Benjamin Franklin is my favorite Revolutionary War hero, and he realized in his late teens while studying English that he had been a know-it-all jerk to this point in his life before embracing the Socratic Paradox.
It taught him to be a better listener and learn the art of negotiating win-win situations throughout his life. While I am no hero, I learned late in my life to embrace this principle. I was 50. Fortunately, I was not born during the revolution when the life expectancy was 36. The more educated we are, and the more life experiences we have the more comfortable that our knowledge is correct. Listening is the keyword here. We hear people talk all the time that are smart, and not so smart. Giving us all sorts of advice on what they would do. All situations are different, and we need to listen and evaluate the information on how it fits your goals. We as coaches cannot help you unless you have figured out what you really want in life. Now, we walk you thru the steps to assist you with that. But ultimately it is your decision. So, we listen a lot and advise a little to get you to the big Y in your life.
Debt problems, houses, cars, vacations, fancy dinners, and anything else that requires money are not Y’s. Y’s are something that money cannot buy. Like family relationships, great marriages, good kids, real friends, (The kind that will not patronize you and tell you straight when you are being a jerk.), and a career path that you love so much you do not even feel like you are going to work. Up to this point in our lives, we have made many mistakes that we wish could be taken back. But we cannot. Taking a stand now (today) is the key.
Charlene (My wife of 35 years) and I took that stand in 2008 when we were 51 years old. We were broke, with no retirement, a $100,000 mortgage, and most of our money was going to bills and debts. We decided to get off the roller coaster, and never look back. Each day, including today it is about moving forward with our Y in small increments. My past is full of stupid mistakes and could most likely fill a book the size of War & Peace. But now our marriage is the best it has ever been. My relationship with my children is great, and we communicate almost daily, and they are functional adults that allow us to trust and depend on each other. We became millionaires in 2019. (It is just a number and no measure of success to me.) Charlene and I have started a 401c3 non-profit foundation and are leaving everything we own to it. Our children, they get to run the foundation.
Why should we leave them an inheritance?
They are going to be wealthier than we ever thought of being. As Dave Ramsey says. I do not own anything. We just get to manage it for a while. It all belongs to God.
Take a stand today, and find your Y.