Money isn’t Everything
It’s the only thing! All kidding aside, money not being everything is very true and something that I have to remind myself of from time to time when I’m pursuing my goals. I have a few friends who have almost no money and seem to be almost content with not at least making a solid attempt to make more of it. Even on the surface when it seems like they could benefit from more money and they even act as if they would like to do something to get more, it’s quite obvious why they aren’t. It’s because they don’t WANT to. My friends are quite content where they are at and they are happy with how simple their lives are. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either.
If you are at a point in your life and you have all the money in the world, or you have next to nothing but you are content with whatever you have then you shouldn’t be focusing on gaining more income. Really in the end it’s just a lot more that you can’t take with you when you leave this world. As long as your income is sustainable then you should focus on growth in the other two areas of your life. Your relationships and your health could benefit quite a bit due to the fact that you have the wealth side of your life handled. Put that focus and energy into them and see how quickly your life improves.
On the other hand if you are like me, you want more wealth and a lot of it! I am still tinkering with my finances. Recently trying to cut the fat where necessary and minimize unnecessary bills. I ask myself where certain products or services that I am using in my life have a diminishing point of returns on value for the amount of money I am continuing to spend on them. Also I am focusing on writing more and creating more value on this website and my other projects so that I can gain more value in the form of income long term from them. I am going to school so that I have skills I will immediately be able to transfer over to my current career, but that will also serve me as far as being able to get a job any time I need. I would also have more of a skill set if I chose to free lance, not to mention knowing computers much better will help me in my internet marketing endeavors.
I choose to pursue money because I know more money will allow me to do more in my life in the long run. Think about what you could do with more money. You will be able to buy more cool techno toys which give you a slight competitive edge over those who don’t use or aren’t exposed to the newest technology. You could travel more, meet more people, and ultimately learn more. Money is one of the best tools you can have for growth. Keep perspective when you are going after money in your life though. America is the land of excess. Realize that there a lot of people with a heck of a lot less than you probably currently have.
You don’t need a ton of money. Just enough to get you to the next checkpoint in your journey. Work on getting that much and sustaining it and you will find that your life is as complete and fulfilling as if you won the lottery. The cool part is that it will be even more fulfilling because you have the luxury and experience of the journey. Once you learn the powerful skill of creating value and trading it in exchange for money you will be able to do it for the rest of your life and you will only get better each time you do it.
Weather the storm and Reap the Rewards
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! I sure did. I went to upstate New York, relaxed, played some tennis, got some sun, and went out to a few night spots in the Syracuse area. I was pretty tired from the travel but I really enjoyed it and I feel refreshed.
You may have noticed how I mentioned an employment opportunity that was re-presenting itself in an earlier post. I’m happy to say that I have now accepted the job and will start next week. Many of my other ventures are also looking up as I learn, apply, and refine my approach to doing things. I feel very optimistic and invigorated to push myself towards more success in all areas of my life. I still intend to post to my blog and work on my other ventures as often as possible, so I don’t see this job as a roadblock to my passion but only as an enhancement. In not so many words, things are going really well for me right now. Prosperity appears to be flowing in from all directions.
I couldn’t have said that last month. I was going through a rough patch in all areas of my life, especially my wealth area. I’ve gotten to where I am right now by persevering through the rough times. I’m sure if you’re reading this you can relate. One of the best pieces of advice my father gave me (I might even say it was the best) when I was having a bad day or stretch was this: “No matter how bad today is, just get through it and go at it again tomorrow. It will all be better tomorrow.” No matter how much of his advice I may have dumped in favor of my own methods and ways of doing things, I have always come back to this one. Its truth and power are universal. I know how many of you are probably saying “Well what if tomorrow isn’t better? What if tomorrow is worse than today?” This is the part where you repeat that line and keep going.
I have had some awful periods in my life. I’ve had some times where things were down right painful and nasty sometimes. I’ve had bouts of illness, family problems, poverty, relationship troubles, and all kinds of other bad times where I just didn’t know what road life was leading me down. Following this advice and repeating that line to myself (even when I didn’t want to say it or even believe it) has gotten me through my troubles time and again. Not only that but once out the other side of my trials and tribulations, I noticed that my outlook seemed to be better and brighter than ever before.
This is the cycle that life throws you. You will have some good days and some bad days. You’ll have to accept both. An important thing to remember is to appreciate the good days and stay optimistic during the bad. You also have to stay hungry and focused on what you want during both. Don’t get lazy during prosperous times and discouraged during a drought. This is an easy road to nowhere.
There is a pain period that comes any time you are trying to achieve a lofty goal. It’s the pain that comes with disappointment, failure, setbacks, losing, rejection, and anything that puts you behind the curve on your way to the top. We all know how it feels to lose the big game, be rejected by the opposite sex, get hit with an unexpected expense, or get sick at exactly the wrong time. These are examples of the pain period. Life could not seem worse at these moments. How you handle these pain periods in your life determines the rewards that life will give you in return.
Are you the type of person who coasts through these times discouraged, down on yourself, and not making a conscious effort to fight your way back out and back onto the road you choose? If so then the answer on how to improve your life lies in that very question.
An example from my life is easily the way things have been for me these past few months. Money has been low and doubt has been high. I actually handled it pretty weakly the first month or so. After some low and lower points, I started to get motivated and dream about some of my goals again. I started imagining how happy it would make me to do the things I want to do, to pursue the projects I want to make a reality in my life. I became determined to pursue my goals and dreams during this time, no matter how hard things were. This blog was born of that passion, as was a renewed drive to go after some of my other internet ventures that I had lost focus on. I am still going through the pain period for these now. But I have seen even the smallest signs of growth already and that is encouraging me to push forward with more fire and determination than ever. I have big dreams and lofty aspirations for this blog and every thing else I am pursuing right now and that is what drives me to learn and get better EVERY day of my life.
This is a small example, but one that you can easily look at and relate to. What is plaguing you in your life? Health, Wealth, or Relationships? Personal Development? Have you set a goal and it seems like you are walking through quicksand to get to it? This is common. This is where the power of persistence comes in. I titled this article the way I did because it is a very accurate metaphor.
Imagine yourself in a boat on a long journey. You are making your way through what seems to be a vast and almost endless ocean. A huge storm sets in with no sign of letting up. Your boat is rocking and being beat about like an afterthought. You may even capsize a few times. You may lose the boat. What will you do to complete your journey?
I can tell you what 99% of everybody on this planet does. They give up. They turn back, or even worse; they drown. It’s the 1% who toughs it out, who will flip the boat over and get back in, or even swim through that ocean if they have to, who see all the rewards in this world. They make it through the storm and see how sunny it is on the other side and realize that things weren’t that bad to start with and, had they just given up and not fought through it they would not have made it to their destination. This gives them all the courage and motivation they ever need to continue to fight through these storms time and again for the rest of their lives, daring the storm to keep someone who will not be denied from their destination.
Some points to remember as you approach the storms in your life:
1. Remember that it’s always sunnier on the other side. Things can seem very difficult and they are, but don’t get discouraged. Do anything and everything to stay motivated during these times. Surround yourself with SUCCESS and let your drive and persistence handle the rest.
2. Once you’re in the clear, don’t get complacent and think that it’s over. You can’t rest on your laurels. You just handled a challenge in your life, overcame it, and now you are reaping the rewards. Enjoy this time briefly, but don’t lose your focus to keep on going. This is a time to celebrate, but not a time to settle.
3. Once you are the king or queen of your mountain, plant your flag and do what you must to STAY there. The only thing harder than getting to the top is staying at the top. If you don’t have people gunning for your #1 spot, then sometimes you might even sabotage yourself. Remember all those obstacles you’ve cleared to get to where you’re at. Appreciate what you’ve learned from those times and let that pain drive you to succeed and accomplish even more.
4. When things start to go bad, remind yourself that it’s just a cycle. This is LIFE. There are predictable and repeatable patterns to it always. It doesn’t matter how much technology is developed or how much things change. It doesn’t matter if you have money, are in great shape physically, and have tons of great friends. You will have cycles of prosperity followed by cycles of challenges and/or obstacles. This is the way things always have been and always will be. The good news is that if you approach your challenges correctly, then the cycles of prosperity can grow immensely each time you overcome the tough spots.
When all else fails, go back to the best piece of advice my father ever gave me: “No matter how bad today is, just get through it and go at it again tomorrow. It will all be better tomorrow.”
Be the captain of the ship that is your life, weather your personal storms, and make it to that tropical paradise on the other side. I’ll see you there.
Clark
A good article I came across…
I was messing around on Rich Jerk’s site and came across an old blog entry of his..As much drivel as this guy writes, I actually thought this post was pretty inspirational. Check it out:
There’s No Excuse
In today’s world, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BEING A PATHETIC LOSER. I qualify a “loser” as anyone who complains about their life, their job, or their financial situation. In 1999, I was definitely a loser. I had a negative $500 balance in my bank account (before overdrafts were tied to savings accounts), and blamed the world for my situation. Then someone with a lot of money told me something I’ll never forget: “You are where you want to be.” I thought to myself, “What is this mumbo jumbo crap?” I wanted to be rich, and I sure as hell wasn’t. He explained further….He told me If I REALLY wanted to be rich, I’d be doing whatever it takes to make that happen, even if it meant working ten times harder. Since I wasn’t really doing anything to GET rich, I obviously didn’t want to BE rich. Instead I was just WISHING I was rich. When I finally realized that, I knew what I had to do. And 6 years later, I’m a filthy rich multi-millionaire. And that is an epidemic in this world. Everyone wants something for nothing. Its easy to say you want to be rich while you’re sitting on your couch like a fat f%$#ing slob. But what are you doing to MAKE IT HAPPEN? If you’re a loser, that’s obviously what you WANT to be. Otherwise you’d be doing whatever it takes to STOP being a loser. When people find out I made my fortune online, aside from being disgustingly jealous, they say “Can you make me a website that will make me millions?”. I want to SLAP these people, and occasionally I do. If I create a website that will make anyone millions, it’s going to be for myself. I don’t work for ANYONE. I’ll tell someone HOW to make a website that will make them millions of dollars, but I won’t do it for them. And that’s exactly what I do in my ebook. Are the strategies in my book the ONLY ways to make money online? Of course not. Are they the EXACT strategies that worked for me? Absolutely.
So what do you do if you want to make money online, but don’t know sh#* about how to do it? YOU LEARN IT. So what if you don’t know HTML or how to build a website….learn it, or find a way to work around it. Pay someone else to do it, buy a software that does it for you, use my book. Whatever it takes. Just do it.
Remember the guy I mentioned above? He told me something else I’ll never forget. He said “You want money? Go get some.” At the time, I told him that was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard. As if I could just go get money if I simply wanted to. Then I kept thinking about what he said. After all, there must’ve been thousands of people in my position who later went on to become millionaires. And how did they do it? I knew they didn’t just sit around and wait for it. These people obviously decided that they COULD succeed, and started doing everything they could to make it happen….reading books, taking classes, talking to other successful people….whatever it was, they did SOMETHING. And thats exactly what I did. I got on several internet forums and just read all night long, day after day, month after month, and saw that many people were making a very good living through affiliate programs and more. And their websites and sales methods seemed very mediocre. I didn’t know anything about websites or marketing, but I knew I could do better. I HAD to do better. One guy I noticed had a credit repair website, selling an ebook about how to remove bad credit. That was something I knew A LOT about, as I had terrible credit. I bought his ebook, studied it, and then wrote one 10 times better. I paid a web designer $200 to make my ebook and design my website. Then I put an ad on Google. It made me $20k my first month. The rest is history.
Its up to you. Keep being a doormat, or wake the f#%* up and do something with your miserable life. Be jealous. Hate me all you want. I made more money while you were reading this than you made last week.
My Rich Jerk ebook has 6 years of my blood, sweat and tears in it (I cried once, big deal). And I used the info in it to become a pompous millionaire, and that’s all I ever wanted to be. So I’VE EARNED THE RIGHT to cuss at, yell at, harass, or belittle anyone who visits my website.
I AM BETTER THAN YOU. The question is, are you going to do anything about that? I doubt it.
RJ
Reading this I can relate to his situation at the time and I know that it takes a lot to try to make money in this game. This guy has done quite well for himself though. You can find the original post here or to check out the Rich Jerk book see the link below.
