In my quest to be great, one of the things I have found unavoidable is money. The more I have misused it, the more I have regretted. Most people I have interacted with through this column show that money is an issue they struggle with or for.
We have seen retrenchments this year within a short space of time and the major driving force was the lack of money to pay employees. Some of them are crying for bonuses because, to them the 13th cheque is normal, but they can’t get it now because of the economic situation. This made me to think, if individuals continue to struggle. How can we help pay ourselves better? Your employer can never pay you what to want, but what to live by; you have to be able to earn the money you want.
Money is not for showing off
There is this inexplicable feeling that most people have when they handle large sums of money. To some it drives them to indulge more. Some people, when they where young, would buy toys if their parents gave them money, now they have grown to love bigger toys such as fancy and flashy cars. Those are indulgences that have kept them stuck to concurrent money problems. A friend got a bank loan and they bought a lounge suite. That’s what is called bad debt, which is what most people do.
Master money rules/education
Money has rules that must be mastered. Benjamin Franklin has this famous quote I love to use in my talks, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”. Learn the rules of the money game and you will excel. The greatest step towards your net worth is money education. Robert Kiyosaki in his book, You Can Choose To Be Rich says: “There is gold everywhere. Most people aren’t trained to see it”.
Avoid money black holes
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
With money, everyone is tempted to spend on all niceties, but it takes self-control to be wealthy or rich. Most of the problems we see around us, are because of money issues. Married couples are at times fighting because of money matters. Management, saving and investment of money is one of the things that must be included in school curriculum. Our money mind blueprint has to be reconditioned. Avoid, at all costs, all spending traps, unnecessary debt, and impulse buying.
Think right and straight
Some people think money is the cause of the problems we see around us. Some say money is the solution to the problems. Whichever way to think of money, it is always neutral, it takes the mould of the holder. One can spend it on drugs and alcohol and the other can spend it on charity. The misconception with most people is that they have misinterpreted a bible scripture by saying money is the root of all evil. Citing verbatim, the Bible says “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6: 10). Note “love” in that sentence. T. Harve Eker, in his book, Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind, who has also endorsed one of my forthcoming books wrote, “If you want to move to move to a higher level of life, you have to be willing to let go of some of your old ways of thinking and adopt new ones”. Because “Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought” (Napoleon Hill in his book Think And Grow Rich).
Pay yourself first
There is a programme called Financial Freedom, hosted by a Bulawayo Church called Wealthy Word and I learnt a concept that drastically changed my life. A bank manager at FBC, Judge Dube said we should learn to pay ourselves first. Of all the income we get, we should pay ourselves 10%. He said most people are good at paying others first. They pay things such as water, phone, and electricity bills first and they have nothing left to pay themselves. Robert Kiyosaki in his book, You Can Choose To Be Rich says: “By paying yourself first, you’ll become financially stronger and better equipped to vanquish the bullies”.
Give money
The bible says give and it shall be given back to you. When I first tried to master this rule and exercise it, I would feel as though my money had been taken away. You know there was that bad feeling that followed. I don’t know if ever you have felt that when you gave out money? Money is also meant to be given away. The more you don’t give money the higher you clog its flow. Joe Vitale (2003) in his book, Greatest Money-Marking Secret In History says: “The key is to be in the flow. When you give and receive, you are participating in the flow of life”.
Money seems to be in specific relationships. Do you know that there are friends that are constantly looking for means to siphon money from you? What they think of is where to find the next beer spot to spend the money. Because of mindsets, people you associate with will have a larger say in your financial affairs. Its either they lower the temperature or increase it.
Just a quick survey; what’s the income range of your friends/associates? Add their earning monthly income and divide it by their total number. How far it is from your monthly earnings? If you are always the only one with money in your group I would advise you to look for a better group.
I am not a millionaire, yet, but I have friends in the millions and they have changed the way I look at money and my psychology for it. Poor people work for money; wealthy people make money work for them. You should not be a servant of money but money should be your servant. Poor people are constantly spending money; rich people are always looking for opportunities to invest money. Rich people grow their income, poor people guzzle their income. With rich people when money is not enough, they see it as seed money and plant it. Poor people eat the seed and they have no harvest at all.
Poor people are blaming their surroundings, situations or circumstances, rich people create a life they want. Rich people have an inner locus; meaning they use their inner potential to be wealthy or make life happen to them. Poor people think life happens to them. They have an outer locus. They blame everything else to justify their poverty leaving themselves out. Rich people work towards their riches, while poor people only wish to be rich some day.
Rich people see obstacles as a means to bring a solution and reap from it. Poor people see obstacles as true impediments. Why not associate with the rich? T. Harve Eker said, “Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people”.
This column cannot exhaust all the money rules that must be mastered. Let’s meet on yet another column as we delve deeper into money issues.
lJonah Nyoni is an author, success coach and leadership trainer. He can be contacted on 0772 581 918 or email: [email protected]
