Who would say that a fortune cookie could make you hundreds of millions of dollars wealthier? Well, this is exactly what happened to Charles W. Jackson Jr. a retired retailer from North Carolina on June 4.

Jackson won $344.6 million Powerball jackpot using a series of numbers from a fortune cookie his granddaughter got at a Vietnamese restaurant.

At a news conference at North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters, Jackson said that he didn’t expect to win the lottery, let alone a jackpot worth $344.6 million. “You play to win, but you don’t ever expect to win,” he told the reporters.

It’s interesting to mention that initially, Jackson thought he had only won $50,000. But, when he headed to Raleigh to collect his prize, he checked his numbers against the Powerball drawing and he realized that he’d actually won the jackpot, “Dang, I got them all,” he said.

Jackson will face a high tax bill on his massive prize, which will leave him with approximately $158 million.

He said that he plans to donate some of his money to Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Wounded Warrior Project. He also plans to give his brother $1 million as they have a deal.

This lucky retiree said he hopes that the prize doesn’t change him. He also added: “I’m still going to wear my jeans — maybe newer ones.”

We all get headaches from time to time. Sometimes they are due to stress, dehydration, or high blood pressure. And sometimes they are due to a change in the weather or staring at the television and computer monitors for a long time. But, no matter what the reason is, seldom do we think that it is anything serious. And seldom would we think that our headache is due to a real spider living in our ear.

But, one woman from India had this exact problem. Lekshmi, a woman living in Karnataka, India, was dealing with a severe headache and she decided to go to a hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors carefully examined her and they were in disbelief when they discovered that her splitting headache was due to a spider living in her ear canal.

Lekshmi’s story is definitely freakish enough to make you want to shake out both your clothes and hair to see if any potential eight-legged creature squats on your body.

Now, before you decide to do that, it is worth mentioning that the cause of Lekshmi’s problem does make sense.

Namely, Lekshmi loved taking naps on her veranda, and one afternoon she’d fallen asleep and when she woke up, she had a severe headache. She also felt sharp pains and a tingling sensation in her ear. Well, you guessed it – while Lekshmi was busy napping, the spider crawled by and decided that her ear would be a comfy place to lodge in.

Lekshmi said: “I was terrified as I could feel the movement of a creature in my ear. The acute earache followed by sharp pains suffocated me. I couldn’t think of anything and was petrified when the doctor confirmed the presence of a spider in my ear.”

Dr. Santosh Shivaswamy, Lekshmi’s doctor, said that it isn’t unusual to see people coming to him complaining of something stuck in their ear. However, it was uncommon to see a real spider living in someone’s ear.

Luckily, it all turned out well in the end. The doctors successfully forced the little arachnid out and Lekshmi got rid of her uninvited lodger.

A confident person, will, without a doubt go far in life. Why? Because they believe wholeheartedly in themselves. They’re sure of who they are and proud of it. They believe that no matter what the circumstances possess the ability to accomplish success.

Confidence is wrapped up in every aspect of life. It is the fuel that motivates a person to succeed. It’s the resilience that helps them overcome fear and anxieties. Someone with high confidence is almost certain to be a successful professional, spouse, and friend.

Unfortunately, many people suffer from low self-confidence. Due to certain experiences and circumstances, they develop a deep sense of fear and doubt about who they are and what they can accomplish. This kind of thinking seeps into every area of their lives.

Self-Confidence Drainers

There are many things in life that can bring a person to this point emotionally. Recognizing what these things are and eliminating them from your life, therefore, can help you to rebuild your self-confidence. Take a look below at some of the things that drain your self-confidence:

Lack of Foundation

Not everyone grows up in an ideal household where there’s strong family history, culture, values, and beliefs. Many people grow up not knowing much about who they truly are, where they come from, and how that makes them unique. Years of not knowing your roots can unknowingly eat away at your self-confidence.

Thanks to modern science and technology, finding out who you are, where you come from, and building a foundation for yourself is a lot easier. They have DNA test results that can pinpoint exactly where your bloodline started. Knowing this information can lead you on a quest of self-discovery which opens your eyes to your uniqueness and builds your self-confidence.

Social Media

The concept of comparing yourself to others, “coveting your neighbor’s wife”, and trying to “keep up with the Joneses” has been around for centuries. Yet, platforms like social media have taken this concept to an entirely different level. Now, everyone has instant access to the lives of others. Getting attention and competing for likes has become an addiction that slowly drains your self-confidence.

Social media is great for networking professionally and keeping in touch with friends and family, but it can also be dangerous for your self-confidence. It’s good to take a break from these platforms on occasion so you can live in the present and focus on your own life. When you stop caring so much about what’s going on in the lives of others and what people have to say about you, you can work towards feeling confident in yourself.

Limited Self-Care

Many people who suffer from low self-confidence fail to take care of themselves. They’re either too busy caring for the needs of others or they’ve brought themselves to believe that it’s not worth it. When you neglect your physical and emotional needs, it deteriorates your health, alters your appearance, and thus, lowers your self-esteem.

When you take care of yourself you feel more confident. Taking care of yourself doesn’t just mean eating right and exercising either. It means doing things that bring you joy, pursuing your dreams, reducing stress, taking breaks, and finding purpose. As you do these things for yourself you rely less on the actions and opinions of others and boost your self-confidence.

Self-Doubt

At the end of the day, the biggest self-confidence drainer is self-doubt. The mind is more powerful than you might imagine. When you don’t believe that you’re good enough, can accomplish things, or deserve happiness, ultimately you hold yourself back from the positives in life. You become heavily dependent upon others to lift you up and become dissatisfied and depressed about life.

As hard as it can be at times to get out of your head, it is vital to your overall well-being. You’ve got to turn that negative thinking into positive. Start keeping a gratitude journal, repeat positive affirmations throughout the day, and set small goals and celebrate once you’ve accomplished them.

Self-confidence has more of an impact in your life than you may realize. Without a high confidence level, everything in life becomes ten times more complicated. No matter what you’ve been through thus far, it’s never too late to start rebuilding your self-confidence and reclaiming your life. Simply start with the advice above and take it one day at a time. 

Going to court for divorce cases and hiring an attorney to assist you in the process can be stressful, expensive and very messy. But when you decide to get an affordable divorce online, then there may be no need to hire a family lawyer or even branch the doors of a courtroom. If you are looking for ways to get divorce documents online, then here is a guide that would help you when applying for divorces on any website;

First and Foremost, make sure your divorce is uncontested

Before filing for divorce online, you have to make sure your divorce is uncontested. What do we mean by an uncontested divorce? An uncontested divorce is only practical when both spouses have agreed to the key issues relating to the divorce. Which means that you and your husband or wife have decided on who is going to take care of the child after the divorce, who will make the child support payments and the division of the properties. Online divorce websites only deal with uncontested divorces, because they do not require many procedures so far as both spouses have agreed on the key issues. So before getting a divorce online, you will have to talk with your spouse and come to an agreement. Once you and your spouse have settled at least most of the divorce problems, then you can further the process by doing the following;

1)    Check the internet for your state’s website to see if the divorce papers are available – You can get the divorce papers from your state’s website,  and you might even get them for free. However, some states may have some requirements for you to follow, depending on your situation. For example, if your uncontested divorce involves minor children (that is your kids have not yet reached the legal age, they are still below 18 years old), then there may different divorce forms for you to purchase and other required applications. You may not want to go through all these complications by getting specific divorce forms and following the requirements because they consume time. You can still choose to use an online divorce company that can help get the divorce forms you need.

2)    Check the internet for online divorce companies or website to get the divorce papers online – There are online divorce websites or companies that offer a cheap and easy way of getting an online divorce. They will help you to prepare your divorce papers and also provide other assistance. Some sites can have divorce forms that meet your state’s requirements, while some can have an all-purpose divorce form that may not be the required one in your county. Some sites can also have an attorney or paralegal to review your divorce papers. Others may be a do-it-yourself process where you do not get any help. However, if you choose to use an online company to get your divorce documents prepared, then using a company that has the right divorce documents required by your state would be the right option.

Knowing the requirements for getting divorce papers online and also when it is necessary to hire an attorney

Once you have either visited your state’s website or an online company to get your divorce documents, then you can start reading the requirements of filing for divorce online. Yes, just like your state has some rules for you to follow when applying for an online divorce, so do online companies have some requirements for those who wish to file for divorce on their site. So you will have to find out first if truly your divorce is an uncontested divorce before you can apply for divorce.  As already treated earlier, online companies only deal with cases where both spouses have agreed on the key issues relating to the divorce. Therefore, you can apply for an online divorce if you have an uncontested divorce. Now, what are those main divorce problems that require you and your spouse’s agreement? There are listed below;

• Child Custody and Child Support
• Alimony, also known as spousal support
• Visitation
• Division of debt
• Division of real and personal property

If there is an agreement on the main problems listed above, then you can file for divorce online. If you and your spouse still have not agreed to all but most of the divorce issues, then you may have to hire a divorce attorney to help in this case. You can only apply for an online divorce if you have an uncontested divorce. When you and your spouse are still quarreling or fighting over the terms and conditions of the divorce. Then going to the court for a trial would be the right thing to do.

However, if there is at least still one major issue left for you both to decide and can’t come to an agreement yet. Or even though there are minor issues that you both can’t resolve, then consulting a professional divorce attorney or lawyer whose expertise is matrimonial or divorce law cases will be necessary. The same goes to situations where you and your spouse are still fighting over the terms of the divorce, or you both don’t even want to talk to each other at all. Consulting with a lawyer in these circumstances can help a lot. 

Choosing the right attorney for your case

Not all family lawyers specialize in divorce cases, so it is essential to choose an attorney carefully. Also, if you own a large estate where you have a lot of assets or the assets are expensive, you will probably need a divorce attorney in this situation. The same thing goes to unresolved issues concerning the children or support payments. You will have to consult a divorce attorney help in the matter and offer better solutions. Filing for divorce online will not work when you and your spouse haven’t agreed on the issues relating to the divorce. 

Knowing the right company to use for your online divorce

There are thousands of online divorce companies on the internet that offer free divorce forms on their sites. But the fact is knowing the right one to pick since there are so many available on the internet can be confusing. You can’t just trust any online divorce company with your divorce case because when things go wrong, you will have to start all over from the beginning again. For example, using an online company that gives an incorrect divorce form can make things more complicated, and you will have to start all over by filing those papers again. You may probably have to pay another filing fee at the clerk office which will bring more expenses to your budget.

Some of these websites that offer free divorce forms will give their services according to the payments made which means incorrect divorce forms, false information, and sometimes hidden fees. For example, your state may have no-fault divorces but if the site your applying for a no-fault divorce doesn’t have the papers for it and have not updated them. Then it will not be possible to get the required divorce you are needing. So to avoid filing the wrong divorce forms, you will have to use the right online divorce company. But how do you pick the right company on the internet? 

Choosing the right website for your online divorce

Using your smartphone device, or even a laptop, you can search on the internet for top-rated online companies that offer quality divorce services. On the internet, there are several online divorce website that claims to offer free divorce forms and also being 100% court guaranteed. However, because you are looking for an inexpensive divorce or divorce without a lawyer doesn’t mean you should make use of any website for your divorce case. You can search for different top-ranked online companies which provide opportunities for customers to speak with an attorney or lawyer. Speaking with an attorney would at least ensure that you don’t miss out on any information regarding your online divorce. These top-ranked companies should also allow you to ask a legal question just in case you are confused about something. The companies will also have highly experienced professionals to review your paperwork if it is an uncontested divorce and know the requirements for your state.

Make sure to read the instructions the website gives you and understand that they can not submit your divorce papers at the courtroom, expect it’s either you, your spouse or your attorney. Searching on the internet can help you find an online website that will get your uncontested divorce started, get the right divorce papers for you and assist you in completing those papers. It may take a lot of time, but with patience, you will get what you want so far as you use the right website.

While there are plenty of advantages to fame, there are plenty of disadvantages as well. It can be much harder to protect your identity once you become famous. Privacy is one factor to maintaining your reputation, both online and off. Here are some ways that celebrities protect their private information.

Using Prevention Services

When you hear about celebrity hacks and other data breaches, the common source is an online account. This could stem from a cloud service, an e-mail provider, or a social media account. Most of these attacks are preventable with the use of cyber attack prevention services. Some of these services include the following:

• Backup and Disaster Recovery
• Cybersecurity Policy Development
• IT Security & Monitoring
• Penetration Testing

Some of these services may even provide a VPN for free. Celebrities invest thousands of dollars in these services to ensure their information is protected. Even with these services in place, celebrities have to follow the right practices.

The same privacy applies to every person. While your private photos may never go viral, it can have a negative effect on your personal and professional life.

Creating Strong Passwords

Celebrities use their phones to access e-mail and social media accounts. It’s more important than ever for celebrities to keep up with their fans on social media. Some or all of this information could be used by hackers who are looking to sell photos to the tabloids or post them to a public website. It’s important for everyone to create strong passwords to prevent this from happening.

Avoid using birthdays, family members, pet names, and other personal information that could lead others to find out more about you. Choose something that’s unexpected of you and contains lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols to deter hackers. Most celebrities use a password tool manager that allows them to create strong passwords in a snap without having to remember them since they lead busy lives.

Stop People-Search Companies

People-search companies are notorious for sharing too much information about people. These companies compile all of your private information into a complete profile, for a free or low cost. These profiles are often used by hackers who want to get into your account because they include answers to common security questions.

Celebrities are prone to threats from paparazzi and stalkers since it’s easy to find where they live. That’s why it’s important for celebrities to use a VPN for free when surfing the internet in the city and public places where criminals lurk.

It’s nearly impossible to opt out of a people-search site. It requires an invasive and detailed process. There are plenty of articles on the internet that provide a complete and thorough removal process.

Practice Information Sharing Discipline

When a celebrity’s star rises overnight, they have to be stricter about sharing their personal information. But this is a common practice that should be followed by everyone. While it’s common for celebrities to have contact information that’s accessed by agents, assistants, and managers, that information doesn’t need to be readily available on the internet.

Keeping their information private puts a layer between them and those who are trying to find out their whereabouts, such as obsessed fans, paparazzi, or stalkers. It also prevents gossip from spreading and ruining their reputation. For the rest of us, it’s best to avoid putting too much personal information on your social media accounts. For example, you shouldn’t list your address or phone number.

Handling Photos Taken Without Permission

A common problem for most celebrities is photos being taken without their consent. When it comes to the distribution of photos, laws vary from state to state, and there’s no way to charge someone for photos that were taken in public. That’s why the paparazzi never gets reprimanded for imposing on celebrities.

It’s important to be especially cautious about your personal life. You don’t want to end up in situations where there are cameras around. That can also involve staying out of the public eye as much as possible. If you’re ever faced with the spread of photos, there are steps you can take to resolve this problem.