Mark Decherd

I looked everywhere in life for it, in every dark corner and every seedy alley. Not a single rock was left unturned – my never ending search for gratification. I found that it had entered all that I did. In the simply way I interacted with people. In the way I lived my life. It was all designed to somehow obtain that feeling of pleasure. It was a curse.

We often trick ourselves with such thinking. Letting our minds handle life this way is often much easier than facing the real truth about ourselves. It's not all way gentle or pretty to be honest. This takes some real work, especially if you have been in a state of denial for some time. Perhaps years, perhaps an entire lifetime.

While I dreaded the entire PE experience and the taunts from my classmates, I wasn't overly upset by my fatness. I was a happy kid. I had friends. And my pants fit just fine thank-you-very-much (okay, they were a few sizes bigger than everyone else's but they fit).

The following scenario is all too common. A homeowner's home is damaged extensively, a contractor performs the repairs, and the insurance company decides to pay the contractor whatever it wants - shortchanging the contractor in the process, often by thousands of dollars.

Don't become a victim of a catastrophe and a victim of your insurance company! Finding out that your insurance policy isn't adequate after a loss is devastating, both emotionally and financially

Not only does mold breed in moist environment, in order to survive, mold must also eat. Guess what mold eats? It eats whatever it has landed upon. This could be your couch's upholstery, woodwork, carpeting, insulation, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, paint – you name it, mold will likely eat it.

• Remind yourself that being positive doesn't mean you have to be happy. In fact, you can be incredibly sad, yet positive. Tomorrow is another day. You can survive.

It's an ugly beast capable of growing from a minor puddle to a major catastrophe. While water is pooling unbeknown-st to you, it is also causing damage. While ignorance may be bliss, when it comes to hidden water damage, ignorance can be financially and emotionally devastating! Avoid water damage today by. . .

Make it as easy on your tenants as possible by clearly communicating what you expect when water issues arise. Create an instruction sheet specifically addressing water issues. Let your tenants know which issues you need to be informed of such as: musty odors, leaks, overflows, condensation, burst pipes, standing water, mold, and so on.

As with most insurance, flood insurance rates vary based on amount of coverage and risk. For example, if you live in an area that's prone to flooding, expect to pay more for flood insurance than someone who lives in a low risk area. Flood insurance is available for homeowners, condo owners, business owners, and renters.