Poverty To Prosperity

This is an age old problem that seems to never go away. How do you end poverty completely and is it even possible? I believe that there is an answer to this question, and believe it or not, the Government is not it. The answer is YOU! The way you think, the way you learn, and the actions you take all determine where you end up. If you can work, then you can change your future. I always remember the true story, made into a movie, where Will Smith plays a homeless man that constantly faces challenges and disappointments in his life. The point of the story is that he never gives up and ultimately he achieves what so many people claim to be impossible. The movie is called “The Pursuit of Happyness” If you haven’t seen it you should!

Here’s the thing, YOU can do it too! The great news is that just living in the United States alone, gives you some great advantages. More people are starting their own businesses today than ever before. You just need some ideas to help you use the abilities that you already possess. Here are a few to help you get started.

THINK POSITIVE!

I have heard people limit themselves more by the words they speak, than the action they take. After all, it’s the words they speak that cause the action, or in this case the lack of it. If you believe there is nothing you can do, then you believe there is no action to take. Think about what you have to do to remedy the situation instead of moaning and groaning about the problem. I am positive that there is a solution if you look hard enough. Your mindset is the number one reason you can’t get ahead. Change your mindset.

• “Whatever is expressed is impressed. Whatever you say to yourself, with emotion, generates thoughts, ideas and behaviors consistent with those words.” – Brian Tracy

READ, READ, READ!

I talk a lot about reading because I believe in it so much! You do not have to have lots of money to learn how to improve your chances of success, just a library card. Go to your local library right now and check out just two books, and make a goal of reading each book in less than two weeks. I would recommend starting with these two books:

1. 48 Days To the Work You Love by Dan Miller

2. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

• “Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.” – Bell Hooks

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!

AVOID the lottery, pay day loan companies, credit cards and loans, rent-to-own stores, new vehicles, get rich quick schemes, toys of any variety, and anything that the Government offers you as a long term solution. Government assistance is okay to accept as long as you see it as temporary, and not a permanent solution. Get the help you need, and then move on. You are your own economy! Avoid people who are negative minded. Instead surround yourself with people that motivate and inspire you, and who have similar goals!

• “Debt is the worst poverty.” – Thomas Fuller

HAVE A FINANCIAL PLAN!

The absence of a financial plan can derail the best of us. Start a budget now! Tell every single dollar where to go by giving it a name on paper. Use envelopes to pay for items with cash to avoid overspending. DO NOT borrow money anymore, for any reason! (Baby Step 1) SAVE $500 as your Emergency Fund to cover when life happens. Cut items from your budget that is not considered necessity. After you have done all that, start paying off any debt that you may have acquired up to this point. (Baby Step 2) List your debts smallest to largest while focusing all of your attention on the smallest debt. For a complete list of Baby Steps, click here.

• “Any system or blueprint for success is better than none at all. Think on paper.” – Brian Tracy

FIND WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR INCOME!

There is an unlimited variety of things that you could do to bring in extra income aside from your full-time job. Even if you work two jobs you can increase your income by simply being creative. Can you cut grass, clean houses, paint, deliver pizzas, wait tables, deliver papers, or provide a service of any kind? Do you have the internet? If so, there are tons of opportunities to make extra money. Ebay and Craigslist are among the most popular. Have a garage sale! Sell everything but the kids! What is your full-time job skill? Is it possible to use that to bring in extra money? The list could go on and you are the best person to figure out what you can do. You must act NOW! If you are struggling with what your current job pays, you can’t afford to keep that job!!

• “Today the greatest single source of wealth is between your ears.” – Brian Tracy

Your behavior and attitude will determine your success. If you continue to do the same things you are doing, you will continue to get the same things you have been getting. You must realize that YOU are in control of YOU! Someone else cannot fix your problems as well, if at all, better than you can! This is one of the hardest yet most rewarding lessons that I have ever learned. I changed the way my life was going because I realized that I could. Dave Ramsey often says, “Leave the cave, kill something and drag it home!”