#1210 Habitually Paying
Before we get to it today, please take a moment to reflect on the greatness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His vision, humility, and drive changed the world in our lifetime.
Good habits are an expense; you have to pay to acquire them, but bad habits are a debt. A Debt that compounds like credit card interest.
I remember an acquaintance who worked for a municipality.
He always bragged about "getting over." He knew how to hide. He knew how to look busy when eyes were around and how to slack when they weren't. He laughed as he told me how stupid his bosses were. "They have no clue!" he crowed. "Me and my boys even clock in for each other sometimes. These idiots pay us for staying home!"
He said he was content with his job. He never sought a better position but thought they should give him one. He often complained about the low pay and about being passed over for promotions, arguing that he'd been there longer and had seniority. Today, he lives in a small apartment in a retirement building, with just enough Social Security to cover the basics. The debt he built is ever-present, knocking at his flimsy, drafty door every day.
Barring unforeseen sickness or tragedy, we don't get what we deserve in life. We get what we earn. Good habits are an expense, but one that pays dividends later in life. Great investors spend today's money to earn tomorrow's dividends. Then they continue to invest the dividend, and before long, their wealth grows exponentially.
Good habits are like that. We pay now and then continue to invest, and over time, our lives grow exponentially better.
This nascent year compels us to evaluate our habits and make adjustments. Be conscious of your daily routines. See yourself the way the world sees you.
I'm slowing down a bit from setting the big, audacious goals of my youth. I'm older and no longer feel the drive to earn big money or dominate an industry. I have no desire to be anyone's CEO or to grow a business.
I do, however, still set goals and examine habits. I know many areas of my life could use some improvement, and that expense is still one I am happy to fork over. The habits of old have produced dividends which I continue to invest and enjoy.
Pablo Casales, in his nineties, was said to have practiced for six hours a day. In an interview, a journalist asked him why. "Mr. Casales, you are the greatest cellist who ever lived. Why do you practice for so many hours each day?" Casales looked at him and, without ire, said, "I believe I am seeing progress."
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