Romy Raves

Sometimes I feel compelled to write a posts that really have impact, make you think and help you to change your lives in a positive ways, this is one of those posts. I was recently invited to an eye opening luncheon hosted by Jessica Gottlieb and MyInfoGuardian. The purpose of this lunch was to inform a group of very influential bloggers about the importance of protecting our online privacy and enlighten us about what a growing problem this is, especially for those of us in social media who live our lives very publicly online. While indulging on a divine meal and exquisite bubbly at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills, I got a good dose of reality and how easy it is for someone to access my personal information online if they really want to.

Here’s the scoop: Anytime you do anything publicly online or with a government agency (like register to vote or school registration for example), your personal information becomes public property. People search sites have made a business out of using all these online sources to access, publish and sell your personal information without your knowledge. Basically, the sole purpose of these companies is to make money by publishing your personal information on the Internet and they will sell your personal information to any buyer without your permission and it’s all legal! They often know your name, address, date of birth, personal finances, place of employment and much more. Once someone has access to all of your personal information, it makes tracking you and your family down rather easy. And the more exposed your information is on people search sites, the greater the risk for you and your family.

Allow me to introduce you to MyInfoGuardian, a service that helps protect your privacy and can put your fears at ease because they continually track down and remove your personal information from people search sites. They search all of the sites to find your personal information, remove it and continuously monitor the sites on your behalf. The seasoned trained professionals at MyInfoGuardian are experts in cybersecurity and personal and private security, so basically they know this niche very well and are extremely diligent in their work. The sole mission of this service is give people like us control over our personal information and deciding who has access to it and who doesn’t.

How does MyInfoGuardian work? They let you see for free how many sites sell your information, and then after you subscribe, with one click, they remove your information from these sites (this would take you hours or days to do it on your own.) And they even remove it again if it comes back on these sites or appears on new site. MyInfoGuardian offers affordable plans for individuals as well as families and gift programs too.

It is certainly not pleasant to think about your privacy being at risk, in fact I found it all rather unnerving, but it is important for you to take matters into your own hands and control who has access to your private information, and MyInfoGuardian is an easy and affordable way to do it. I hope you will give this some thought and and consider protecting you and family in the future.

Sorry to get all sappy on you, but every year I use Thanksgiving as reminder of the gifts that I have in my life. It’s my time to appreciate all things big and small, really drink in all the wonderfulness, and take a closer look at the blessings in my life. And I know that I am a lucky girl! I have an amazing family, the best of friends, my health and wellness and this wonderful blog that allows me to live my passion each and every day!

So what are you THANKFUL FOR? What FABULOUSNESS do you have in your life that you tend to overlook??

I wrote This Wonderful Post last year that I think really helps you tap into what you are thankful for and I thought that I would share it again this year, as a gift to my readers who make this dream possible!

Sorry for the lapse in posts loyal followers, but I am taking a much needed summer vacation and with that comes being caught up in the moment, absorbed in the experience and just being.  This is what I love most about going on vacation, taking each moment as it comes, not much planning, going with the flow and being present. So I thought I would share some of my thoughts and observations with you about being present, since it has been awhile since I wrote one of my more psychologically oriented posts. 

If you are anything like me in your day to day life, you are constantly racing around from here to there, filling your day with to do’s, work, errands, socializing, care taking and the list goes on and on. Sometimes I buzz so fast through life or worry about what’s next, I forget to pause and be in the moment in order to observe what is going on around me, how about you?

Being on vacation with no agenda and all that matters is being with my family is showing me that I am missing out on some precious moments, especially with my son. Right now, I have no distractions, no to do’s, no deadlines, no appointments and I am lapping it all up. We are giggling, laughing, playing, snuggling, pillow fighting, firefly and baby frog catching, adventuring and I am really being with him. This focused presence is showing me how much I am really missing, how many subtle and precious moments I am missing out on because I am focused on something else. In the moment these things feel more important, but they really aren’t and that makes me sad.

In truth, what is really more important than being with my son and family? NOTHING!! Blogging can wait, Blackberry can wait, events can wait, but my son growing up and being a little boy will not wait. I will blink, it will all be over, I will still have the same to do list and nothing to show for it. So this vacation has really helped me see what is really important, to slow down, be present and shrink down the unnecessary to do list and drink it the precious moments before they are gone.

What are your most precious moments? What moments are you missing and what tips can you share that have helped you be more present?