Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears. Tony Robbins
I listened to a podcast yesterday on rules for wealth. I wrote down a few points: In the West, wealth is displayed, in China wealth is stored. Knowledge is the only asset no one can steal. Embrace patience and compound growth, and define a goal for your grandchildren that you will never meet. Never sell your house impulsively.
When I think of the last one, I’m thinking of assets, not just a house. I remember sitting at our kitchen table with someone who had quite a few investments when the market went down. He was panicking, and being an older gentleman, didn’t have time to make back the money he lost, but by selling, he solidified his loss.
If we can hold on during a bad time, we often won’t realize the loss. The housing market goes down, but if we don’t sell, it will come back up, and we will not be affected. What of us who are in a transition phase in our lives? We sold our condo in a time of falling condo prices; we had two children and a business in a two-bedroom condo. We tried to get out before the price fell, but we, and everyone else priced it too high and didn’t sell.
We sold before we bought, not wanting to be caught with two properties we couldn’t afford. Looking back, what advice would I give to the young couple we were starting out? We got caught up in the idea, that if we don’t do something, we will forever be locked out of the market. It wasn’t true then, and it’s probably not true now, but it feels like it, and we often move like a herd. When everyone is buying, we want in, and when everyone is selling, we want out.
In your darkest hour, give thanks, for, in due time, the morning will come. And it will come with a ray of sunshine. Michael Bassey Johnson
Warren Buffett’s advice is to buy when everyone is panicing and sell when everyone is greedy. Great advice, but if it were easy to adhere to, we’d all be rich. We watched the real estate market go up, up, and up, long past what we thought it could continue to grow. We only know the top and bottom looking back, so purchasing a house or an investment is a judgment call. I remember reading that a millionaire said in the thirties,, when he got stock tips from the shoe-shine boy, he knew it was time to sell.
How do we handle uncertainty? Can we trust that we will be okay? Can we do the best we can today, be grateful for the gifts we have, and let tomorrow take care of itself? It sounds great, but when we are in the midst of a situation, it can be the hardest advice to follow. Who do we turn to when life is tumultuous and uncertain? If we have faith in a higher power, we can access the strength we don’t have on our own. Karl Marx said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” He felt religion prevented people from confronting the root causes of their problems.
What if belief in a higher power gives us the strength and courage to deal with what is, confront our problems, and lead a better life? What if, even if there is no higher power, believing in one elevates our lives and helps us overcome the challenges before us, and gives us the courage to lead a better life?
Faith is belief in something without proof. We believe in our ability to do things before we do them, if we didn’t, we would never have the courage to do anything. Does prayer give us strength to get through tough times, and gratitude help us to see and appreciate what we have?
If we enjoy and are grateful for what we have today, do we worry less about tomorrow? Is it easier to have the attitude that there is more where that came from when we are grateful? Is cultivating an attitude of gratitude one of the best practices we can pursue?
Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace. Arianna Huffington
The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for. Norman Vincent Peale
Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance. Eckhart Tole
Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read more, have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.
