“I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. “ – Philip
“Lord I believe. Help my unbelief.” – a desperate father

What do you believe?

a. “The earth is flat.”
b. “The moon is made of cheese.”
c. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
d. “I will be like God.”

The things we believe make a huge impact on who we are.

A. Columbus chose to believe that the world was very un-flat. He put his life and the life of his crew on the line to adjust our understanding and change the world.

B. NASA and the crew of Apollo 11 proved to the world that the moon is definitely not made of cheese. One small step for man and a giant step for mankind changed the world. Space travel is no longer a mystery.

C. Sticks and stones can indeed break bones. It’s that second part that we sometimes struggle with. What mechanisms do children and adults use to protect ourselves when we are threatened? We generally choose one of two options:

1. We become bigger than the threat or problem
   – The fight reflex
2. We become smaller than the threat or problem. We pretend that the threat is insignificant or that we are insignificant and should be left alone
   – The flight reflex

We might pretend that words can never hurt us, but, they usually do.

D. If you’re not familiar with that other belief I mentioned, look it up. It has caused nearly every problem faced by the human race since the beginning of time.

“For the believer there is no question. For the unbeliever, there is no answer.” – Anonymous

A Safe Secure Job

What we believe determines to a very large extent what and who we are.  We are all brought up with the notion that going to school, getting good grades and subsequently getting a safe secure (good) job is the only sane option available.

Speaking with friends and associates who recently lost their job invariably results in comments about looking for a new job; another employer.

Do you believe that your only chance for success is a safe secure job?

An Alternate View

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw

As one who spent a number of years following the traditional path: went to school – got reasonably good grades – got a safe secure job with benefits. I look forward to years of unemployment. There are a number of valid ways to pay the bills and get benefits without signing on with your favorite local (or even international) employer of the year. Knowing the basic rules of the business makes me anxious to generate my income in other ways.

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Robert Kiyosaki wrote the book that introduced many people to the business of Real Estate Investing. I found one portion of the book most interesting and helpful. Rich Dad introduced his young protégés to the interview process telling them to, “choose which side of the table” they wanted to sit on. The employee sat on one side essentially justifying why they should be given the opportunity to work. The employer on the other hand enjoys the luxury of inspecting each applicant. There is no obligation for the employer to hire and of the applicants. The person clearly in charge in this scenario is the employer.

Which side of the table do you choose?

Real Life Tidbit:

Did you know that you can own Real Estate without spending a dime? You can also own Real Estate and have the seller pay you to take their house. Here’s the thing. If you choose to be a landlord, you must always have cash available to take care of issues that come up with properties. Keep in mind that while Cash is King you also need Cash Flow to succeed in Real Estate. If for some reason you have a vacant house, you have added cash flow needs to keep that house. Winter is the worst time in a cold climate to have an empty house. Never pay too much for an investment property. If you have a house that costs too much, it will bring you trouble. If you ever have monthly payments that are higher than market rent, you will also have trouble…eventually. Trust me.