A while ago I posted an entry
that talked about a meeting that I went to and heard a talk about
capitalism and communism and how it works in our society, down on our
level. One of the things that was discussed was the difference between
Capitalism and Communism. It was concluded that, in our opinion,
Capitalism is what makes our country special. We like our independence
and giving control to the individuals, not the state. There are some
that might complain that they are not getting a fair share but that is
a fact of life. We all have many opportunities to better our lives and
also the lives of those we are around, but how many of us take the
opportunities when they come our way? Are we going to let the end drive
the means?

What follows are some additional thoughts that I have had in the past couple weeks along this same thought process.

If
I had a goal to have $250,000 in 20 years, then that ?end? becomes what
drives me throughout my life (Authors note: You will need much more
then this in the future to retire, this is just illustrating a point).
I begin to loose track of the efficiency of our money at work and focus
on the end. All of a sudden I become subject to the whims and scams of
many people, most of whom are not at all qualified to give me advice in
the first place, but the crazy thing about it is that I actually listen.

Different
scenarios inevitably start going through your mind as you think about
this situation. What is most important to remember is that you cannot
let the end become the driving force behind what you do. This leads to
inefficiency. What if you decided to put the money under the mattress?
At $12,500 per year for 20 years, you would have the $250,000, but
there are problems with this strategy. First of all there is no such
thing as a segregated money decision. Every decision that we make is at
the expense of all our other decisions. If I took that $12,500 and
stuffed it in the mattress, that is $12,500 that I couldn?t spend on
family vacations, debt reduction or a host of other things. It effects
every part of my life.

The goal then should be the
effectiveness of the money. What if you could take the $12,500 per year
and make it grow to $1,000,000 or more? All of a sudden the old goal of
$250,000 is not so great. Don?t focus on the end, but rather focus on
the means. It takes a little study to understand the full impact of
that statement, but the rewards of its understanding are enormous.

May I suggest Steve Pavlina?s blog entitled  Is Becoming Wealthy Inherently Evil?
I must admit that I have never met Steve. In fact I just happened upon
his site, somewhat by accident yesterday, but what I have seen so far
has been interesting. Give it a read and enjoy. I, like Steve, have
listened to Earl Nightnigale and love his quotes. Steve refers to the
one Nothing can take the place of money in the area in which money works. One of my favorite Earl quotes is You become what you think about. Ponder over it, the meaning is deep.

Good luck in your quest.