Last night I have yet another epic and lucid dream... But there was a scene, which today listening to NPR and watching my Facebook feed I realized was a theme for me to address throughout the day and I can see how it worked it's way into my psyche.
A Note to my self:
Poverty, not poverty on a grand scale, but person to person.
Why are you poor?
Firstly poverty is a mindset of lack. I know this. I've learned this. And poverty can mean several things but I am talking about financial poverty.
In the dream I was talking with a friend and he bragged about living like a rich man but I observed him sitting at the cafe table, coffee in hand, and I observed his lifestyle in general to which I was compelled to answer, "You do not live like a rich man, you are poor. Do you know why? Because you think like a poor man. Do you know why? Because your parents taught you to be poor."
I went on explaining that we learn our parents habits. Debt, over spending, indulging in materialistic things to make up for the lack of financial wealth, but most importantly, a wasteful mindset, an un-empathetic one as well. One with no gratitude for what you do have and no humility. These things all fester in the poverty mindset.
And how to be rich?
Well there are several things but it starts with valuing people. Use money and love people not the other way around. And being mindful of your consumption. Do you really need that octopus necklace (I just bought one on eBay for a dollar, yes a dollar, but really?) You don't need it, even if it is on sale, even if it is cheap. It will not feed you, clothe you, or love you.
When to indulge in the material?
My dad (Who's known success) used to warn me about spending. He'd say, "Ask yourself, do I really want it? Can I really use it? Can I truly afford it?"
Those are good questions.
Adding to that he also reminded me, "Your paycheck today is for things tomorrow", though, not in those words. But yes. How many times do we spend all the money we earned in one weekend? Sure bills included. But that is not the end of it.
I sat down and made a spreadsheet and plugged in numbers and saw how every dollar counts a year from now.
There are infinite resources on how not to be poor, how to be financially stable even at $25K a year. There are people that get by on lower - and sure it becomes extremely difficult the less the income... But even so, living within your means and saving for those special treats is not that difficult.
You can indeed have a big screen TV and be poor and you can do so responsibly. We all deserve those things so long as we can appreciate them.
Anyway, that's all I have the energy to type... there are more thoughts but meh.
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