The Road Less Travelled (day144/365)

M. Scott Peck penned “The Road Less Travelled“ approximately 30 years ago. It has had many reprints and boasts being a number 1 international bestseller for many years. Peck makes the following points.

Life is difficult! We need to feel the pain (not ignore it) and take responsibility and time to fix the problems. Discipline is a worthy thing. In giving up certain things, true joy can be discovered. Growth and fulfillment can be achieved.

Love is spoken of as an intention and action; an act of will. It is about nurturing our own and others’ spiritual growth. Love is about attention, listening, commitment, discipline, separateness and confrontation.

Dependent people (lacking love) are interested only in their own nourishment and satisfaction. They are not interested in their own growth or any one else’s.

Learning and the pursuit of knowledge; looking for meaning and purpose brings life and love to the individual. Self consuming laziness is love’s opposite. Love highlights new areas of thought, responsibility, maturity.

Grace plays a large part in our spiritual journey and growth. We may choose grace. We may be chosen by grace. We may choose to give, to nurture.

We may have lived in our past but we need to learn what of that past, if anything, should be brought into our present and future. We need to face our problems, learn how to make changes and be prepared for the work involved in making new healthy decisions and habits.

A Passion for the Possible (day133/365)

The best shop in the world is not on Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive according to Jean Houston in “A Passion For The Possible“. It is in your brain.

We can bridge the continents of mind and body with imaginative journeys. We have the capacity to create the blueprint for what we want to actualize.

Imagery creates fire in the mind, visions in the soul, and energy in the body. It helps people who solve problems to complete projects more often and more easily. Worlds within and without become inseparable.

Possibilities abound in our physical, psychological, symbolic and spiritual realms as we explore our potential; as we see and feel our inner self, our larger self.

Some thoughts to consider -
What do you ache for?
Do you dare to dream of meeting that longing?
Would you risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive?
Have you touched the centre of your sorrow? Did you become shrivelled and closed? or did you become opened?
Can you sit with pain without moving to hide it, fade it, fix it?
Can you be with joy without being cautious, realistic, limiting?
Can you disappoint another to be true to yourself?
Can you see beauty even when it’s not pretty?
Can you source your life from God’s presence?
What sustains you from the inside when all else falls away?
Can you be alone with yourself and like the company you keep?

This book was an interesting journey. A small one on the larger life journey we are all on.

You2 (You Squared) (day 122/365)

What an amazing book this is. Price Pritchett shows us how to take a quantum leap to multiply our personal effectiveness in “You 2″. (You Squared)

Our life process is likened to a fly beating itself to death upon a window trying to break through the glass to get outside. It thinks working harder will bring results. In reality, a shift of mind or a change of direction to fly through the open door is all that is required to achieve freedom.

So it’s time to get radical, contradict common sense, multiply instead of add, move to a higher orbit and accept exponential gains.

Our doubts are not the product of accurate thinking, but habitual thinking. So get rid of doubt and visualise arriving at your goal.

Take the quantum jump. Think about where you are going to land. Don’t get caught up in the technique of the jump.

Give yourself a chance. Quit thinking it is a matter of taking a chance.

Find a passion, a magnificent obsession, a deep desire, something that stirs your heart, then jump and let it happen. The dreams, desires and thoughts that burn the hottest in your mind, direct you to breakthrough.

Financial Freedom (day113/365)

Don’t panic if you have been following my daily blogs. I’ve had to skip some days and will continue to do so to save my sanity. I am still committed to reading 52 books in 52 weeks. I am just not going to be able to write my blog every single day.

So in my little “holiday” over the past week I have finished reading “The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom” by Suze Orman. Remember, she challenged us to think about the roots of our money perceptions, try to connect them to our current perceptions and where necessary build in new positive concepts to live by. We have looked at our current financial situation and attempted to balance our incoming and outgoing finances.

A chapter is devoted to teaching us about being responsible to the people we love. Information about Wills,Trusts, Life Insurance, Income Protection Insurance, and Medical insurance shows us how to provide for our families if we were to be injured or die.

We are encouraged to respect our money and make the most of time. Investing a little, early and constantly, is far far better than trying to make up a huge shortfall when we are close to retirement age.

Credit cards need to be cut up!!! This is showing ourselves respect.

Investment options are explained. From managed funds to index funds, superannuation to share portfolios, we are encouraged to learn about the options and then trust ourselves to invest wisely.

Suze’s research has shown time and time again that those people who gave money away often were the ones who ended up with more than they needed.

She encourages us to recognise true wealth in defining ourselves by who we are. She doesn’t believe in measuring our self worth by our net worth. She gives much valuable information about the nuts and bolts of investing, but bottom line is that we are more than the money we have.

Time to Be Honest (day103/365)

Have you thrown any $5 or $10 notes in the rubbish lately?
What about a magazine or left over food or a t-shirt you’ve never worn?
It’s time to get back in touch with our money; to know the value of it.

Today with Suze Orman in “The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom” we are challenged to get a grip on things. Do you know what it costs you to live each month? Have you worked the yearly expenses like rego, insurance, holidays, christmas, into a monthly figure? Have you added little things like movies, bottle of wine, parking and unexpected things like dental bills, travel to wedding etc.

Today’s exercise is to make a list of the last two years expenses. Look in cheque books, bank statements, credit card bills, etc and fill in the categories month by month. This will take some time but it will give you back some power to take control of your finances. Once all fees,accounts, bills are listed, calculate monthly averages.

Now do likewise with income that you will expect to continue over the next year. List wages/salaries, bonuses, social security, rental income, regular money gifts, pension or anything else. Again calculate a monthly average.

Most likely you’ll discover that you spend more than you thought and possibly more than you earn. So your decision is generally to earn more or spend less.

To trim the expenses you can go one extra week each time between things like haircuts and lawn mowing, reduce the frequency of some items like dinners out and movies. Keep tweeking until the budget balances.

Face Fear – Create New Truth (day102/365)

Yesterday we talked about some of the fears that thinking about money brings up.

Are you afraid you’ll become a bag lady?
Are you afraid you won’t be able to support your family?
Have you thought about another job if your current one goes wrong?
Are you afraid you can’t keep up with others?
Are you afraid your friends won’t like you if they know how much money you do/don’t have?
Are you afraid your partner will make more money than you?
If your partner dies, who will take care of you?
Are you afraid of losing everything you have?
Do you wonder how you will pay for children’s education?
Do you have to use your credit card to cover the bills each month?
What if your parents have to go into a nursing home?
Are you afraid your partner will leave you?
Do you wonder what the right questions are to ask about money?

Suze Orman gives us further help in moving forward on our financial journey in “The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom”.

She says face the fears. Write them down. Possibly you can already see a connection between these and your childhood memories. The connection may come later though.

To conquer the fears now, write down a new truth to live by. Make them short, present tense and unlimited.
eg. I am young, powerful, and successful, earning at least $10 000 a month.
eg. I am putting at least $200 a month into savings.
eg. I have more money than I will ever need.
eg. I am in control of all my financial affairs.

Fears will persist at bugging you but don’t listen, be consistent in repeating your new truths over and over and over. Affirming positive things for your life, attracts them.

Past – Key to Financial Future (day101/365)

Suze Orman in “The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom” challenges us first up to set some goals.

Do you want to have enough money for children’s education? pay off debt? retire in ten years? get on top of paying bills? provide for parents in their latter years? travel for a year? pay off credit cards? make sure family is provided for if something happens to you? Whatever it is, know what you are aiming for. Be clear.

Next up, we need to look at our childhood and see where, when, why, and how we first learned about and took on board our concept of money.

Some questions to help remember are:-

What was the best present received as a child?
Did your friends get/have things you didn’t? Nicer clothes, toys? Better family car/house?
Did your mother have to work or not have to work?
Did grandparents give you money when visiting?
Were you ashamed to bring friends home?
Did your receive special treats? Were they a reward?
Did you feel ashamed of having more than others?
Did your parents fight about money?
Were your only gifts money?
Was school clothes shopping fun?
Did you steal? – piggy banks, parents, shop.
Remember first wallet? Money in it?
Was pocket money similar to friends? Work for it? Spend it? Save it?
What was biggest amount of money you saw as a child?
Did your friends go on better vacations?
Did something your parents said/did make you feel good (or bad) about money?

Chances are the answers to some of these questions and other memories are bringing up feelings of fear, self-doubt, insecurity, unworthiness. Acknowledge the feelings and look forward to hearing how to put the fears to rest over the next week.

Get Out of Debt (day100/365)

George S.Clason covers what seems to be a forever needed subject in his book “Richest Man in Babylon”.

So many of us get into debt and seem to not find our way out. Well here’s help. Probably a timely reminder for many of us.

Make a written plan of the following and follow it exactly.

10% of all income is to be SAVED! Put aside first, before we even look at the rest of the picture. The discipline of saving and building a future nest egg does a lot to build our self respect.

70% of all income is for LIVING on. Tithing, house, food, clothing, entertainment, insurances etc.

20% of all income is for paying off debt. Do a stocktake of exactly where we stand. How much do we owe? Who do we owe it to? If 20% of income is not enough to make all payments then negotiate with debtors to reduce payments so all debtors are paid a share each month. Explain how long it will take (according to your calculations – be honest; if it will take five years say so) and your sincerity in wanting to pay your dues. Keep a list, make a graph, whatever it takes to keep track and keep focused.

DO NOT INCUR ANY FURTHER DEBT! Once debts are paid, save the money. Some can go into investment(add to 10%), some can go into savings for emergencies, travel, car, etc. Pay cash for things instead going into debt. Be disciplined. We are now used to living on 70% of our income remember.

Five Laws Of Gold (day99/365)

From “The Richest Man In Babylon” by George S. Clason we benefit from the Five Laws Of Gold.

1/ Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put by not less than one tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and that of his family.

2/ Gold laboreth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field.

3/ Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.

4/ Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it with businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep.

5/ Gold flees from the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.

I have read this book many times over the years and every time enjoy the stories of the men of Babylon as they seek to learn the mysteries of growing wealth.

Seven Cures For A Lean Purse (day98/365)

In an extraordinarily interesting manner, George S. Clason shares wealth creation tips in “The Richest Man in Babylon”.

Seven Cures For A Lean Purse.

1/ Start thy purse to fattening. 10% of what you earn is yours to keep.

2/ Control thy expenditure. Desires will always outweigh income. Learn to distinguish between necessities and luxuries.

3/ Make thy gold multiply. Invest wisely.

4/ Guard thy treasures from loss. Invest only where principal is safe.

5/ Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment. Own your own home.

6/ Insure a future income. Protect your family. Take out life insurance.

7/ Increase thy ability to learn. Become more skillful, wiser.

Simple but powerful.