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We all have something or someone we are living for. You could be living for your spouse, for your children, for yourself, or any other important person in your life. You could be working towards a retirement full of travel, expensive toys, or for that big ranch-style house you always dreamed of. You could be living with your head in the sand, refusing to look to tomorrow because today has enough stress.
However you look at it, we are all living for something/someone/or some purpose greater than ourselves. The harsh reality is that achieving our goals and dreams is much easier if we have money and forward vision.
As I write this, I can’t help but think about the complexity of money in our lives. If you focus your life trying to earn and accumulate more money, you are labeled as greedy and a swindler. If you take a more conservative approach and money is the last thought in your mind, you may end up with large amounts of debt and a poor ability to effectively manage your money. There are many of us who grew up hearing that money is the root of all evil – and this has kept us from openly discussing our finances and how to best maximize our investments out of fear of being labeled an idolater. The truth is, the correct quote from the Bible is, “For the love of money is the root of all evil” 1 Timothy 6:10. This does not forbid us from effectively and efficiently managing our money to maximize our wealth. In reality, foolishly squandering our money and gifts is harmful and irresponsible.
Where am I going with all of this? I want you to understand that you can not fully live for that someone or something if you don’t appropriately handle your finances. This is not the most exciting topic to learn about but it is one of the most important topics that they refuse to teach in school. Too often we are forced to learn about money management from our own common sense, or lack thereof, or from other broke people who are quick to give their advice and opinions. We all have that uncle or brother in law who has the inside scoop on the latest “hot stock” that we should buy, yet behind the curtain, he is as broke as we are.
Plain and simple – don’t take money advice from broke people. You wouldn’t take medical advice from a vehicle mechanic, would you?
As I continue to build this blog, we will talk about our goals and dreams and what we need to do to get there. I will discuss financial planning, the need for a will, tax codes, real estate, and the stock market. If you implement some or all of the strategies I show you, you will have the ability to accumulate wealth and free yourself from some of the financial stress you currently find yourself under.
I encourage you to focus on your reason for living and your responsibility to efficiently and effectively manage your money. This starts with debt management and budgets that transition into investments and wealth building. Thank you for going on this journey with me, the time to change your future is now.
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Previously published here and reprinted with the author’s permission.
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