Let’s Plant Life Seeds!- Seed #4: WEALTH

There are 5 things things in life that we know are important, but do not treat with much importance. You see, simply knowing is useless until what we know is applied and manifested in our behavior or actions.

Let me give you 2 simple facts:

1. OUR TIME ON EARTH IS LIMITED. The average life expectancy of a person is 78.8 years according to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

2. WHAT YOU PLANT IN YOUR EARLY YEARS, YOU WILL REAP IN YOUR LATER YEARS.

Some people would see our life as a book, and we’re the authors.
For this time, I want us to picture our life as a garden and we’re the gardeners planting the seeds that we will reap later in our life.

For today, let’s talk about Seed #4: WEALTH. 🙂

“Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.”-Proverbs 21:5

Before we go further, let me first tell you that I am not a wealthy person and no, I am not financial guru either! In fact, like many of you, I am also just starting to learn how to properly manage my finances.

But I wanted to share with you 3 Principles that I have learned thru reading and listening from experts on money matters.

1. Smart Spending Formula.
Are you the person who uses this formula?

INCOME- TITHES (a.k.a. Eternal Investment)  and EXPENSES (a.k.a. Present needs)= SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS (a.k.a. Future Investments)

If so, then STOP doing that. This budget formula will not help you grow financially. Instead, I recommend that you to try this other formula.

INCOME- TITHES and SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS = EXPENSES .

Some people do not grow financially because they spend first and then save whatever is left after. Unfortunately in most cases, there would only be just a few amount or nothing left for the Savings!

The bottom line is we should take care of our future first before we spend for the present.

2. Live Simply- Invest on people, not on things.
Another reason why some people do not grow financially is that when their income increases, their expenses also increases!

You don’t need to buy a new clothes every time you get your paycheck. You don’t need to buy the newest gadgets or cellphone when you get your salary increase. You don’t need to get a new car or house when you get your bonus or commission.

Live simply and enjoy the more simple pleasures in life.
Have stroll along the park with loved ones. Movie nights with the kids during weekend at home. And potluck picnics with friends.

We don’t need to spend a lot to enjoy and have a good time. 🙂

When Income increases, it should be the Tithes and Savings or Investments that increase along with it. When your income grow, don’t let your expenses grow with it.

3. Be Generous. Help when needed.
Somebody wise said that generosity is the start of blessings. “Generosity is opening your palm, because when you open your palm then you are ready to receive…”

God blesses a cheerful giver. So let’s all learn to share our blessings! 🙂

Let’s nurture the seed of financial abundance so that we can enjoy more and share to others the blessings in life!

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Did you miss the previous Seeds? Read them here.

Because You Can!

“JUST DO IT!”- NIKE slogan

Sometimes, when I go to the grocery store, there are some free taste for new products. And even if I very much wanted to try it out, I feel very shy and I just passed on them…OR when I finally master my courage, the free taste samples are no longer there because a lot of people have already taken advantage of them, and then I would feel disappointed on myself…and a little sad too, and maybe even mad if I really really like the product!

You see, this scenario is also applicable in other real life situations. How many of us has passed on opportunities because we feel like we’re not worthy of it? OR we feel like we don’t really have what it takes to do it? OR we fall short to match the criteria? OR we think that there’s another person more suitable for it? OR because we failed before and we’re going to fail again? OR…OR…OR…And  yet every time we say “NO” to these opportunities, we feel bad for that decision because we feel and know deep in our hearts that we could do it and succeed!

I have  experienced these not only once or twice or three times, but more… and I feel awful every time. Especially when I know that I am better than the person who grabbed that opportunity; or when I know that I have the skill and knowledge to take that chance; and more so when I know that it could have been the life-changing moment for me.

You see, there is abundance of possibilities and blessings in life, and all it takes for us is to have the courage to say YES! When they come knocking to our door, we should not think that we do not deserve them or that other people deserve them more than we do. Believe it or not, YOU ARE WORTHY. Until you recognize that, you will never get the chance to take advantage of the freebies that life offers. So go ahead, don’t be shy and take your fair share! 🙂

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Happy Thoughts: Life & Gratitude

“LIFE is beautiful in the sight of Grateful eyes.”

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Why We Should Not Settle

Some of us want so much more in life- we want more money. We want a bigger house. We want to a better job. We want to have more time with loved ones. We want to have more time to do the things that we’re passionate about. BUT WE SETTLE WITH WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

Why? Probably because we are afraid of the unknown- we do not know for sure what’s going to happen when we take risks- we might even lose what we already have. OR possibly because we’re afraid to fail. Why suffer the blow of failure and hurt our self-esteem, right? OR perhaps we’re thinking, why ask for more when “this” is already working? OR maybe we have simply won in making ourselves believe that it is impossible to dream big and realize it.

I tell you what- the world offers abundance of possibilities and God wants you to have those. 

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Sadly, not many people is are able to enjoy these possibilities because some of us are not courageous enough to try and seek out our dreams. Only the people with enough courage, and only those who are not afraid to take risks, get to experience these possibilities. Only the people who get out of their comfort zones and are willing to embrace failures will experience more success and happiness. You will never know how much you can get from this world if you do not dream and work hard for your dream.

If you are not satisfied with your life now, it is time to create your new story and start living it. No one else is holding you back but yourself.

• Don’t focus on what you do not have. Focus on what you have and work on that. Master your gift to unleash your potential, and you’ll be amaze to find out how much you can do.
• Use people. Ask help from those who have been there. Get assistance from people who are expert on the field. Get yourself a good mentor who inspires you. Whether you like it or not, you will need the help of others.
• Make time to do that one thing that you love. One day you might wake up and realize it may be too late for you to pursue your dream or passion.
• Don’t be afraid to fail. As Paulo Coelho so aptly wrote, “When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.”
• Listen to your heart. I love how Steve Jobs put it, “Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” I could not agree more.

Remember, you are the author of your own life. You can always change your story. You are the driver of your life. You can always change your route. Your future depends solely on the decisions and actions that you make now.

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