Money, money, money...

What is my attitude toward money? Throughout my life I have had very different views and created various "lenses" through which I saw it. Luckily I have had the opportunity, particularly in the past few years, to read, hear, and learn from those who had a healthier view of money. They weren't scared of money like I was, I was scared to have it and scared not to have it. The lack of money in my early marriage and our fear of drowning in a sea of bills and debt created a very hostile environment for us. We were unhappy with each other and blame was spread around. Those  individuals who knew better then me have taught me some important things to help guide my view. First, they taught me to stop being afraid of it, money is just an object, albeit an important one, and there are more than a million ways to get some if you want it. Second, they taught me that by giving it away, I would be more likely to succeed. Giving, not being greedy with the money we get, is the best way to live and provides the best breeding ground for financial wealth. Plus, we must remember that our life on this earth has no set time frame, we never know when it will be over and our physical money will not accompany us to the other side. However the good works we are able to accomplish with it and the people we can touch for the better can be our legacy forever.

So of the 6 rules that Stephan W. Gibson gave for prospering,
"Rule 1. Seek the Lord and have hope in him
  Rule 2. Keep the commandments, that includes the temporal ones, tithing and fast offerings.
  Rule 3. Think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant.
  Rule 4. Take advantage of chances for learning so you will not be ignorant of these matters.              Education, as President Hinckley has taught us, is the Key to Opportunity. Rule
  5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are predicated. Rule
  6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty or the sick or those who are held captive."

I believe rule #3 is where I am working on right now. Using what money we have to create an environment which is self reliant, is my next big financial goal. There are so many things that lend themselves to this like, year supplies and gardening, learning skills like sewing and repair, creating a financial reserve and investing smartly, staying out of debt and sticking to a budget, and so many other areas that can help.

Humble

          I love how Taylor Richards of Taylors boats was so humbled and surprised each year that they made the it onto the top 100 boat dealers list. I would say that many people would be thinking they were, or at least hoping that they were number one. And even thought they ranked near the top ten percent, they were humble and grateful for it.
           As successful as I hope to become I don't ever want to "expect" to be number one. I want to strive for number one, but I want to always remain gracious and hopefully delightfully surprised if I were to be told I was near the top. Humility in business combined with an ethic of hard work and integrity feels like a winning combination.

     I loved reading, "A Message to Garcia" from the Acton Foundation. I will definitely refer back to this as I engage in leading my own business and hiring my employees. I liked some of the advice they offered like making employment conditional, making sure to only keep those who have proven their worth. They said, "Underachievers may change over time, but only if they make the decision to change themselves. Your assignment is to get the job done, not run a counseling service for underachievers". I thought this was insightful, having been on the hiring, and being hired end of an employment situation. There were times when I have had to continually coach, cheer-lead, and at times drag an employee through their own daily tasks. I am also sure that there have been instances that I have been under-qualified and unassertive enough to be that employee as well. In both instances, time, energy, and moral were lost. This need not happen to any company who is able to put more thought and quality into hiring new human resources.
     I also loved the advice to, "Find a “deep burning need” you care about. Your lifelong mission will be more fulfilling if it serves the needs of others. Look for opportunities or injustices that speak to your heart. Find where your gifts, tasks you enjoy and a “deep burning need” intersect and you will have found your calling." This has been the biggest idea I have been pondering this semester. There are many ways to make money, but I want to find the right one for me.