The Truth About Money

If there is one thing I’ve learnt in my four years working experience, it’s a set of useful and truthful statements regarding money.

They are simple truths and you’ve probably heard them before. These statements ring true to me today, more than ever, as I’m in the middle of resigning from my job and going back to school.

Statement 1: You can make money doing anything, as long as God blesses you.

You’ve got to see that there are opportunities in everything you decide to do. You can make up your mind to be a lawyer, doctor, hair stylist, guitarist or anything; it doesn’t really matter what you do.

What matters is your perseverance, expertise and God’s blessings. If you’re not making enough money, it’s not necessarily because you’re in the wrong profession. It could be that you’re just not taking enough time to learn the tricks of the trade or you still need to step up your efforts in certain critical areas.

Statement 2: Your salary is just that: a salary.

It’s a well-known fact that no employer wants to empower their employees up to the point where they’ll earn so much and start to wonder “what’s the point of working, anyway?”.

A salary will never be more than a salary. Sadly, 70% of us will probably never realize that our salaries will only pay for the basics. We keep anticipating the next bulk payment, the next payslip.

There’s nothing wrong with this. The only problem is that to be comfortable in life, you need to find a way to earn more than what’s on your payslip. If your salary is only enough to pay your bills,mortgage, school fees and the like, when are you going to start having that extra you need to start a business or possibly save for a rainy day?

Enterpreneurship is one way out of this vicious cycle.

Statement 3: Don’t let money drive your career

A man once said this to me. And i remember thinking, why the hell not? Give me the money first! Money should only be a motivator,not a driver. It should not be the reason why you have made up your mind to quit your job and go for another job that pays three times as much.

Yes, you’ll have more money. After that, what next? Think about what you may end up losing, what economists call “opportunity cost”.

Ae you going to enjoy the job? Is your boss going to be someone you can cope with? What will the hours be like?

WIll you be fulfilled? I could go on and on. Sometimes we don’t know what we’re enjoying in our old jobs until we change to a new one

Lastly, never underestimate the power of a dollar. Start saving today, no matter how little.