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Learn to control money but do not allow it to control you

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  • MrsMoo2U
    MrsMoo2U Posts: 4,005 Forumite
    Liking the sound of the reading club. I have set reading as part of my 50 day challenge. I used to read so much but lately I have not been able to settle to read. I havent been through the BBC list but I am happy to go with the flow on the method of choosing. I would just like to say that Merry Wives of Windsor is my favourite Shakespeare Comedy, I howl like a mad woman at that. I had the good fortune of seeing the production at the Globe this year and it did not disappoint.
    I have also heard that dreaming of houses reflects your own self. Perhaps you are just unsettled by the work going on around you. Also I wonder if the fact that there are so many rooms but no study could be your way of telling yourself that you are not focusing on the thing that makes you happiest (erm might that be writing) and instead you feel that you are flitting around (lots of rooms suggests to me lots of activiity) Just a thought as I am no expert.
    Some days there aren't any trumpets, just lots of dragons. Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow -- Mary Anne Radmacher
  • I am happy to read just about anything that's chosen I just like to read

    DTxx
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    Cherisong, I like this interpretation. It is true that I do too many things which sisperse my energy - they need doing though because I cannot afford to leave my job (I quite like it as well). But I should structure my life so that I have more time for what gives me real pleasure.

    Firewalker
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    Just finished working – mind mapped the fitness book so tomorrow I can show it to my ‘partner in crime’.

    Going to work on the bus has few advantages – but one of them is that it gives me more time to read. So, two or three times a week, I can be spotted on the bus with my Kindle, reading. And tonight I want to tell you about a parable I read on the bus – it is called ‘The clay tablets from Babylon’ and is part of a book entitled ‘The richest man in Babylon’ by George Samuel Clason.

    It is written form the name of an archeologist who was sent five clay tablets found in Babylon and his task was to read them. For his surprise, these did not describe the beauty of some wonder or a new land, nor did these speak of love and adventure. The tablets contained the story of a camel trader from Babylon who was deep in debt, got sold into slavery but pulled himself together and changed his destiny. To do this, he took the advice of the gold lender which I believe we will all find interesting.

    The money lender said: ‘You don’t have gold, you don’t have land, you don’t have anything than your ability to earn. To pay you debts and build wealth you need to follow this simple rule: one tenth of your earnings you keep for yourself; two tenths of your earnings you use to pay your debts; and the seven tenths of your earnings that is left you use to look after your wife. You do this irrespective how large or small you are earning.’

    The camel trader of Babylon listened. Every month he kept one tenth of his earnings – because a purse with some silver and gold in it makes a man feel secure and happy so he can work more and earn more. Two tenths of his earnings he divided fairly between his creditors. And he and his wife never exceeded the seven tenths for their everyday needs even if some months they could not buy clothes and had to eat only soup from herbs. But he got out of trouble and became a man of substance, respected man who paid his debts and amassed wealth for his old age.

    Guess what? When I calculated the proportions of what we have been doing – we are very slightly off what the good man of Babylon described. The important implication is: trying to throw high proportion of your income at your debts leads to misery and can knock you of course. But the proportions have to be observed come rain or shine. The way out (after the initial discipline of living within 70% of your earnings) is to increase your income.

    I am getting back to this and the question how? More specifically do I have the character, and if not how to develop it, for increasing income. Arhhhhh….

    And the thought for today is:

    “An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight... the truly wise person is colorblind.” - Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)
    Firewalker
  • I like the clay tablets story. Might have to have a think about that.

    DTxx
  • Great story. Of course you have the character to do it. We are enjoying the journey with you my dear friend. I re- read your diary tonight and cried at how much things have changed for the better and it will only improve. ~Thank you for sharing your time with us it means so much. Bless you and goodnight, kit.
    Aiming for a minimal spend 2022
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    Hi there,

    last night I was so tired I forgot to mention that the MSE Rabid Readers has been set up. It would be great of all reading friends have a look and start posting their fav books. Can't wait...And no, I am not displacing.

    Firewalker
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    Correction: the new tread is called DFW Rabid Readers. Please have a look and get those fav books on there.

    Thanks Se for noticing...

    Firewalker
  • gallygirl
    gallygirl Posts: 17,240 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Firewalker wrote: »
    This morning I woke up feeling rather disturbed. Because of a dream - which was not disturbing as such but what unsettled me is that I cannot decide what is this about. So the dream:

    "A door opens and I am in an old fashioned apartment - rather large, with loads of small rooms, little coves with armchairs and very ancient featured preserved. Then I hear OH voice telling me that this is our new home; that he has bought us an apartment in Glasgow. The good news is that all our negative wealth has been paid and that we don't have mortgage (security???).

    I am thinking that it will need work doing on it, decorating but it is basically sound. But how am I going to work, what am I going to do. There is nothing for me to do in Glasgow. After that I realise that there is no space for a study - so how are we going to work at home; how is OH going to work.

    Have we sold our house? I don'r remember seeing it being on the market. I ask OH and his response is that he has not sold it yet but it will be OK. At this point my heart sinks because I realise that not all ends have been tied up again.

    The next picture is of me going around the apartment again."

    Many fears here, I think. Am I losing my resolve and positivity? Are my demons seeping back?

    Firewalker

    I agree with these interpretations. Large with lots of rooms that need work, that could be all the areas of your life that you feel are being neglected, and need work. But what is important is what the elements represent to you - e.g. dreaming about aeroplanes is good for me, it represents holidays, adventure, peace, relaxation. For a colleague it represents terror as he is afraid of flying.

    I had a great book once that explained how to analyse dreams. Basically you had to write down the key elements as if you were describing them to an alien who knew nothing about life on earth. So, what is a house? What do we mean by rooms? What is an armchair, how is different from a normal chair? What interested me was Glasgow. How would you describe that to someone? What defines Glasgow to you? In other words, was it really about Glasgow or some other place or thing or even person altogether? Whenever I do this exercise the meaning suddenly becomes clear to me. Please try it, cos I'm nosey :rotfl:


    Off to find book thread :)
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort
    :) Mortgage Balance = £0 :)
    "Do what others won't early in life so you can do what others can't later in life"
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    Several evening back I did write a piece about the traits of character that people who succeed in their chosen path share. I suggested that these are four, namely: commitment, courage, persistence and no fear of failure. Tonight I would like to think and write a bit more about this one. Because Pickle said something I have been thinking about ever since; she said ‘…what you wrote above is soooo true. I need to apply it to my life.’

    What I am thinking is that there are three issues here. First, it is probably true that successful people share these traits. Second, there is the question whether each of us has them as well. And third, there is the matter about how do we develop these if we find we do not have them. I am not going to deal with the first at all – I think that there might be exceptions but on the whole success is conditional on these traits (and opportunity but this can be created).

    Do I have commitment? To some things yes – but very few. I have commitment to my family; I am committed to running…and this is about it. It is not that I am unreliable but with the rest there seem to be too many choices, too many paths to choose from and this is in the way of the total commitment that success requires. How can we know whether we are committed to something? I believe by answering the following questions:

    · How many alternatives to …do you have?
    · When you think about it do you feel calm determination (the stillness that comes with absolute certainty)?
    · What are you prepared to sacrifice for it?

    Courage is an interesting one. I can’t easily thin k of questions but I believe that each of us knows whether they have courage, whether they are brave or not. I also think that courage is not an absolute and it goes hand in hand with commitment – we are brave when we are committed. In fact, high level of commitment can lead to bravery bordering on recklessness.

    Persistence is something that people either have or have to develop. I believe that a good way to reflect upon our own level of persistence is to think about the following:

    · What do you do when things don’t work immediately? (Imagine yourself in this situation and play the scene your mind. Be truthful.)
    · If you have a choice between doing something that will bring immediate returns and something that will bring higher return but in a year what would you chose?
    · Do you knit, do embroidery or something similar?
    · Do you like doing fiddly things?

    And last but not least is having no fear of failure. Think about the following:

    · How many mistakes have you made in the last week?
    · How many new things have you tried in the last week?

    These are some ideas about ways to channel reflection on these issues. Needs much more work but any comments and suggestions will be very much appreciated.

    “I'm proud of the scars in my soul. They remind me that I have an intense life” – Paolo Coelho

    Firewalker
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