Is Your Poor Man Mentality Working For You?

Did you grow up hearing “go to school, get a good job, work hard and live off your retirement”? Are you currently one of the millions of unemployed workers in the US? Have you sent out hundreds of resumes in hopes that an employer will hire you? When you think about following the old idea of go to school, get a good job and live off your retirement, it doesn’t carry the same weight that it used to. In fact, it never carried much weight because that way of thinking has always been a poor man’s way of thinking.

Let’s try and fit that way of thinking in today’s economy. The education system molds and conditions you to work for someone else. Essentially, it teaches you to work for money. So you end up trading your time, your life for money as an employee. The problem with that is you can only work so many years. Many people are experiencing a need for more income, but physically can’t work or they are not what the job market is looking for because of their age and/or skill set.

Many of the jobs that were available have been shipped overseas for cheaper labor. So the idea of getting a good job can be a fleeting one. And living off your retirement, that’s simply a joke. Try telling that to the millions of people who followed that way of thinking since the 70’s and 80’s that lost half, most or all of their retirement over the past 5 to 10 years.

So the old corporate America way of thinking and investing really didn’t work because it was based on you believing your employer would be loyal to you, your family and your finances after giving them 20, 30, or 40 years of service. We all know how loyal corporate America has been to its’ employees; Enron, Tyco, Adelphia.

So as you sit in front of your computer, sending out resume after resume, can you see that you are potentially putting yourself back in the same situation? With each resume you send out, without a response, you become more dependent, frustrated, and disenchanted by leaving things up to someone else to pull you out of your current situation. Just think if you had taken that year or 2 years of sending out resumes to employers and invested that time in yourself. Think if you had taken that time to discover what you were really passionate about doing and shared it with the world.

You wouldn’t be waiting on an employer to provide you the opportunity to get shitted on again. You would be your own boss. And who better to look out for you, your family and your finances, than yourself? Do you really want to put all that in the hands of someone else? Someone who has proven time and time again they will let you go at the drop of a hat. I recall being laid off, several times and it was frustrating putting my life in the hands of someone else who doesn’t have my best interest at heart. You are worth more than trading time, life, for money. Because that’s what you are doing, trading time for money. You can only work so many hours a day. You can only work, so many years of your life.

Let’s take this for an example. I have an associate that recently had a baby girl. He and his wife stated they are going to live below their means and contribute a certain amount to their 401k until they reach age 65. They want their daughter to have all that she desires and they are willing to put their wants and desires on hold until they reach retirement age.

Look at that picture a little closer. Is it safe to say that individuals in the 70’s and 80’s thought the same way? And those same individuals lost half, most or all of their retirement just a few years ago and they are at retirement age. Now, half, most or all of their retirement money is gone. A large portion of the job market has been shipped overseas and corporate America has shown it’s true colors. Who says you will live to reach retirement age. Let’s say you do. Is there a possibility you could lose half, most or all of your 401k again? The answer is yes. Is there a possibility you may not reach retirement age? The answer is yes. Why not enjoy life now, because now it all the time you have.

If you are waiting for an employer or some one else to set things off for you, if you are investing your time, energy and life in a company that has proven they will let you go to preserve themselves, their family, their lifestyle and their finances, you are destined to remain a victim in this vicious cycle. Did you know that 80 percent of the American working class hates the line of work they are in? That means 1 in 4 individuals are unhappy 40 hours a week, 240 days a year for 20, 30, or 40 years of their life. And you wonder why so many people get divorced, cheat on their partners, harm, and hate one another.

I know you are doing the best you can with the knowledge and skills you have at this time. Life is continuous and your mental and spiritual expansion is continuous. Take time to invest in yourself. You are your most important asset. You are the best thing that ever happened to you. Find someone that is successful at doing what you want to do and mirror your efforts after them. You could ask that person to mentor you or take them out to lunch so you can interview them. Most successful people love to talk about their success and may find it flattering that you decided to choose them to emulate. A coach can also help you plan, design and experience the life you desire. Never stop defining and redefining your life to get you from where you are to where you want to be.