For the last five years, my good friend Dom has battled his way back from a 4% (four per cent) chance of survival from cancer. This man is not only an inspiration, but a hero – he has shown me and so many other people what determination and positive focus thinking will do.
It was at his remission celebration a couple weeks back that I gathered a very important message I wanted to share: as he was describing the moment he and his wife heard his final scan results, how surreal it felt when the doctor told him “we don’t need to see you here anymore”, he tried to explain what it was like going to the hospital every six months to get another scan and wait for the results. It was then he said something that will stay with me until the day I pass – “you know what it’s like going for a scan every six months? You think in short cycles, you never know what is going to happen, whether you made the right choice…it’s stupid, but you start buying clothes that won’t last for more than a few months …but today (gulp), today I can start looking for long term stuff – I can plan again…I’m going to see my son get married…” and he went on with tears in his eyes listing all the stuff to which again he could look forward.
WOW – READ that again…”today, I can start looking for long term stuff”.
Do you understand the impact of that statement? His life is on a new path again, long term has so much meaning to him – from the simplest things to the complex and financial.
For me, I realize how lucky my wife and I are for being able to plan long-term for our retirement and children’s education and THEIR children’s education. TOO MANY of us take for granted the GIFT we have to shape our future – especially with all the access to information we have today. When you hear stories from someone like Dom and Ashley (another personal friend whom has overcome not only the same disease, but much more BEFORE that) the clichés about ‘living for today’ and ‘in the moment’ take on a whole new meaning.
These are only two people I thank for their ‘grounding’ reminding me why I have such an intense passion to help people in their wealth journey.
So I will go out on a limb (remember I’m not afraid to be misunderstood) and suggest although living for today is a great attitude, you MUST have a plan in place that allows you to do so or you are living with little or no hope. If you find yourself in financial debt because of all the stuff you ‘need’ and it is not getting any better, you have a financial disease, and one that has taken control of you just like the cancer did with Dom and Ashley.
This may seem like a drastic parallel to you, but this is how my brain works…and sometimes we need to be hit hard with battles and triumphs to make a choice.
So my MAIN point is STOP living SHORT TERM. The big screen TV will still be there next year and Xbox will have more features in two years. Instead of stressing how you too can have a house, car and toys like your neighbor, just be happy you have the choice to still create your future. And if it’s so important to you to have all those material things, why not use that DESIRE to think in five years your neighbors will envy YOU when your investments flourish and you have the latest of everything?
But I have a very strong feeling…
…you will be a different person by then and none of that will matter anymore. How do you think I know this?