April Fools’ Day happened yesterday.
This day has been popular since medieval
times, where people play practical jokes
and hoaxes on each other. It is amazing
to see the creativity involved with the
jokes taking place. Did you hear about
the one where a teenager stuffed
doughnuts with mayonnaise and gave
them to his friends?
It is a good time to write this piece
since many things appear to be
different than what they actually are.
It’s the same with money — people look
like they are wealthier than they
actually are. Since we have so much
borrowing power readily available
these days, it is easy to appear to
be successful.
Have you ever thought about this?
We look at other people who seem
to be happy and successful with their
lifestyle and wonder what their secret
is. However, if you look behind the
scenes, you will find that they are
just one or two paychecks away
from financial catastrophe.
Really think about this for a moment.
This is where the seventh and final
philosophy comes into play.
Which lifestyle seems right to you?
1. Financial independence is the lifestyle of Success
Or
2. Borrowing an image is the lifestyle of Success
I will borrow a quote from Will Smith,
the famous actor who starred in blockbuster
films such as Men in Black, Independence Day,
and Pursuit of Happyness. He says this:
“Too many people spend money they
haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t
want, to impress people they don’t like.”
Smith really hits home with his comment
on what is really happening with people
and their money.
There is a must-read out there which
will sums up what I am talking about.
It is called The Millionaire Next Story.
Authors Tom Stanley and William Danko
wanted to investigate how people
became wealthy. They found something
different than what the tabloids and media
portray as wealth: the majority of the
wealthy don’t live the champagne and caviar
lifestyle or reside in an affluent neighborhood.
They reported in the book that these
millionaires had a common set of values.
They lived well below their means and worked
toward financial independence instead of
trying to flaunt their high social status.
This book has some great insight into
wealth and reinforces what the Money on Your Terms
philosophies are all about.
So whatever lifestyle you are currently living,
I hope that I have made an impact on the
choice to pursue financial independence.
Too many people are trying to borrow
happiness and success, and have been
fooled by it. I have been fooled many
times in my own life, but when I started
living by the seven philosophies of
Money on Your Terms, I found that
I would never be fooled again.