What does Success mean to you? Part 4
A couple days ago we talked about what success means and how it different from one person to the next. We also discussed that to on a general and very basic level being successful is about being able to spend time doing the things you want most, or things you need to do the most.
I make this distinction because you might consider yourself a success and it does not need to include fortune and fame. Unless that is what success means to you.
Today I am going to discuss a touchy subject. That of money.
Recently a closely loved family member had a stroke. While she is in rehabilitation right now, it was a very trying time for my family. Most people would need to take time off from work to take care of the details, help with the costs, or simply to visit that person in the hospital.
But to me, a measure of my success is that I do not have to inconvenience my life to take time to do so.
You will hear many people say that success is to make money. But so what. Money is not everything,. And to some people, it is more trouble then it is worth. Ask any lottery winner how many “so called” friends pop up once you have money.
The trick to it is to have enough money that you do not need to worry about money.
As a good friend once said to me “Derek, I am not saving for a rainy day, instead it could rain for a year and I would still be ok.”
He is what I consider to be a successful real estate investor. He does not own a casino like Donald Trump, but he does take vacations, he eats well, and can afford to attend all of his daughter’s school functions. Can you?
How much money does it take to get past a rainy day? Would enough to cover an extra mortgage payment be enough? Or are you more worried about what to eat next week? What if you lost your job next week? Or a loved one was hospitalized?
The average person will not be able to retire at 65. The Federal Government has seen to that. Forget about Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Health care. If you have money you cannot get some of these things, and the others you will need to have a lot of money to cover the outrageous costs.
So how much is enough? It all depends on your lifestyles. The more extravagant that you want to live, the more you will need. Can you live without the creature comforts? If not, then you better get off your ass and start doing something about it.
Want to know why? Because no one else will do it for you! You know how o work for a living. Right? Now save your pennies and retire. Not so simple.
So you will need some money, and in the next few weeks we will discuss some of the ways to make more money. Hopefully to do so in a manner that will give you more time as well.
To your future success.
Derek Wood
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