My thoughts on (not) having enough money – Continued.
Nothing. Nothing of value, nothing worthwhile in my life meant that something had to change. I realized, at that moment, that I needed to change my style of thinking.
I took out some of my old motivational books and began to re-read them. I knew that I needed to force myself to think differently, so I looked at my reality and forced myself to make an adjustment. Not a big one, but small adjustments to help me modify my way of thinking.
I had grown up on a farm, plowing fields and planting crops. From the time I was eight years of age until I left for the Navy at age 20 I drove a tractor, every spring, summer, and fall. It was all I knew how to do until the Navy taught me new skills.
I had forgotten that in order to reap a harvest one must first “plant” the seeds. So how do I do that? How do I plant seeds of self-improvement? How do I water them, take care of them and allow them to grow into a harvest? The harvest being an increased bank account.
I read somewhere that I needed a list, a daily to-do list. I had sporadically kept a daily to-do list in one form or another over the years all to no avail, but this time I did something different, I expanded it, changed some nomenclature, and rearranged it.
I began to consider my to-do list as seeds, seeds for growth and self-improvement. So I asked myself a question: What type of seeds do I need to plant in order to reap a harvest, i.e. more money?
I began to do internet searches on “planting seeds” and came up with some interesting hits. Some were good, others not so good. I read what were, to me, important concepts and got ideas on how to improve my thinking. (It is important to realize that my life hasn’t changed as of this writing but my thinking has, to a very large degree.)
I now use a daily to-do list to organize my thinking and plan my day. I discovered that I really need all the help I can get, thus I use the tools that can help me help me and a daily to-list is nothing more than a tool for me to use.
(I have read that to-do lists are a waste of time and for some that may be true. Granted there are pros and cons to using such a list but I believe that a to-do list has more pros than cons. I don’t get everything done on my daily to-do lists, but I get the most important things done and that makes a big difference in my day and in my thinking.)
I now think of my to-do list as seeds, not tasks, to be done every day, in other words Seeds for Growth. The “seeds” statement reminds me that I am planting something in my life that I need to nourish in order to receive a harvest, specifically a bigger bank account.
There is a law of nature which has been around since the beginning of time. It is a specific law which can be put into action and used for our benefit.
What it is and how it works: It is the law of sowing and reaping. A farmer plants (sows) his seeds; those seeds grow into crops which the farmer then collects at the proper time. If the farmer collects the crop too soon, it is no good. If the farmer collects the crop too late it is no good. Only when the crop is ready for harvest can the farmer collect compensation for the crop by selling it at the proper location. It is nature’s law and it is a law that cannot be broken.
Now there are many factors involved with a proper harvest. If a farmer plants the seeds and there is no rain, the crop fails and farmer gets little or nothing. If the farmer plants the seeds and a fire destroys the crop, the farmer gets nothing. If the farmer plants the seeds and a late frost hits, again the crop is destroyed and the farmer gets nothing. If the farmer has a lack of knowledge and does not understand the basics of farming, the crop can fail and the farmer gets nothing.
However, if the farmer knows how to farm and collects the crop at the right time and sells it at the right price, then the farmer can make thousands, if not millions, of dollars.
One good solid crop can set the farmer up for life and many failed crops, and/or poor farming techniques can send that same farmer to the poor house. This is the nature of farming and the risks a farmer takes.
The same conditions’ that affects the farmer also affects every human being who wants to improve him or herself, metaphorically speaking. This thought is so simple but elusive if one is not receptive to the concept of sowing and reaping.
That day in November 2010 two revelations about me were revealed: I’m terrified of making money, and to get over this idiotic fear I needed to change my way of thinking. Thus I have begun a journey of self-inspection and evaluation. What I have discovered about me so far is definitely eye-opening not to mention scary.
As I continue down this road of self-discovery and improvement I invite you to go with me. While the primary objective is for me to help me, I am hoping that my experiences may help you as well. If so that is a major bonus.
G.
