Tag: Money

Giving Back

I remember hearing or reading somewhere there is a saying, it goes something like, to those whom much is given, much is expected. We could look at this from many perspectives, for today, I am looking at the aspect of helping others.

I have always had a feeling and a desire to help others. When we have money, it is easy to make a donation. We can drop some coins in the kettle, have a monthly gift taken out of the check, attend a gala, or just write a check ourselves. What do we do when we don’t have funding for ourselves?

Working as a member of the military for most of my life and then putting kids through school, there were occasions when I understood the lack of personal funding. And yet, it never stopped me from helping others. Donating money, if you have it, is an easy way to help others. There are other ways which are sometimes a little bit more challenging.

Whenever I don’t have money to donate, I like to give time. Donating money is not cheap, yet you can always earn more money. Money becomes a renewable resource. If you donate your time, you are giving a nonrenewable resource which you cannot replenish. And yet there is a beautiful trade-off here.

When I donate time, I do give a nonrenewable resource which I know I will not be able to recoup. In exchange, though, I received terrific gifts in return. I am able to connect with people and talk with them. I learn new things that I consider important because the lessons come from those who actually live the knowledge they have to share. I may have a chance to make somebody’s day better. Having given this donation of time, no matter how grueling, I almost always walk away knowing that I feel better for the opportunity and the experience.

You don’t have to have something formal or participate through an organization, sometimes helping a neighbor rake the leaves or sit on the porch and talk with a neighbor who might be lonely is all it takes. If you play catch with the kids in the neighborhood and talk with them, you are positively molding the future.

Think about it. Because the real trick is, doing something good for someone else really does something good for you.

Thank you for being here today I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Learn a Different Perspective

I don’t think it’s a secret that I believe in continuous learning. Right now, I’m taking a course online to become a certified life coach. I have worked with people most of my life, as a coworker, a trainer, as a mentor, and as a manager. I like working with people and helping them to learn new ways and best practices.

I honestly believe you’re never too young to learn; and, you are never too old. Although I have done coaching most of my life, with the new courses I am taking, I have had several aha moments. It is always good to look at what you do in a new way. Taking a different look will usually give you a fresh perspective.

When you look at learning something new or learning something in a different point of view, the question is not money. Instead, the issue is time. I know we’ve talked a lot about time versus money this week. Yet this is very true. I have bought courses for thousands of dollars. I have also taken classes for between $10 and $20 that were almost as good. And, I have enjoyed free courses online which were really able to help me to understand the basics.

Even if you don’t have a computer, that is okay. Your local library is a marvelous place. Libraries have books they will loan you for free as long as you bring them back on time. And, there are often programs and classes at the libraries which could help you to learn.  All you need to do is block off the time you need to meet learning head-on and learn something new.

Have a great day.

GOT TIME?

Do you know what’s worse than a photographic mind? No film. I guess I must go digital. If only I had more memory…

I know you’ve heard me tell you before that time is more important and more precious than money. If you need money, you can always go out and earn money. When it comes to time, we are only given so much on this earth. Good luck getting an extra hour. I just don’t think that happens.

To use your time wisely, everyone tells you to write down a list of things you have to do. Yet, that is only half the equation. You need to know all the things you have to do. You also need to see a list of what is most important to you. Start with a list of what is most important to you.

Although this is a list of what is most important, start by writing down everything you can think of that is important to you. Then, go back and number the items on the list, with one being the most important, two the next most important, and so on. Then you can rearrange that list or rewrite it in the correct order, most important on down.

Now, figuring you only have 24 hours in a day and between seven and eight of those hours should be spent in sleep. The question becomes, ‘what the most important things are, and what can you do for the rest of the time?’ Please remember that paying the utility bill may not be more important than some other things. Getting the bill paid, can be urgent if you don’t want to watch TV by candlelight.

This is just something for you to consider and it may help to make your life a little bit easier.

If you do not think you have more ways you can make money easier than time, please send me a comment with an email, and I will send you some info and also offer you a free 20-minute call where we could discuss some of your options.

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