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Take A Financial Inventory A Unique Twist
inancial stress. Something (although I hate that word due to
most people have known for the connotations it brings up, in
different periods and the context of finances/business,
seasons of their lives, for some you know the dreaded "business
it's a lifetime of stress, others opportunity" stalker). Open doors
only periods of it. It's that may be real and legitimate
definitely something that robs sources of help to our
your level of comfort and peace. situations, that we're too burned
Solving some of those financial to go for because of the past.
issues are a real and vital step I've made plenty of those poor
to bringing deeper levels of choices myself, and have gone
comfort to your life. through the "nothing works, why
try" thing too. However, I've
Finances are also intricately also come to realize there's only
tied to how much time we have so many hours a day I can work,
available, time that could be there is a very real ceiling of
spent with family and friends and finances that a job can bring,
other pursuits and dreams. It and something needs to change in
seems that's the trade off, many order to gain having the time,
times we have one, but not the energy and the resources to spend
other. But does it always have to on my family and dreams as I
remain so? Something deep inside would like.
me says it doesn't always have to
be that way. Take a moment and get out paper
and pencil, or a journal, and
Sometimes because of past think of those "failures" a
financial mistakes, poor judgment moment. What were the lessons
or just plain old "stuff happens" learned? Try to think of the real
we can become too hardened, too lessons behind them, not the "I
skeptical and miss opportunities shouldn't have fallen for that".
Even if true, pinpoint WHY not? for someone else's
The lessons we learn from failure circumstances). The first one
are just as valid as the lessons that comes to my mind is my
we learn from success, and each decision to become a
lesson in failure we walk away cosmetologist. I had just
learning from, brings us that graduated from high school and
much closer to learning the this is where my interest was,
opposite, success. Take each after all if you do what you love
experience one by one (including the money will follow, right? I
wrong career moves) and add to loved doing hair and makeup and
your list of what you learned helping people to feel good about
from each experience. In a themselves. I loved the work, was
typical lifetime, there will good at what I did, even won a
probably be several to many contest for my skills, graduated
experiences. Do not allow these and began work in the field.
past failures or perceived However, I did not have a good
failures to cripple you from grasp of the financial reality of
taking educated risks for your this career. Now, there are
future. If you allow these things people who can make a good living
to paralyze you from ever trying doing this, but I wasn't among
again, then those failures in them for a variety of reasons.
your life have won. Personally, I The first being you needed to
don't want those things to have pretty much stay in the same
that kind of power over me, salon for many years to develop a
strong, loyal customer base, but
I'll give an example out of my in the meantime of building that
own life of one in my list (bear base, there were many days I made
in mind these are for my life, in 0. After all if you didn't have
that time, these very same customers you didn't get any pay.
decisions might be just perfect That's right, 0 dollars for 8
hours of being at work! If you
had to pay daycare, you could What did I learn from this
actually go into negative numbers "failure" of career? I learned I
going to work! I had no clue that was capable of learning new
could happen. I never asked the skills if I put my mind to it and
right questions, and was immature wasn't afraid of work, I learned
and not thinking about how I that in whatever prospect I went
could pay my bills, the reality for, to not only look at
of it, I just wanted to do interest, but to research into a
something I loved doing. This broader base of people doing the
little chickie got her first work and asking the tough
reality check when mommy and financial questions, not so much
daddy were no longer paying the their salary, but general
bills. I struggled with this same questions on that topic that
scenario for many years trying to would give me a better feel of
make it work, had invested too how they're doing and the
much to cut my losses and move industry. Doing other research
on. Most people don't just settle into salary ranges and financial
into one place early in life for viability was important. I
years and years. My hubby had job learned to ask better questions
moves across country, etc. each about a field in general and
move was a start over with trends currently happening as
clientele. Finally, after much well as looking at trends on the
banging my head against the same horizon of that industry, to
wall, I saw that as much as I research with my head and not my
loved what I did, I couldn't pull heart only. I learned I love
a reasonable salary, and the helping people feel good about
reality was I needed to pay bills themselves. I learned about time
to provide for my family. management, appointments and
Sometimes reality bites. professionalism in the industry.
I also learned a few things I
didn't like that are valuable to I'm choosing to learn from those
know. I have other experiences to things, glean the life lessons I
draw from too, as you most likely can, and take courage to try
will as well. again, with more wisdom this time
around. It does take risk to move
The point is, take an inventory, past what is. I want to take that
draw from what went wrong and the risk, to dare to try bettering my
root causes. Pick every instance family's quality of life. To not
you can think of to do this, even risk means it won't happen for
possibly humiliating ones. This sure. That's the one real risk I
is for no one's eyes but yours; won't take.
it's for your benefit and yours
alone. You might be very There is a wealth of resources
surprised after taking this for many other aspects in a
inventory, at the knowledge you financial life, whole books and
are now working with that you even libraries on the topic; my
didn't have before, and those encouragement would be to simply
were hard lessons you don't want start studying.
to forget. That is valuable.
About the Author:
Valerie Garner, mother and proud grandma. The Comfortable Life is a resource guide featuring many ideas for making life more comfortable, on a wide range of topics. Finance, creativity, beauty, health and more. Visit today at: http://www.thecomfortablelife.com
Source: www.isnare.com
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