Sometimes - no...many times - negative circumstances that happen in life just happen. It's that simple. There is no explanation to it. People like me look at our lives and see a string of non-stop negative circumstances, but fail to see the huge gaps of blissful positivity that is hanging right in front of our faces, just waiting to be grabbed and used to its fullest.
When I was a professing Christian, I built up an imaginary complex narrative between myself and God. I saw my life with God as a cat and mouse game. I would build up a small nest egg of money in my bank account and...BOOM!...God would cause life to happen, draining the funds - or so I told myself. I writhed in agony internally about it, shaking my spiritual fist in his direction, then turning to all my family and friends with a laugh and pretended life was perfect.
It took me many years to realize that negative circumstances in life tend to happen more to people who have fewer means to turn those circumstances into positive realities. What is the best way to do that?
One word - MONEY!
Yes. If I hadn't listened to stupid mailings that preached, "BE YOUR OWN BOSS AND FIRE 'THE MAN'" and "CORPORATE AMERICA WILL NEVER LET YOU SUCCEED!", I might have put greater stock in going to a reputable college and beginning my career long before I had five children and a mature marriage. And yet, I didn't. Thus, we struggled through odd jobs and a sales career that never really took off.
If you don't have money, every little negative circumstance in life feels like a hard punch to your gut. All car problems fit into this category. Medical issues not covered by insurance. Job losses with no savings to back up the few months out of work due to living paycheck to paycheck. Credit card balances being paid off with your tax returns, rather than enjoying an annual vacation like everyone else. Name a problem that requires just a little bit more money and I can tell you how and where I experienced it.
As life moved forward, we moved from the poor to the lower middle class as I went back to school and we made some excellent financial decisions. We are currently considered lower middle class for our family size and have breathing room where those nagging life issues simply don't have the same effect on our psyche.
Even so, if you consider money to be the answer to your life's problems, when you don't currently have it, you will still suffer those feelings of worthlessness and inferiority. So, don't think about money. Simply look forward to the next decision in life toward hitting your success goals and learn from the current crisis. Money may follow, or it might not.
Don't buy that kind of car again. Don't use that mechanic. When you hear that noise, get the car in right away. Learn when a car is on its last leg and don't pour any money into it after that. Brush your teeth and the teeth of your children. Attend preventative medical checkups. Use every single available means of assistance so all your hard earned dollars go to bettering your life.
Do the little things right and treat them like stepping stones, all the while, keeping your focus downstream and enjoying the heck out of your present condition. Always pay attention to the human community of family and friends around you. As you grow from poor to better, they will be the most important part of your life. Then, when you finally make it, reward them with your continued love and presence - with the added benefit of monetary pleasures.
When I was a professing Christian, I built up an imaginary complex narrative between myself and God. I saw my life with God as a cat and mouse game. I would build up a small nest egg of money in my bank account and...BOOM!...God would cause life to happen, draining the funds - or so I told myself. I writhed in agony internally about it, shaking my spiritual fist in his direction, then turning to all my family and friends with a laugh and pretended life was perfect.
It took me many years to realize that negative circumstances in life tend to happen more to people who have fewer means to turn those circumstances into positive realities. What is the best way to do that?
One word - MONEY!
Yes. If I hadn't listened to stupid mailings that preached, "BE YOUR OWN BOSS AND FIRE 'THE MAN'" and "CORPORATE AMERICA WILL NEVER LET YOU SUCCEED!", I might have put greater stock in going to a reputable college and beginning my career long before I had five children and a mature marriage. And yet, I didn't. Thus, we struggled through odd jobs and a sales career that never really took off.
If you don't have money, every little negative circumstance in life feels like a hard punch to your gut. All car problems fit into this category. Medical issues not covered by insurance. Job losses with no savings to back up the few months out of work due to living paycheck to paycheck. Credit card balances being paid off with your tax returns, rather than enjoying an annual vacation like everyone else. Name a problem that requires just a little bit more money and I can tell you how and where I experienced it.
As life moved forward, we moved from the poor to the lower middle class as I went back to school and we made some excellent financial decisions. We are currently considered lower middle class for our family size and have breathing room where those nagging life issues simply don't have the same effect on our psyche.
Even so, if you consider money to be the answer to your life's problems, when you don't currently have it, you will still suffer those feelings of worthlessness and inferiority. So, don't think about money. Simply look forward to the next decision in life toward hitting your success goals and learn from the current crisis. Money may follow, or it might not.
Don't buy that kind of car again. Don't use that mechanic. When you hear that noise, get the car in right away. Learn when a car is on its last leg and don't pour any money into it after that. Brush your teeth and the teeth of your children. Attend preventative medical checkups. Use every single available means of assistance so all your hard earned dollars go to bettering your life.
Do the little things right and treat them like stepping stones, all the while, keeping your focus downstream and enjoying the heck out of your present condition. Always pay attention to the human community of family and friends around you. As you grow from poor to better, they will be the most important part of your life. Then, when you finally make it, reward them with your continued love and presence - with the added benefit of monetary pleasures.
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