This morning I stumbled across a video from Oprah, where she says:
“You are responsible for your life. And if you’re sitting around waiting on somebody to save you, to fix you, to even help you, you are wasting your time. Only you have the power to take responsibility to move your life forward. What matters is now. This moment. And your willingness to see this moment for what it is. Accept it. Forgive the past. Take responsibility. And move forward.”
All I could think was: Preach, nah!
When I was younger, I felt helpless in the world of publishing. I thought that once you were at a magazine, that you would be assigned stories. I quickly learned in the creative world, that you must CREATE. Noone is going to give you all their good ideas. YOU have to write the stories. YOU have to do the legwork. YOU have to do whatever is necessary to get the job done.
Fast forward to today. Yes, you can find people to help you. But most people are most interested in themselves. It’s human nature! It’s hard to find someone who cares more for you than they do themselves. Which means that every problem you have. If you want to change it. You have to look inside. Be disciplined. Be focused. And fix it.
Let’s take my shopping for example. I love to shop. I’ve been very transparent in telling you guys that shopping has been fun when it comes to fashion but hard on my finances. Now I am in the process of getting all my ducks in a row, saving, and investing. But that means keeping tabs on what I spend. Politely declining when store clerks text me offering me 50% off items that are cute, but that I don’t need (this happens). Being more intentional with how I buy things. My financial advisor gave me a good trick: stash $100 a day and put it into a ‘clothes’ account. Only use that clothes account for when you want to make a purchase. Otherwise, abstain!
There is no golden parachute that will fix your life. No genie in a bottle is going to plop millions of dollars into an investment account. I want millions of dollars, but I don’t plan on winning the lottery or for some kind benefactor to write me a huge check (though that would be dope!). No. To get the life you want, you have to work for it. And if you want to amass a lot of money, you have to save it.
It’s simple, but it took me a while to know that nooone–not even your parents–is responsible for your life. Only you have the power to change your life for better or worse.
And if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong, be bold enough to ask for help. You will make mistakes, but one day all will straighten out. And making mistakes and falling down is all a part of life. It’s how you learn. If I hadn’t messed up with smaller amounts in my younger years, I wouldn’t know how to handle big amounts now:)
What do you think of Oprah’s words?
Love & Light,
