Tag: government

What are we teaching people and why it’s good to be different

When there is no consequence for poor work ethic, and no reward for good work ethic, there is no motivation.

If your home, your work, or your government does not have consequences (natural or imposed) for bad behavior, what is that teaching the individual with the bad behavior? Likewise, if there are no rewards to encourage the good behaviors, will people continue to do those good behaviors?

If you want more of something, give them encouragement. If you want people to stop doing something, you have to discourage it. This is a pretty simple idea that everyone understands.

So why is it different with the government? Whether they bail out banks for profiting off the sub-prime mortgage loans before it imploded, the car industry, or individual people (adding an extra $300 for unemployment)…it’s all the same. If there are no negative repercussions to mishandling your money, why should you stop? Be risky with your money to make a huge profit when things are going well and you get rewarded with huge paydays. Don’t worry about when things go sideways because the government will bail you out.

Most people don’t think of themselves as a business, but they should. You need to operate your finances in a way where you can survive (on your own) in good times and in bad.

It’s simple, but not easy for most people. They know they should set a budget, they should stick to them budget, they should try to work hard to increase their income (through pay raises or side hustles), they should decrease their frivolous spending habits, they should be in the black every month, they should invest towards their retirement, they should…they should…they should…

But how many people do what they should?

…

Not that many.

Be different than most people. If it means that you’re weird for having your finances together, then be weird. Who cares what other people think – about the house you live in, the car you drive, or the clothes you wear. Usually, they’re too busy thinking about their own situation to really notice yours anyways.

Influence vs. control

You can influence others, but you can’t control them. Others can influence you, but they can’t control you. You get to decide what you do or don’t do. Don’t blame someone else for “making” you do something or feel some way. They may have influence over you, but only you get to determine if they control you or not.

Let’s take that a step further and apply it to life circumstances. We don’t get to control what happens in our environment. We can influence it to an extent and it can influence us but we don’t control it and it doesn’t control us.

Don’t blame the economy, the government, the president, your boss, or anyone else for something that isn’t right in your life. They’re only a small part of the problem. The bigger part of the problem is your attitude and your actions.

The good news is that if you’re the majority of the problem, you’re also the majority of the solution. Work on fixing yourself and your life will get better. No matter the circumstances, you can always try to improve your situation by improving your attitude, being prepared, working hard, and being kind to others. If you do this everyday, you’ll soon find out that outside circumstances eventually have less and less influence (and absolutely no control) on your life.