If you read the internet, as most of us do, you don’t get many positivity vibes. In fact, the comments are overtly negative and can really suck someone down a hole of despair. In order to overcome this, you can either avoid reading anything on the internet, which in 2022 would be quite difficult, or overwhelm the negativity with positivity.
Quote from a friend
Recently, a friend shared a quote in Facebook post from an unknown individual that was perfect for personal finance. It looked kind of like this:
“Must be nice”
“Hey man, you and me have the same 24 hours in a day, it’s all how you use it”
In case you didn’t know, “must be nice” is a statement people make that alludes to someone not working for something or being perceived as having an unfair advantage. Snide and negative to its core.
The response further affirms what we’ve already been saying here at Wealthy Idiots – that you have control over your own financial future and can make changes that will positively impact your life. You have 24 hours in a day, and how you use that 24 hours will greatly change how your financial picture looks. Don’t waste time, you need to work on this now!
Motivation while driving to work
The second piece of motivation was during my drive to work at 5:45am. I normally listen to one of the local Christian radio stations, specifically for this reason. The hosts were talking about the endless pursuit of happiness that people embark on, and sometimes never achieve. But instead of chasing happiness, we should be seeking contentment and fulfillment. If you can find a way to be content and fulfilled in life, happiness will be a biproduct of those two things. I’ll give you a personal finance example to hopefully tie this all together.
Let’s say your life goal is to be a millionaire. This is often a “happiness goal”. People perceive millionaires as being happy, so they want that. Not very complicated. The only problem? Why do you want to be a millionaire?
Instead, don’t save to be a millionaire. Set financial goals that are clear, achievable, and measurable. This would look something like “max out 401k and Roth IRA each year until retirement”. This would clearly make you a millionaire one day, but you’ll be content that you’re meeting constant savings goals versus chasing a status. You’ll be fulfilled that you have the discipline to save money and continue meeting these goals. The millionaire idea may still be in the back of your head, but it’s not on the forefront.
Importance of positivity in 2022
I won’t lie, I’m constantly reading financial articles and posts, and the unfortunate baggage that comes along with it is horrific. AJ and I constantly talk about the overwhelming negativity in the comments section. The post can be as a simple as “put $200 a month in an emergency fund” and thousands of comments will state something like:
- Nobody has $200 sitting around
- Must be nice (see what I did there?)
- Good luck doing this if you live in the city
- My rent went up 10%, I’ll never get ahead
- Have you seen inflation?
- Not all of us can make six-figures
- Good luck doing that by working at [insert company here]
- I wish I was born with a silver spoon
All of these comments, which are only about .0000001% of the negativity on the internet (estimated), are extremely negative and can lead to self-defeating behavior. At the end of the day, one could respond to each one of these comments with “we both have the same 24 hours, what are you going to do with yours?”
So that’s the question Wealthy Idiots, what are you going to do with your 24 hours in a day?
