Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4C
^Reporter
November 23, 2016
Practice the healing power of gratitude
BY BETTY
WILLIAMS, LMFT,
D.MIN., Care &
Counseling Interventions
As I write this there
are fires in North
Georgia.
There is a
great deal
of national
emotion
around the
recent presi
dential elec
tion. I hear
conversations
about divi
siveness in
our neighbor
hoods. There
are market-
Betty Williams
and spiritual health, it
is necessary to be inten
tional about taking care
of our thoughts and feel
ings. Theorists of basic
Cognitive - Behavioral
therapy sug
gest that
acknowledg
ing the nega
tives of life is
important.
Problem
solving and
finding ways
to deal with
negative
emotions are
important. I
have found
that one of
ing campaigns to help us
spend more money dur
ing the holidays.
These issues swirl
around us as we deal
with the day-to-day of
work, family, school,
church, and extra-curric
ular activities. It would
be easy for one to oper
ate on auto-pilot and
just try to get life done.
I suggest a healthier
alternative. Much of the
research today indicates
that to have good men
tal, emotional, physical,
the best ways to be pro
active in combatting the
effects of the negatives
around us is to practice
intentional gratitude.
Practicing gratitude
takes a little work. It
requires seeking the
good about what may
appear to be bad. It
also requires stopping
one’s negative repetitive
thoughts and replacing
them with positive facts.
Sometimes just saying
aloud your gratefulness
about small things will
improve your mood.
Consistent practice
brings about consistent
and longer lasting posi
tive change. Start with
the small things like
saying a meaningful
thank you to those who
offer service to you in
restaurants, stores, and
gas stations.
Telling your family
members on a regular
basis how you appreci
ate them will have a
major impact on the
atmosphere in your
household. At the end of
the day taking inventory
of what you did well in
your day can improve
your self-esteem.
Recognizing that there
are some things that
are out of our control
and leaning into the
peace that comes with
spiritual connection can
improve your health tre
mendously. In this sea
son of celebration with
food, family, and friends,
remember to appreci
ate those who are lonely
and/or grieving a loss.
Thank you for the
warmth that I feel in
being a part of a small
town community.
Dr. Betty Williams
is a. licensed marriage
and family therapist.
Her office is located at
211 Tift College Dr. in
Forsyth. Her office num
ber is 478-832-5138.
Understand layaway
BY KELVIN
COLLINS, Better
Business Bureau of
Central Ga.
The Better Business
Bureau reminds con
sumers to fully under
stand the policies asso
ciated with a store’s
layaway contract to
avoid surprise charges
or fees. Layaway ser
vices are an alternative
to using a credit card for
the full purchase. When
purchasing items on
layaway, the buyer will
make a deposit, usu
ally a percentage of the
purchase price, and pay
any service or plan fees
for the store to hold the
item. The customer is
then given a time frame
where they can make
payments and eventu
ally pay off the balance.
Once paid, the customer
can take the items
home.
Not to anyone’s sur
prise, layaway services
have evolved on the
internet. Some national
retailers allow custom
ers to pay for products
with monthly install
ments directly debited
from their checking
accounts. Online lay
away also saves you
the hassle of dealing
with long lines at retail
stores, and you can get
your product delivered
right to your door.
For consumers consid
ering a layaway plan,
BBB advises:
Plan ahead. Before
signing a layaway con
tract, make sure you
have the money to pay
for the products. Failure
to pay your layaway
means you lose the prod
uct and any fees you
may have paid.
Obtain a written con
tract. Ask the company
for a written contract
and read it carefully.
Contracts should include
when payments must be
made and what happens
if a payment is late.
Each company likely
has a different layaway
policy, so be sure to read
carefully.
Confirm how long the
item can be kept on lay
away. Some stores only
hold items for a specific
time period, and then
redistribute them for re
sale.
Ask where items will
be stored. Be sure your
items will be placed in
a secure area until all
payments are made, so
they won’t be sold to
other customers.
Read the company’s
refund policy. Retailers’
policies may differ. Be
sure to check if refunds
are available and what
the refund will be. Some
stores may only offer
a store credit or will
charge a fee.
Understand all the
layaway terms and con
ditions. Find out how
much time you have to
make all of the required
payments, when the
payments are due and
the minimum payment
required. Will you have
to pay a restocking fee?
If so, how much?
If you’re unsure, ask
questions. Are there ser
vice fees? What happens
to the contract if you are
late or miss a payment?
Are there penalty fees?
Will your contract be
cancelled? Will the mer
chandise be returned to
inventory? What hap
pens if you change your
mind and decide not to
purchase the item?
Remember that com
panies are holding
merchandise for you
that could be sold to
other consumers so it
is important that you
understand the terms
prior to obligating
yourself. Asking lots of
questions up front could
help you not feel like a
Grinch this Christmas.
For more consumer
tips you can trust, visit
BBB.org.
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