Who is your competition?

If we compare ourselves to others, we’ll never be happy because someone will always be smarter than us, better looking than us, thinner than us, and have more money than us.

If we aren’t competitive at all, we won’t try, and that will keep us at the bottom.

Instead, let us be our own competition.  All we have to do is commit to being a better version of who we were yesterday.  If we can continually improve and feel forward motion in our lives, we feel we are making progress.

Just beat yesterday.

Seeds or Sugar

Many years ago when I was a younger man I learned the idea that when I spent the little money I had, I should spend it wisely.  What is wise?  I should spend it on things that will make more money for me, or things that go up in value tomorrow.  Unwise spending is buying things that go down in value and are worth less tomorrow.

So for example, if I needed to buy a car, I would not buy a new one that would be worth 40% less as soon as I drove it off the lot.  I’d buy a used one.  If I paid cash, I would not pay for financing, and I would not need collision insurance.  

If I needed a tool for my business, I’d consider if I’d use it enough to make more money.  Clothes are an example of buying something that is worthless to anyone after you walk out of the store, and so are most consumer goods.  If I was going to make an investment, I learned that it must be a smart one where I would not lose my money, even if the return wasn’t huge.

Most of us have limited funds today.  If we want to make our financial tomorrow better, when we do spend money, spend it on things that go up in value or make us more money by increasing our earning ability.

The habits that have you

The habits you have, and the habits that have you, will determine your level of achievement, or lack thereof.

Breaking a habit or starting a new one isn’t easy, but it could be the most important thing you need to do so that your life turns out different than where it’s heading now.

What habit do you need to kill or create?

The POINT of departure

When you set off on a trip, a job, to learn, an experience, a quest of any kind – the point of departure is not to return as you were.  The point is to become someone you aren’t yet – to grow into the new you.

Set the wheels in motion. 

The Rule of 72

The rule of 72 says that is you divide an interest rate into 72, you get how many years it will take to double your money.  So if you were getting 10% interest, how many years would it take to double your money if you left the interest there to compound?  7.2, right.

How about if you got 1% interest?  72 years!

So if you were paying 18% credit card interest, how many years does it take for the credit card company to double their money off you?

Are you a role model?

Yes. Maybe not a very good one, and maybe a great one, but we all influence others.

What kind of role model are you?

The Ascending Sun

If you doubt yourself or have bad thoughts, get some rest. Sleep.

When you wake up, you will find the sun has come up.

Write your own history

Deeds and events become great or small depending on the story that gets told about them over and over again for the rest of our days.

Be your own chief storyteller.

Be your own meaning maker.

The Path of MOST Resistance?

If you give people a hard time, they will stop talking to you and stop coming around.

Make more friends by making yourself lighter to lift.

They think what you do

If you value yourself, others will too.  If you don’t value yourself, others won’t either.

If others observed you – your walk, talk, and appearance, what conclusion would they draw about how they should value you?