Believe it or not, not all the most complicated things are the best or most true things.
We’re not trained to believe this for some reason. We think if something seems complicated and incomprehensible to the ordinary person, it must be something that really works, but only for people who understand it. Some people for instance, have this belief that they can’t manage their money because they don’t understand investments and they can’t really trust anyone else to do it for them. And they don’t really have the money to invest. In theory, they may be right, but you don’t need a complicated investment plan underway to take control of your budget. All you really need to do is use your common sense and apply the wisdom your ancestors bestowed upon you even when you weren’t interested in such things. Believe me, that good advice is tucked away somewhere in your subconscious.
My birthday was a couple of weeks ago and my husband got me a drone with a camera in it. It’s a beginner’s drone, not particularly expensive. It’s what I wanted, and I still think I’m going to get it set up and going soon, but it does seem more complicated to me than I sometimes fear I’m up for. Believe me, it’s something I truly wanted, and I still do, but I feel overwhelmed. I figure if I’m going to wreck it anyway, (and I probably will at least crash once or twice), I better get something I can learn on without feeling unnecessarily guilty if I crash it. I don’t want to wreck a super expensive top of the line device that will then be entirely unusable to me. So right now, it’s still folded up neatly in the box with its blades bent inwards, looking more like a miniature sleeping dragon than the useful tool I hope it will truly be for me. Nothing against dragons. They have their uses. Especially if they breathe fire. But I digress. Anyway, I felt the same way when I got my first dslr. It sat on the coffee table unused for a couple of WEEKS. I warily admired it from a distance. Finally, one day, I got my nerve up and started trying to figure out what all the buttons and dials did. I got books and looked up things on the internet. I followed the manual which came with the thing. Then, I started pushing the shutter button and I haven’t stopped since. Yep, baby steps. That’s what I’m talking about here.
If you’ve reached a point in your life where you’re already comfortable, not in debt, no collection agencies are calling you, you have money to invest, to give away, and to spend on whatever you want, then maybe you don’t even need to read these blog posts. I’m happy for you. It’s a great accomplishment. Some of us do get there eventually, but some people always struggle unnecessarily and never seem to know where the emergency exit door is. I guess I would put myself somewhere in the middle there, but as I said yesterday, no one is perfect, and no one includes me. Budgeting is still important to me. Creating wealth and maintaining it are not the same, but the same skill set can help you achieve both. This is the same reason why people who are alcoholics attend AA meetings long after they’ve gotten sober. You need to keep working those steps, and you need a support group to help keep you walking the walk.
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Journey in Joy
Debby
Adventures on Earth and Beyond 