Poverty Reduces Brain Power

brain

A new study has found that a lack of money could cause a drop in your IQ. It’s been found that our cognitive capacity can drop if we’re under financial stress.

Poverty and the all-consuming fretting that comes with it require so much mental energy that the poor have little brain power left to devote to other areas of life, according to the findings of an international study published on Thursday.

The mental strain could be costing poor people up to 13 IQ (intelligence quotient) points and means they are more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions that amplify and perpetuate their financial woes, researchers found. – Reuters

The study looked at a number of situations where people are faced in financial difficulty such as Indian farmers who only receive income once a year. They have to borrow money and live on very little leading up to harvest but have significant money once they receive the proceeds of their annual harvest. The testing a month before and a month after harvest showed significant difference.

The research also focused on shoppers at a mall in New Jersey in the United States.

Researchers discovered that financial stress made a far greater difference than other kinds of stress in producing a reduced ability to make sound decisions.

Do you find financial stress adversely affects your ability to think or make difficult decisions?

If only I could find someone to slip me a few million dollars I would prove just how clever I could be.



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Not Marked

NOTMARKED

Mary DeMuth has a story to tell. It’s a story of sexual abuse and it’s a story that others need to hear. I’ve read some of that story in her upcoming release  The Wall Around Your Heart: How Jesus Heals You When Others Hurt You.

Mary has written Not Marked, an honest book that provides a way towards healing for abuse victims and their families.

Sexual abuse does NOT need to mark you.

It did mess with me. For far too many years. Flashbacks invaded my sleep. I startled far too easily. Sex within marriage became scary and complicated. I often wondered if I’d ever be normal. I even disconnected from those I loved the most.

The mark that sexual abuse gave me felt indelible, permanently inked with a Sharpie pen. And no matter of scrubbing erased it. (Have you ever felt this way?)

The problem was, I felt that I should be “over” it (and well-meaning people said those same things to me.) After all, I became a Christian, and I heard all those sermons about everything being made brand spanking new. I believed that when I met Jesus, all those scars and marks and fears would instantly leave.

This book has amazing potential to help those who feel they’ve been marked by sexual abuse but Mary needs help to fund the publishing of the book.

Mary needs your help now to reach her goal so that others can be be helped and healed. Please visit her indiegogo page and consider making a contribution.



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Are you a spectator or a player?

aflball

It’s almost finals time in the AFL and for the next few weeks we’ll hear about football, football and more football.

It’s time for all the armchair critics to surface once again. Thousands of people who have watched endless games of footy on TV will come up with better game strategies than all the coaches and players.

Funny how we all suddenly become experts when we’re on the sidelines. It’s always easy to see how things can be done better and criticise those who are actually out there having a go. Why would we want to put ourselves on the line and actually do something when we find it so much easier to stay where we are and find fault?

Of course that kind of attitude isn’t just reserved for football or other sports. We see it happening in every area of life don’t we?

Those in public office need to be kept accountable but so often those trying to call our leaders to account have never bothered themselves with trying to do something to benefit the wider community themselves. With an Australian Federal Election just over a week away are we sitting on the sidelines shouting about what our politicians are doing wrong or are we working for a better, fairer country?

We like to criticise people in all kinds of leadership roles but we’re often less keen to take on the responsibilities that leaders accept. Whether it’s at work, politics, sporting clubs, churches or anywhere else, there are always those who will be prepared to give of their wisdom but not so many who will give of their time, resources and efforts.

Life isn’t a spectator sport. If you want to be one of the ones making the rules and deciding on directions, get onto the field and get involved. But beware, once you start playing you need to be ready to face the spectators who invariably think they know better.



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