The Inner Map to Paradise Found
In many stories of the early days of mankind, people onced lived in an earthly paradise. Yet, this paradise was lost to us. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and were cast out of Eden. Lao Tse said that paradise lasted until “Tao ceased to be observed.” In these, and other cases, paradise was lost to our ancestors by their own choices.
Nowadays, people get so wrapped up in the creationism versus evolution debate that they overlook one of the messages of the story: The world that we live in is determined by our own choices.
Some may scoff at that idea, arguing that one cannot choose to live in the world we want. You cannot simply choose to live in a world where John Kerry is President. You cannot choose to live in a world where there is no crime. You cannot choose to live in a world where unicorns roam free in the woods behind your home.
And, that’s true. You cannot do away with the free will of others to choose, just as they cannot do away with yours. You cannot undo the physical laws of the universe simply because you wish it to be so.
But, think on a smaller, more personal scale. Can you choose whether to be rich or poor? Yes!
That is not to say that, simply by choosing to be rich, that you will suddenly receive a big check in the mail or win the lottery. Nor is it a guarantee. There may be circumstances that just don’t make it possible, or make it extremely difficult at the very least, for you to become rich.
For the large part, we can choose our destinies. But, we have two problems in making that choice.
The first is that we may not recognize we have a choice. We blame God for our misfortune. We blame others for our misfortune. But, very rarely do we blame ourselves. And, very often, it is us that is keeping us down–not God, not the universe, not the people around us. It is almost always our own choices that put us where we are today. Did we spend money when we should have saved it? Did we “invest” in get rich quick schemes instead of long term growth opportunities?
Which brings us to our second problem which is that we have been largely conditioned to look for short term goals, rather than long term goals. Take one day at a time, we are told. That is good advice, but not for all circumstances! It is certainly not the best advice for financial planning. Some things need a long term focus, but all too often we apply all our focus to the short term and very little for the long term, sometimes conceding that’s something for “future me” to deal with. So, the future you can squarely blame current you for really bungling you over, eh?
It is the long term most of us need to spend more time dealing with. Is having the right attitude important? Is having a positive outlook important? Of course they are. Lots of us try, for a while. But, then we allow ourselves to get off track. If positive thinking doesn’t produce overnight results, we give up. If something bad happens, we give up.
Here’s the thing. Positive thinking is not going to make you rich today. It is not going to make you rich tomorrow. And, perhaps it will never make you rich. (Remember, thought must be followed by action!) Positive thinking is not going to prevent all accidents. Positive thinking is not going to stop death and disease. Positive thinking is not going to change the laws of the universe.
But, it can make your life more enjoyable. Certainly, it is better to be upbeat and poor than to be depressed and poor, is it not? Maybe you cannot change your financial status overnight, but you can change your attitude. It takes time and practice to maintain a new attitude, but you can start right now.
And there is our little piece of paradise. There is the beginning of fulfilling our own dreams. Change your mind, and the rest can follow. And, even if the rest does not follow, at least you can live more contentedly.
To sum things up for those that want a quick read:
Start with the right attitude. Claim your own little piece of paradise within your inner mind.
Recognize that you do have a choice. Even if you have to work hard to find it or overcome obstacles in your way, you do have choices.
Plan for the future. The world didn’t end in 2000, despite many people living (and planning!) as though it would (just look at our current “credit crisis!”). It probably won’t end tomorrow either. People in almost every time had experiences that made them think the end was near. But, we’re still around. Live for today, but plan for the future!!!
Believe. Act. Achieve!
[...] Rinnert writes, in The Inner Map to Paradise Found, about (1) having the right attitude, (2) recognizing that you have choices, and (3) planning for [...]
I am planning for the future but I also keep it real, Real is you can’t take any of this with you. So spending my time in a wise and possitive manner is what makes me rich.
[...] Rinnert writes, in The Inner Map to Paradise Found, about (1) having the right attitude, (2) recognizing that you have choices, and (3) planning for [...]