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No reality TV, just REALITY!
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| No reality TV, just REALITY! |
| 04.16.04 (7:21 pm) [edit] |
So I don't watch much TV, except maybe the Sunday NBA games on ABC (if Dallas is playing). No cable. Shady antenna to get reception from San Diego networks and that's about it. A DVD rental now and then. What is all the buzz about these new reality shows? Why do these people try to get on a show to make a million? Why not put that effort towards their own life and simply be more productive? And did you know that the average millionaire does not gamble?
The odds of landing on one of these reality shows is probably better than the odds of winning the lottery. But still, the bottom line is that your fate is OUT OF YOUR HANDS. That's a big deal for me. I like to be in control. Nope, not like a control freak. Just being in control....like guiding my own ship. Make the decisions. Do the research. Study what to invest in. Know what to avoid. Think for yourself. Decide. Grow. Take chances. This is my Reality Show, and it is getting good ratings by the audience, the man in the mirror.
So why all the buzz about me trying to go out and get a million dollars in 5 years? Money will not make me happy. This challenge does. And I will be able to do the things I want. More choices. I can help others or buy myself a plane ticket to Dallas to catch the Mavericks in the post season. Or I can set up a $10,000 scholarship for college students. Or I can leave a big tip at a restaurant.
Bottom line is that money yields more choices. And it grows. Reminds me of one of the best books I have ever read: The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. Read it. I'll compose a book list later but this one sticks out the most on financial wellness. I'll never forget the first time I had all of my college debt and moving debt payed off and I started to save my income. The first time I set $20 into my ING Direct online bank. At the time it was 6% interest or so. After 2 weeks I made 2 cents in interest. It was the biggest 2 cents in the world. My money was making money for the first time in my life. No more college loans, no more accumulated credit card debt. All my purchases were paid off each month (with cash back from Discover to boot!) and all extra cash started to go into the interest drawing account. And then something funny happened: The interest I was making started to grow also! Yeah, we all know this stuff....and we learn it in school and hear about it from our parents. But when the gold that you made in interest starts to lay their own little golden eggs, something odd happens inside. Do it. Experience it for yourself. Stop borrowing and start saving. Interest rates suck right now but your money still grows. I highly recommend the Clawson Book because it teaches several fundamental lessons that start you off in the right direction. Then the momentum sets in. Combined with good spending habbits (you gotta read The Millionaire Next Door or The Millionaire Mind) and even more savings, I was even more prepared to make my first home purchase. And that has made all the difference. Risky, but now something else happens: I pay myself rent money. And that is empowering.
The "Haves" and "Have nots". That is our society. The side we fall into is the side we chose. Decipline, thriftness, and hard work, as well as the desire to make something in the world...to take the world for a test drive instead of sitting back and watching OTHERS on TV make their world amazing. That's my reality show. Stay tuned.
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posted by: SheSpecies (reply)
post date: 05.15.04 (3:48 pm)
Money will not MAKE you happy...but I certainly does buy you opportunities the "have nots" can not afford.
I'm with you on this one 100%.
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