CARPE DIEM

My grandmother always told me “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” As a child, I nodded and smiled as if I understood the gems she bestowed on me. As an adult, I realize the significance of this lesson and I live by her words. It makes total sense to prepare yourself for potential opportunities and open up your life to receive abundance. It also behooves you to ensure you are not exposed hazardous elements and protected against taking losses. Prepare yourself.

YOLO

Lately, I have noticed how trendy it has become to see people flossing money (online) they don’t have (or that is not theirs) to portray the impression that they have “resources.” The other fad I have observed is people rushing to spend all the money they have consuming “goods” to make it appear as though they are in a position to continue that particular lifestyle.

“It’s only when the tide goes out, you can always tell who is swimming naked” – Warren Buffett

Don’t get me wrong, I like nice things too. Through my long phase of consumerism, I’ve learned a very important rule when it comes to making purchases: If you cannot afford to buy it twice, you cannot afford to own it once. There are levels to life and respecting the process is important. Working alongside several millionaires over the past couple decades, I’ve noticed three differences between someone who is wealth confident and someone who believes they are rich.

1. People who have money don’t want the burden that comes with other people knowing they have money (thieves, IRS, panhandlers, swindlers, etcetera).

2. If you have to prove you have money by being flamboyant with your possessions, you are new to having things and it’s probably temporary. You are a liability to those that have more to lose.

3. If you can count how much money you have, you do not have enough money.

If you spend everything you have, trying to make it look like you have more, how can you partake in opportunities that may come available that can put you in a better future position?

Lifestyle

Dieting, like wealth building is a lifestyle, and you have to make a conscious decision to be consistent. Once people associate you with consistency, they can trust your habits and refer you to others who can help monetize your passion or enhance your field of expertise. Your lifestyle will have you mentioned in conversations you weren’t even aware were taking place. Your lifestyle will keep you out of trouble (or get you into the good kind). Your lifestyle creates a reputation that should precede you and succeed you. Finally, your lifestyle is the ounce of prevention that will provide you with the pounds of cure for the future you want to build.

De-clutter

I call my awesome-friend Danica the De-clutter Queen because when I would speak to her, she was always finding ways to simplify life by minimalizing her consumption and automating her routines. She advised me that de-cluttering served two purposes:

1. De-cluttering allows us to evaluate and organize our possessions and gives us foresight to make room for what we want or life events we anticipate to occur.

2. An organized physical environment induces an organized mental environment.

The practice of de-cluttering also reduces stress and anxiety. A de-cluttered life can prevent you from losing important documents or something even more valuable (your mind). De-cluttering your life will bring you peace by forcing you to make decisions about how you want your life to look and feel and what you want to attract into that new life.

DO SOMETHING YOUR FUTURE SELF WILL THANK YOU FOR

What you do today will determine how (and where) you live tomorrow. Most of us believe that hard work eventually pays off. However, successful people set timelines for when they expect their hard work to pay off. It is wise to be intentional with all the decisions we make because everything is connected. Understanding the future value of present day decisions will take you much further than you can comprehend. Strategize for tomorrow by living today on purpose. Make your next move your best move.