SACRIFICE

You can learn and be taught many things.

What you cannot be taught is 

 SACRIFICE.

I wanted to make this 1st blog something that I perceive as paramount to all of our levels of growth. This site is dedicated to helping you become financially sound and live a life of clarity and happiness. 

Or better yet to reach your peak of SELF-OPTIMIZATION

You will often find me using the term “self-optimization a lot. Self-optimization essentially means becoming the best version of yourself. It involves setting goals, figuring out what you’re good at {getting rid of bad habits and developing good ones}, and what you want to improve, and then taking action to achieve those goals and become a happier, healthier{mentally and physically}, and more successful person. It’s like fine-tuning your skills, habits, and mindset to reach your full potential and live a fulfilling life.

This is what Russell Simmons discussed as “The Science of Happiness”. 8 key principles make up this positive psychology and they are:

1.  Subjective Well-Being (SWB):  Happiness is often measured through subjective well-being, which includes emotional experiences like joy and contentment.

2.  Genetics and Environment:  Genetics and environmental factors significantly influence our baseline level of happiness.

3.  Hedonic Adaptation:   Humans tend to adapt to change, both positively and negatively, the focus should be on sustainable sources of happiness, not external achievements.

4.  The Happiness Set Point:  Related to hedonic adaptation is the concept of having a relatively stable level of happiness despite life events.

5.  Factors Influencing Happiness:  Various factors influence happiness; quality relationships; physical health; financial security; personal growth; and purpose.

6.  The Role of Mindset and Perspective:  Our mindset and perspective significantly impact our happiness. Cultivating a positive outlook to a more fulfilling and satisfying life.

7.  The Importance of Relationships:  Quality relationships and social connections are consistently identified as one of the most significant predictors of happiness. 

8.  Happiness Interventions: Use your personal strengths, set and pursue meaningful goals, practice gratitude journaling, and foster positive social interactions.

Some of these may sound like barriers. For instance, Genetics and Environment indicate that your color and where you live affect your happiness; and in most instances it does. Black Americans have many external issues that have been inflicted on us that affect our ability to reach the potential of living a fulfilling life.

So I was watching Club Shay Shay on YouTube where he interviewed media mogul Steve Stoute. In part of this episode, he said one word that resonated with me. Out of the entire 2 hour-plus interview, this one statement led me to write this blog. The one word was SACRIFICE.

You can teach people many things, and I hope you find many gems from what I am writing to you. I want this site to help you be your best financial self.

You can learn and be taught many things. What you cannot be taught is SACRIFICE.

When you make big and defining sacrifices, you are betting on yourself. 

Sacrifice is indeed a significant aspect of achieving financial success. It is delayed gratification with the understanding that good things take time, and becoming financially strong takes time, despite the social and peer pressure to overspend.

Do you have it in you to go outside of your comfort zone, sacrifice bad spending habits for savings, and be cost-effective to make the lifestyle changes to live the life you dream?

Eliminate the rationale that you deserve something. Your older you in the future will deserve more. The thought of justifying that you deserve something is the killer of taking the Resilient Path to Wealth and Self-optimization.