I've had the most chaotic month of my life. I thought I was headed for a breakdown, but a funny thing happened. As opposed to boring you with all the gory details, I wanted to share a realization with everyone.
I realized I've learned some very important lessons this month. None of these are new or earth shattering to anyone, but its amazing that I have witnessed or been a part of every single one of these first hand in the past month. I thought I'd list them here in case it helps someone else...
1) People don't want you to fix their problems, 99.9% of the time they just want to feel listened to. Resist the urge to jump in and tell the person how you would fix their issue. Just listen. You will be surprised at the results.
2) Things that happen are not positive or negative. The only thing you can control in most situations is your attitude and reaction. Might as well be positive. Negativity is a cancer. (This does not apply to grief - if you lose someone close to you it is okay to mourn. Do not keep it in, you need to grieve and mourn to eventually be able to move on without the loss haunting you down the road).
3) Most people are more than intelligent enough to achieve their dreams. It really, really comes down to a plan and action. But it starts in your mind. You MUST believe you are capable of pulling it off. Without confidence in yourself, you are doomed and will never maintain wealth for long, even if you get it once.
4) To steal one from MJ...Unless you are driving the car, you are a passenger and susceptible to being fired or downsized, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE. I've had 5 friends get laid off or downsized in the past 3 months. All made more than $150,000 a year. Not a single one has found another job yet. And we're talking real estate MBAs, lawyers, etc. A scary reminder.
5) Keep the emotion out of investing and negotiating. He/She who will walk away from a deal has all the leverage in the world. (My ring story).
6) Read your goals and affirmations daily. During good times its easy to stay positive and slack on this one. This one alone might be the reason I made it through the past month without being committed. Don't underestimate the power of direction and positive thought.
7) Buy when everyone is selling and sell when everyone is buying. I hope everyone is paying attention right now. Enough said.
8) Even if you don't think you have the time, give yourself 20 minutes a day alone to recharge. That downtime can save your life.
9) Don't text message while driving because you might rear-end someone and cause lots of damage. It is always better to admit your mistakes then to lie.
10) Call your mom a lot. Even if its just for 5 minutes. Parents love their kids voices more than us kids will ever know.
11) 6 months in living expenses in the bank REALLY, REALLY comes in handy when you need it. Never stop re-filling this bucket.
Thanks for being such a great community.
I realized I've learned some very important lessons this month. None of these are new or earth shattering to anyone, but its amazing that I have witnessed or been a part of every single one of these first hand in the past month. I thought I'd list them here in case it helps someone else...
1) People don't want you to fix their problems, 99.9% of the time they just want to feel listened to. Resist the urge to jump in and tell the person how you would fix their issue. Just listen. You will be surprised at the results.
2) Things that happen are not positive or negative. The only thing you can control in most situations is your attitude and reaction. Might as well be positive. Negativity is a cancer. (This does not apply to grief - if you lose someone close to you it is okay to mourn. Do not keep it in, you need to grieve and mourn to eventually be able to move on without the loss haunting you down the road).
3) Most people are more than intelligent enough to achieve their dreams. It really, really comes down to a plan and action. But it starts in your mind. You MUST believe you are capable of pulling it off. Without confidence in yourself, you are doomed and will never maintain wealth for long, even if you get it once.
4) To steal one from MJ...Unless you are driving the car, you are a passenger and susceptible to being fired or downsized, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE. I've had 5 friends get laid off or downsized in the past 3 months. All made more than $150,000 a year. Not a single one has found another job yet. And we're talking real estate MBAs, lawyers, etc. A scary reminder.
5) Keep the emotion out of investing and negotiating. He/She who will walk away from a deal has all the leverage in the world. (My ring story).
6) Read your goals and affirmations daily. During good times its easy to stay positive and slack on this one. This one alone might be the reason I made it through the past month without being committed. Don't underestimate the power of direction and positive thought.
7) Buy when everyone is selling and sell when everyone is buying. I hope everyone is paying attention right now. Enough said.
8) Even if you don't think you have the time, give yourself 20 minutes a day alone to recharge. That downtime can save your life.
9) Don't text message while driving because you might rear-end someone and cause lots of damage. It is always better to admit your mistakes then to lie.
10) Call your mom a lot. Even if its just for 5 minutes. Parents love their kids voices more than us kids will ever know.
11) 6 months in living expenses in the bank REALLY, REALLY comes in handy when you need it. Never stop re-filling this bucket.
Thanks for being such a great community.
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