The Mindset To Start All Over Again When It Seems Uncertain

Photo by kevin turcios on Unsplash

Dear Readers,

"It is never too late to be who you might have been" 

- George Eliot

A happy new month to you all.

As we start the month of July, some of the greatest things in mind are How can we tackle Ignorance when it comes to Financial Literacy? How can we start small ventures with what we have? How can we sail through the COVID19 storm by beginning all over? I will be documenting some great articles to give us insight on a few things. I will share some videos as well. If you also have an insight, please feel free to share, comment, etc. Let us rally ourselves to become better with our finances, seek financial peace, build empires from scratch, and win in this area. We can not let ignorance rob us of financial well being.

I remember telling myself there are things I need to own by a certain age but it took a little longer, I remember thinking that after leaving University, I would easily get a job but that did not happen, I had to do other things as I prepped for them jobs, as I grow older, I get to realize what is even more important is how I use the resources I have to do other ventures. Things have never come that easy for me, you could be like me too and there are stories we can learn from you. But every day was a new day to press on, try something new and all those are valuable lessons for life.

I remember losing some good money to fake land purchase and it set me back but because I had the principles that I had harnessed over time, I started all over again.

One of my properties was also sold off without my permission and I had to give it up but start all over.

I lost an opportunity to get property worth some good amount of money and the money was diverted to other things, that fired me up to know that hey! my future is in my hands and I will have to work hard for my own stuff.

I remember being told by a relative, that you can not develop without a loan but I purposed to beat those odds, I purposed to try out doing something without a loan, as a matter of fact, my bank turned down my loan request and that pushed me to tighten my belt for 3 years without touching a particular saving I put aside. I told myself, "I can do it and did everything possible to walk that journey", it was painful, not easy at all, lots of sacrifices had to be made.

Can you change your mindset to start all over, can you build the mental fortitude to leave what is in the past and press on to what is new? Every failure has been a school of hard knocks for me because

I have picked the lessons and used them to get better.

When it comes to Children, Have you done anything in regards to planning school fees? It is tough when a child can't eat, can't have good shelter, can't get medical care, good education or even basic clothing these are deep-seated questions we need to tackle even when income comes in an irregular way. Hard times can fall on us suddenly and the wisdom God gives us when he tells us to study the life of Ants is that they are always preparing, always gathering for winter.

I have read some amazing articles, books and also watched videos that make my heart race, and in the words of Solomon, I would rather be rebuked by a wise man than praised by a fool.

When I read things like it is not the amount of money that counts but the plan, it makes me think twice how to use money.

I remember saying to my mentor, 'If I had more money, I would have a better plan.' He quickly responded, 'I would suggest that if you had a better plan, you would have more money.' You see, it's not the amount that counts; it's the plan that counts. - Jim Rohn

What's your plan? so let us make do and start all over, let us read on and most especially use the knowledge we will get. Allow yourself to be a beginner

God bless you all.

Happy New Month

#Transform #Impact #Empower

Be Wealthy and Near To Humanity, Not Wealthy and Far From Humanity

Image by Paolo Trabattoni from Pixabay 

Overtime we have seen people who have made it from rag to serious riches. The story of how their wealth has been made is clear and well documented. Many of these wealthy people have practiced well known principles of hard-work, delayed gratification, investment, etc. And yes they are living the life that money people crave to have.

Along their journeys of either growing wealth or being born in it, some choose to remain humble while others choose to live a life that is full of pride. They tend to close out or help humanity, whatever their choice is, it is at their discretion. 

I listened to this mind boggling video and Chris Ryan, the author of 'Civilized to Death: The price of progress' says that Rich people have the tendency to distance themselves from people because pf their wealth differential. In this video he mentions quite a number of things that will cause you to "Think". 

The nicest thing a wealthy person can do is to welcome people, accommodate them, share their knowledge, open their hearts, share a meal with those who they say of of low status, guide, impart, empower, and transform their lives. 

I recently had a chat with my wife and we were talking about a story that has been shared countless times on WhatsApp forums. The story is about a rich man who used to give his condolences (money, here in Uganda, we call it "Mabugo") instead of going for a funeral. His money would speak for him. One day he lost someone and his gate was wide open and no one entered, the locals decided to do the same thing he always did, they sent their "Mabugo-Condolence money" instead of going to mourn with him. Why did they do that? instead of walk through his gate. This kind of alienation brings about Isolation, when it is time for mourning, more than ever we need humanity more than money. 

It is written that it is better to be in the house of mourning than of laughter. In times of pain, people need a touch, words of kindness and comfort, they need warmth more than the material resources we send them and above all they need is "You"- 

People comfort better than money does, people have feelings, money doesn't. People understand, money doesn't, it only facilitates many processes, as you give money, give more of yourself. 

My encouragement to someone out there reading this is that as you grow, don't be far from humanity be close to it. Theodore Roosevelt once said, that, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care"

#Transform #Impact #Empower

4 lessons I learned from not getting a salary for 3 months

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay 

One of the greatest fears we have as men and women is the fear of not being able to provide for our families. In today's world, one of the toughest things to be is a "Salary Earner" and that is because the only means of survival is that paycheck at the end of the month. With COVID19, we have seen how there have been news on many WhatsApp groups that some companies or institutions were going to pay salaries for certain months, such news can be devastating especially if it is the only means of survival. 

I know how it has been written that you can never grow wealth only on Salary, I totally agree but I also know it is the starting point for very many people. 

Even the ones who start SMEs or business ventures on the side, somehow they need employees, whom they will need to pay a salary, but yeah Salary Alone Isn't Enough, It's only too bad that the employer will be the one benefiting from the employee, so the onus is on the employee to know when and how to use their time as an employee effectively.

Many men and women towards the end of the month wait for that beep on their phone, if the money delays, that is the cause for stress because the demands that also keep coming in all need money to facilitate the processes. It is dangerous not to receive money you expect. At one point wifey is saying, "We need this", the children are saying they need to go swimming, etc. and all those queries need money to facilitate the process.

It isn't so long when yours truly had an experience of no salary for about 3 months. It was an interesting experience because hey! I did learn a ton of lessons. The experience I had was like that of someone who is so used to getting something and then all of a sudden it is no more. It's like knowing in Uganda we shall always have food then suddenly famine befalls us for way longer than expected. It is like a child waiting for their favorite dish but they have to go along with baked beans or porridge without sugar.

These are the four things I learned.

1. A day will come when the Salary Job will be no more, it could be at retirement time or during the process of my lifetime

With this in mind, you always have to work planning your exit or knowing that the system will kick you out when you reach a certain age. When you still have the opportunity to make the money and you are still young, this is when you can afford to venture into something, you shouldn't have to be afraid to make mistakes because in any case how will you learn. By the time you retire, you shouldn't be asking yourself what you should do with the money you will have got, you will be probably boosting what you already have. You just can't do certain mistakes when you are of age. So do something now. If it's putting up those rental units, this is the time, not when you are retired or about to retire.

2. If the job is no more, can I live and sustain the kind of lifestyle I desire

We always have a certain lifestyle we live in. When the job is no more, can you still live the way you have been living? If you don't have other income streams bringing the same amount of money or more, you won't be able to sustain, you will only have to cut or scale down your life.

3. The bills will keep coming and they need to get cleared

I realized that I had to pay bills, yes salary wasn't coming but the bills were, so this forced me to think and do something that could enable me to get money. I started a business of selling trays of eggs to people within my circle and I also signed up for Uber, so I became an uber driver. 

4. Can I do other things to make money aside from what I have been used too (This calls for having a Skill)

For some people when money isn't coming as expected. They will resort to quick loans with the hope that when we get paid, "we shall pay the money". This way of thinking isn't sustainable because you jump from one problem to another and debt can become a trap you don't want to get hooked too. As I wrote above, I started a small business of selling trays of eggs and it was good and profitable. Uber brought in much-needed money which enabled me to pay rent, take care of my wife and two children, and a maid at that time. 

You might be having skills that have been dormant, is it creating websites, baking, teaching, etc. This could probably be the time to harness your skills and keep nurturing it by learning whatever it takes to improve.

The last thing I want to say is that Salary is good but it can also enslave. Our minds can be glued to that as the only source yet we have been gifted with talents, opportunities but we somehow don't explore them for one or two reasons. As you work and get that beep at the end of the month, ask yourself how you can earn the same and much more even while still working. Receiving a salary isn't paying yourself, you have to use that same money to pay yourself too before the bills get paid.

#Transform #Impact #Empower