package, then 3rd Tier came as part of President Obama’s stimulus package that some Governors declined to accept. Your Department of Labor website clarifies the unemployment process. There is further talk of the need for an additional stimulus to add a 4th Tier, but it is doubtful that Congress will render its approval.

Now that you are starting to get a clearer financial picture, there is the uninsured issue that has emerged because you have noticed that your prescription has expired. This brings on a new dilemma, because if you run out of your blood pressure or diabetes medication it is real. Fortunately, there are a few doctors (mostly in urban areas) that discount medical care based on income. The State funded hospital also performs the same service for free depending on income and your residential location. WalMart and other retail stores began to sell generic prescriptions at $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. Also, Herbalist has become big business with their Natural Therapies. It is highly recommended that you visit your local health food or herbal shop to help improve your health in those cases when the prescription is too expensive. The herbal shops offer unlimited natural remedies for whatever hinders your health. It is not clear if those products are effective, but it may be worth a try because something is better than nothing even if it turns out to be a placebo.

Items found in an herb shop:
• Organic Total Body Cleanse (14-day body detox system)
• B. P. Balance (blood pressure)
• Life-Step (www.renewlife.com)
• Cell Power (body’s cell nourishing supplement)
• Etherium Gold, natural monatomic minerals (brain function)
• Parasite Cleanse (Worm-Free, Liver/Gallbladder/Antiparasite tonic, ICF 1 and 2) - found on http://www.drnathanrabb.com/bio.html product list

Think of an issue and you quite possibly will find a natural solution in either a health related store or on the herbalist’s website. However, a morning filled with good old fashion exercise is a fantastic way to begin your day.

When life places you in triple U (Unemployed/Underemployed/Uninsured) scenario, adapt to your circumstances without bringing others down to your level. If you bring others down with you, resentment enters those relationships and your debt factors into your personal family/friend connections. Home foreclosures, automobile repossessions, banks collapsing and historical job losses -- you are not alone just read the paper or watch the news. Despite your circumstances there will always be someone in worse condition. So what if you lose the house or car -- keep it moving...

Good people do go through bad situations even when trying to live life positively. Your direction may shift, and you may find yourself in uncharted territory, but this is your new area of focus. A higher power may very well have flipped your switch so adapt, adjust and redefine YOU through your options. Don't think of yourself as being a user or victim, but think of yourself as transitioning. This is not the time for depression or self-pity, keep it moving… Life continues to evolve and so should you.

President Obama recommends that you go back to school so fill out a FAFSA form on the http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm website, and apply to your local community college or university. Ride the economy out acquiring a degree or two. While online read the Education Recovery Act on http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml. Take advantage of the opportunities that this economy has made available to each of us. Research available opportunities, because living in a triple U scenario you have nothing but time anyway -- do you. If you think you have the skills, know-how, focus and determination, start your own business. The local Department of Labor Career Center has brochures, flyers, contact lists, and is an excellent source to research your business idea. DJH Connections, LLC specializes in assisting aspiring entrepreneurs with virtually every aspect of developing a successful business from incorporation and leasing office space to staffing. DJHC website is http://djhconnections.com/default.aspx.