The Hard-To-Deny Facts On "You Reap What You Sow"

If there's one piece of ancient wisdom that has survived empires, religions, philosophies, and the entire internet comment section, it's this: you reap what you sow. It's been said in a thousand different ways, across a thousand different cultures, and yet somehow, every single generation has to learn it the hard way. You'd think we'd get the memo by now. But here we are, still planting gossip seeds and wondering why drama keeps blooming in our gardens.

Let's dig into this — pun absolutely intended — and break down why this timeless principle isn't just some old farmer's proverb. It's a hard-coded rule of the universe, and it applies to every single area of your life.

---

What Does "You Reap What You Sow" Actually Mean?

Before we go any deeper, let's make sure we're all on the same page. "You reap what you sow" is a principle rooted in agriculture — the idea that whatever seed you plant in the ground is exactly what's going to grow. Plant corn, get corn. Plant weeds, get weeds. Plant nothing, get a whole lot of dirt and disappointment.

Metaphorically, it means that your actions — your choices, your habits, your words, your intentions — all come back to you in kind. Do good things, good things come back. Do rotten things, and well... don't act surprised when your life starts smelling a little rotten.

The phrase itself comes from the Bible, specifically Galatians 6:7 — "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."(NIV). But don't let the religious origin fool you into thinking this is just a Sunday sermon concept. This principle shows up in Hinduism as karma, in Buddhism as the law of cause and effect, in Taoism as the natural order, and even in modern science as Newton's Third Law. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, baby.

The universe, it turns out, is running a very tight accounting system.

---

The Science Behind Why This Principle Is Basically Unavoidable

Here's the thing about "you reap what you sow" — it's not just poetic wisdom. It's backed by psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science in ways that make it nearly impossible to argue against (though plenty of people still try, usually while wondering why their lives aren't working out).

Neuroplasticity tells us that the brain physically rewires itself based on repeated behaviors and thoughts. Every time you act generously, your brain builds stronger pathways toward generous behavior. Every time you choose cynicism or cruelty, those neural pathways get reinforced, too. In other words, you're literally planting seeds in your own brain every single day, and the harvest is your personality, your worldview, and eventually your destiny.

Then there's behavioral reinforcement. Psychologists have known for decades that behaviors that are rewarded get repeated, and those that are punished tend to diminish. But here's the sneaky part — a lot of the "rewards" and "punishments" we receive in life come not from external sources, but from the natural consequences of our own choices. Be unreliable, and people stop trusting you. That's not punishment from the universe — that's just cause and effect wearing a name tag.

Social reciprocity is another scientifically-documented phenomenon that proves this principle. Humans are hardwired to reciprocate. If you're kind to someone, they're statistically more likely to be kind to you and to others. If you treat people badly, they either withdraw or retaliate. Robert Cialdini's research on the principle of reciprocity showed that this isn't just a "nice idea" — it's a deeply ingrained human behavioral pattern. You sow a smile; you often reap a smile. You sow hostility; you reap a social cold shoulder that could frost a winter morning.

---

You Reap What You Sow in Relationships: The Garden Nobody Wants to Weed

Let's talk about relationships, because this is where most people love to complain about unfair harvests while completely ignoring what they've been planting.

Ever had a friend who was always flaking on plans, never really listening, and generally showing up only when they needed something — and then had the audacity to wonder why their friendships felt shallow? Yeah. That's a sowing problem, not a reaping problem.

Relationships are gardens, and you get out what you put in. If you invest time, attention, empathy, and genuine care into the people in your life, you tend to build connections that are deep, resilient, and genuinely fulfilling. If you treat relationships as transactional — giving only when there's something in it for you — don't be surprised when people start treating you the same way.

This applies to romantic relationships, too. Partners who consistently sow appreciation, honesty, and effort into their relationships tend to build partnerships that can weather real storms. Those who sow neglect, dishonesty, or indifference — well, they often find themselves either in relationships full of resentment or in no relationship at all, wondering what went wrong. What went wrong was the planting, friend.

And here's the tricky part — you might not see the harvest immediately. Relationships are long-game gardens. Sometimes the seeds of kindness you planted years ago bloom at exactly the moment you need them most. And sometimes the damage from consistently bad behavior takes time to fully surface before everything collapses at once. Either way, the accounting always catches up.

---

Career and Success: Sowing the Seeds of Professional Greatness (Or Mediocrity)

In the professional world, "you reap what you sow" is basically the unspoken law that separates the people who seem to "get lucky" from those who don't. Spoiler alert: it's rarely actually luck.

The people who consistently put in effort, invest in their skills, show up with integrity, treat colleagues with respect, and go the extra mile tend to build careers that compound over time. They build reputations. They build networks. They build opportunities. Meanwhile, those who cut corners, take credit for other people's work, or bring a toxic attitude to the office tend to find those same behaviors circling back around to bite them — usually at the worst possible moment.

Hard work is a seed with a remarkable germination rate. You might not see the results tomorrow, or even next month. But consistent effort planted over years creates a harvest that can look like "overnight success" to everyone watching from the outside.

Consider the entrepreneurs who spent years building skills, absorbing failure after failure, and refining their ideas — only to "suddenly" break through and become wildly successful. From the outside, it looks like luck. From the inside, it's the harvest of a thousand seeds planted during seasons nobody else was watching.

Your professional reputation is also a direct harvest of your daily behavior. Are you someone who delivers on promises? Do you communicate clearly and honestly? Do you support your team or undermine them? Every one of these behaviors is a seed, and your reputation — which opens or closes professional doors — is the crop.

---

The Law of Sowing and Reaping in Financial Life

Money, glorious money. This is where the principle gets almost embarrassingly literal.

Financial health is one of the clearest examples of reaping what you sow. The person who saves consistently, invests wisely, and avoids the siren call of lifestyle inflation is planting financial seeds every single month. Compound interest — often called the eighth wonder of the world — is just the mathematical version of this principle. Small seeds, planted regularly, grow into enormous trees over time.

On the flip side, the person who lives beyond their means, treats credit like free money, and makes impulsive financial decisions is planting debt seeds. And debt, like weeds, grows aggressively if you don't deal with it.

Generosity is also a financial seed that often gets overlooked. There's a growing body of research suggesting that generous people tend to build stronger social networks, attract more collaborative opportunities, and experience greater career success over time — all of which can translate into financial abundance. This doesn't mean you should give money you don't have, but it does suggest that financial stinginess and a hoarding mentality can actually limit your own growth.

Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors in history, has talked extensively about the long-term compounding effect of both money and reputation. His approach to business has always been rooted in integrity and long-term thinking — a classic sowing- and-reaping strategy.

---

Mental and Physical Health: Your Body Keeps the Score of Every Seed

Your health — both mental and physical — is perhaps the most intimate garden you'll ever tend.

The lifestyle choices you make daily are seeds. What you eat, how much you move, how you manage stress, and how much sleep you get — these aren't just random wellness tips. They're the raw material of your future health. Plant years of poor nutrition and sedentary living, and the body eventually presents the bill. Plant consistent movement, balanced eating, and decent sleep hygiene, and the body rewards you with energy, resilience, and longevity.

Mental health works the same way. The thoughts you habitually entertain become the soil of your mind. Consistently feed your brain with gratitude, curiosity, and self-compassion, and you'll find it becomes easier to navigate difficulty. Consistently water it with self-criticism, catastrophic thinking, and resentment, and you'll find those thought patterns grow into serious psychological weeds that are much harder to clear.

Mindfulness practices, journaling, therapy, and regular social connection — these are mental health seeds. They don't fix everything overnight, but planted consistently, they build a mind that's more stable, more resilient, and more capable of joy. Remember: the healthy brain lives in the healthy body.

---

Sowing Kindness in a World That Sometimes Makes It Hard

Here's where it gets real. Sowing kindness isn't always easy, and it definitely isn't always immediately rewarded.

Sometimes you're generous, and people take advantage. Sometimes you work incredibly hard and don't get the recognition you deserve. Sometimes you're a phenomenal friend and still get let down. Does that mean the principle is broken?

Not quite. What it means is that the harvest isn't always immediate, and it doesn't always come from the exact field where you planted. You might sow kindness toward someone who never reciprocates — but that same act of kindness shifts something in you, builds your character, and ends up being witnessed or felt by someone else entirely. The universe's accounting system is thorough, but it doesn't always deliver results via the most obvious route.

There's also the matter of what you sow inside yourself. Every act of kindness, every moment of integrity when nobody's watching, every instance of choosing compassion over cruelty — these plant seeds in your own character. And your character, over a lifetime, is the most consequential harvest of all.

Kindness also has a documented ripple effect. Studies on what researchers call "moral elevation" — the warm, inspired feeling you get when you witness someone doing something genuinely good — show that witnessing acts of kindness actually motivates observers to be kinder themselves. So when you sow kindness, you're not just planting a seed for your own harvest; you're potentially starting a garden that spreads well beyond your own life.

---

Common Excuses People Make for Avoiding the Sowing Work

Let's address the elephant in the room — or more accurately, the person standing in the middle of a barren field complaining that nothing's growing.

"I don't have time." Classic. Everyone has the same 24 hours. What differs is what people choose to plant in them. The person who says they don't have time to maintain their health, invest in their relationships, or develop their skills is essentially saying they don't have time to tend their garden. The weeds, unfortunately, don't care about your schedule.

"I've been trying, and nothing's working." Sometimes the issue isn't effort — it's the type of seed. You can work incredibly hard at the wrong things and wonder why the harvest doesn't match your expectations. Effort matters, but direction matters just as much. Plant effort in the right soil — the right relationships, the right skills, the right habits — and results follow.

"Other people don't have to work this hard." Maybe. But you don't actually know what seeds other people have planted in the past, or what they're doing behind closed doors. Comparing your planting season to someone else's harvest season is a recipe for bitterness.

"I'll start later." The best time to plant a tree, as the saying goes, was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now. Every day of delayed sowing is just a longer wait for the harvest.

---

How to Start Sowing Better Seeds Today

Alright, so you're convinced. You want a better harvest. Here's how to actually start planting with intention:

Start small, but start now. You don't need a dramatic life overhaul to begin sowing better seeds. One genuine conversation. One hour of focused work. One healthy meal. One act of unexpected kindness. These are seeds, and they compound.

Be intentional about what you're planting. Before you speak, ask yourself: is this the kind of word I want growing in my relationships? Before you act, ask: is this the kind of behavior I want defining my character? Before you spend, ask: is this aligned with the financial harvest I'm trying to grow? In a nutshell - practice the golden rule: "Do to others what you want them to do to you!"

Play the long game. The biggest mistake most people make is expecting an immediate harvest from freshly planted seeds. Gardens don't work that way, and neither does life. Trust the process, maintain your field, and let time do what time does.

Prune the weed regularly. Part of sowing well is removing what doesn't belong — toxic habits, draining relationships, limiting beliefs, and self-destructive patterns. Weeds steal nutrients from your good seeds. Be ruthless about clearing them.

---

Conclusion: The Garden of Your Life Is Entirely Yours to Tend

Here's the bottom line: "You reap what you sow" isn't a threat. It's not a cosmic punishment system designed to make your life difficult. It's actually one of the most empowering truths in existence, because it means that you have far more influence over your life's harvest than you might think.

Every single day, you're a farmer making choices about what to plant. In your relationships, your career, your health, your mind, your community — you're sowing seeds constantly, whether you're doing it consciously or not. The question isn't whether you're planting. The question is whether you're planting with intention.

The person who understands this principle and lives by it doesn't just drift through life hoping for a good harvest. They tend their garden. They remove the weeds. They water what matters. They're patient through the growing seasons and grateful during the harvest.

And here's the beautiful, hard-to-deny truth at the end of it all: no one else can tend your garden for you. Other people can help. Circumstances can make things easier or harder. But the seeds — the daily choices, the habits, the intentions, the effort — those are yours. Every single one of them.

So go plant something worth harvesting.

Read More

The Go-getter On Wherever There's A Will, There's A Way

The Go-getter On Wherever There's A Will, There's A Way

Where there is a will, there is a way. (Veronica, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

"Wherever there is a will, there is a way" is a saying that has been passed down through the ages, inspiring countless individuals to push through difficult times and achieve their goals. But what exactly is this go-getting attitude that is being referred to, and how can we harness it to achieve our own goals?

First, let's break down the saying. "Will" refers to the determination and drive to achieve something. It's that burning desire in the pit of your stomach that tells you to keep going, even when the going gets tough. And "way" refers to the specific path or method that will lead to the achievement of your goal.

Now, here's the magic part: when you have a strong will, a way will always present itself. This is because when you have a strong desire to achieve something, your mind becomes more open to finding solutions and opportunities. You become more resourceful and creative, and you start seeing possibilities that you may have previously overlooked.

Einstein's Advice to the Japanese Hotel Bellboy

In 1922, Albert Einstein, the renowned physicist and mathematician, wrote a note to a bellboy at a hotel in Japan. The note, which was written in German, read "A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest." The note was recently sold at an auction for 1.6 million dollars. However, it is not just this note that holds valuable advice, but also a second sheet of paper that Einstein wrote on, which read "Where there is a will, there is a way."

This phrase, "Where there is a will, there is a way," is a reminder that with determination and drive, we can achieve anything we set our minds to. It's a reminder that the path to success is always there, waiting for us to find it. Einstein is reminding us that if we have a strong desire to achieve something, our mind becomes more open to finding solutions and opportunities. As said before, we become more resourceful and creative, and we start seeing possibilities that we may have previously overlooked.

But what if you don't have a strong will? Don't worry, it's not a lost cause. You can build up your will like a muscle. Just like going to the gym and lifting weights will make your muscles stronger, setting small, achievable goals and consistently working towards them will make your willpower stronger. Before you know it, you'll be ready to take on bigger and bigger challenges.

Now, let's add some humor to the mix. Imagine you're trying to open a jar of pickles, and you can't seem to get the lid off. You could give up and go without pickles, or you could channel your inner Giant and use all your might to twist that lid off. But let's be real, the jar probably wins. But if you have the will, you'll find a way. You could use a rubber band, a spoon, or even a hammer to open the jar. Now you're eating pickles like a boss.

Henceforth, Einstein's words of wisdom are not just limited to scientific equations, but also extend to practical advice for life. It's advised to heed Einstein's advice and remember, "Wherever there is a will, there is a way." And also don't forget to use a rubber band to open the jar of pickles, if all else fails.

The Blind and Deaf Helen Keller Gets a College Degree:

In the bustling city of New York, there lived a young woman named Helen Keller. Helen was born with the ability to see and hear, but at the age of 19 months, she fell ill and lost both her sight and hearing. Growing up, Helen struggled to communicate and understand the world around her. But she had a will, a burning desire to learn and live a fulfilling life.

Helen's parents were determined to help her, and they found a teacher, Anne Sullivan, who was able to teach Helen how to communicate through touch and sign language. Helen worked tirelessly with Anne, and through sheer determination and will, she was able to learn how to read and write.

As Helen grew older, she set her sights on higher education. She was determined to attend college, just like her sighted and hearing peers. But this was no easy feat. Helen had to work harder than anyone else, as she had to read and write using Braille and communicate with her teachers and classmates through sign language. But Helen was up for the challenge.

With the help of Anne, and her own strong will, Helen was able to attend Radcliffe College and graduated with honors. Helen Keller's story is a testament to the power of determination and the belief that if you have a will, a way will always present itself. Despite her disabilities, Helen was able to achieve the impossible and become an advocate for the blind and deaf community, proving that a strong will can conquer any obstacle.

Helen Keller's story is an inspiration to us all. She taught us that no matter what challenges we may face in life, with a strong will and determination, we can achieve anything we set our minds to. So, my dear readers, let this story be a reminder to you that when life seems tough, when the path seems uncertain, if you have a will, you will definitely find a way.

Thomas Edison and the Invention of a Light Bulb:

In the bustling city of Menlo Park, New Jersey, there lived an American inventor named Thomas Alva Edison. Edison had a dream, a dream to create a light bulb that would change the world. He had a will, a burning desire to make his dream a reality.

Edison set out to make his dream a reality. He began experimenting with different materials for the filament, trying everything from bamboo to cotton. He faced countless setbacks and failures, but he never let them defeat him. He was determined to find a way to make the light bulb work.

For months, Edison and his team worked tirelessly, testing thousands of different materials and going through over 6,000 prototypes. Each time they faced a failure, they would analyze what went wrong and try again. Edison was not discouraged by the numerous obstacles; he had a will, a will to make the light bulb work, and he knew that a way would present itself.

Finally, after months of hard work, Edison and his team found the perfect material, a carbonized bamboo filament that could burn for over 1,200 hours. And with that, the first practical incandescent light bulb was born.

The invention of the light bulb changed the world; it brought light to the darkness, and it revolutionized the way we live. Thomas Alva Edison's story is a testament to the power of determination and the belief that if you have a will, a way will always present itself. He faced countless obstacles, but he never gave up; he had a will, a will to make the light bulb work, and he succeeded.

Dear readers, let this story be a reminder to you that when life seems tough, when the path seems uncertain, if you have a will, you will find a way. Thomas Alva Edison's story teaches us that even in the face of failure, if you have a strong will and determination, you can achieve the impossible.

John F. Kennedy and the Seemingly Impossible Journey to the Moon

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced to a joint session of Congress his goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. This goal, known as the Apollo 11 Mission, was considered by many to be impossible, but Kennedy had a will, a will to make it happen. He knew that if the United States had a will, they would find a way to make it happen.

The Apollo 11 mission was a massive undertaking, requiring the collaboration of thousands of scientists, engineers, and technicians. It required the development of new technologies, such as the Saturn V rocket, which was the most powerful rocket ever built at that time. The Apollo program also required the development of new materials and new methods of manufacturing, as well as new training programs for the astronauts.

The Apollo 11 mission was not without its challenges. The launch was delayed several times due to technical problems and weather conditions. The astronauts also faced numerous obstacles during their journey to the moon, including a malfunctioning guidance computer and a dangerous landing site. But despite these challenges, the team behind the Apollo 11 mission never gave up. They had a will, a will to make the mission succeed.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the surface of the moon, with the famous words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". The success of the Apollo 11 mission was a testament to the power of determination and the belief that if you have a will, a way will always present itself. The United States had a will, a will to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth, and they succeeded.

To taste the feel of this endeavor, go out at night, raise up your head, and have a look at the moon. Then, while still looking at the moon, let this thought and imagination run through your mind: “Back in the days, a certain human being was there!” I hope you’ll appreciate that it was not a small feat, and it truly needed a very strong will for the way to the moon to present itself.

The Apollo 11 mission was not just a technological achievement; it was also a demonstration of the power of the human spirit. It showed that when faced with seemingly impossible challenges, if we have the will, we can find a way to overcome them. The mission was a reminder that with hard work, determination, and a shared goal, we can achieve anything we set our minds to.

In conclusion, the Apollo 11 mission was a shining example of the saying "Wherever there's a will, there's a way." The United States had a will, a will to accomplish the impossible, and they succeeded. The Apollo 11 mission serves as an inspiration to us all, showing us that with determination and a strong will, we can achieve anything we set our minds to. And we can do it on time!

Read More

Human Mind: Its Effects On Thoughts And Behavior

The human mind is quite a complex organ of the human body. It is amazing to learn about the working of a mind when a person is fully conscious and in a subconscious state. However, many times, you may have wanted to change yourself and your thoughts into a brand new person but found yourself with many challenges. 

But before turning to a new person, you have to think of the person you want to be and visualize him or her. In other words, it is a game of mind that makes you turn into a new person. Check also the environment you're living in to make sure that it's compatible with your new aspiring self.

Darren Hardy, the author of the book: The Compound Effect: Multiply Your Success One Simple Step at a Time, in that book he wrote this inspiring quote: “The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment to see that dream fulfilled. It’s like planting an oak sapling in a pot. Once it becomes rootbound, its growth is limited. It needs a great space to become a mighty oak. So do you.” 

Below are some ways where you can learn and apply the techniques, on how to change yourself to a brand new person or reprogram your subconscious mind.

 

The first thing is you have to make positive affirmations. You have to empower your mind with positive questions and positive, satisfactory responses. For instance, make assertions to yourself like, “I am satisfied that I have accomplished my job well,” or "Because I'm truly believing in Jesus Christ then I'll not perish but I'll have eternal life, this is according to John 3:16." These are positive affirmations and works wonders for your subconscious mind.

 

Visualization is another important method that helps you to change into a new man and plays a major role in the powering of your subconscious mind. This visualization must be creative and you must have the power to think and feel the things you want in life. It means that you must be able to imagine it with eyes closed. The method of visualization plays a major role in the subconscious mind because research studies have shown that mental training (visualization) enhances the cortical output signal, which drives the muscles to a higher activation level and increases personal strength.    

 

Audio programs are also another way to boost-up the subconscious mind to a higher new level. Here you attain a high concentration. For example, if you hear some positive words silently at night in an audio player even while you are asleep, it makes an impact in your mind and it plays the role of affirmation in the subconscious mind. This is important because whatever is in your heart, determines what you say! 

 

Words and emotions influence the subconscious mind more than other parts. This is the reason why you have the power to attract more things when you are in a happy state of mind, as at that time, the subconscious mind is full of affirmations and visualizations.

 

Thus, the mind is a really highly complex process which if you want to study, you have to spend years and years to understand its pattern of functioning through study. Now let's turn to our main discussion of this article on how your subconscious mind affects your thoughts and behavior. 

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old is gone; a new life has begun!" 

2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT.

How Your Subconscious Mind Affect Your Thoughts And Behavior

 

The greatest and most beautiful gift given by God to man is the subconscious mind. Though it is highly complex to understand, yet it is the point where everything is controlled. A brain has two parts – the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. 

The conscious mind is that part of the brain that controls your thought and actions. In other words, you are in control of the conscious mind. On the other hand, a subconscious mind has control over the emotions and feelings of a person. Therefore, you are not in control of a subconscious mind. In other words, we can say, the subconscious mind controls you.

 

Studies show that when you hear any news or anything, the subconscious mind is the first one to receive the information. It reaches the subconscious mind directly. Therefore, if you hear negative words throughout the day, then negative thoughts affect your subconscious mind automatically and you start to develop a pessimistic attitude in life. Thus, always try to be realistic and hear and say positive things, then your subconscious mind and you, in general, will develop an optimistic attitude towards life.

 

If you repeat something constantly, then your subconscious mind automatically will accept the thing as fact because you were repeating it This is called affirmations due to your repetitive actions. For example, if you are constantly saying something positive about an event, the chances are high that you will get a positive outcome. 

However, if you are repeating something negative, say, for example, you are constantly calling yourself a person with less self-confidence and feel that way, then chances are high that you will turn into a negative person or a person with lesser self-confidence or low self-esteem. This happens because your subconscious mind has accepted your repetitive thoughts as fact. This ultimately has a negative effect on your overall well-being.

 

The subconscious mind plays a major role to make a person turn healthier or unhealthier in life. However, if you can use the subconscious mind in a positive way, then it can bring a huge change in your life and change your life for the better. Since it involves emotions and feelings, therefore, it has the power to heal negative feelings if you are in a positive environment. However, it can have the reverse effect also.

 

Thus, the subconscious is a powerful tool gifted by God to Man to achieve the thing he or she wants in life. Many people yet do not know the role of a subconscious mind. It is important to bring this amazing gift of subconsciousness to the awareness of all people of the world and making each person lives a paradise life on earth.

Here's a video from Top Think which unveils what they call:13 spooky facts about our subconscious mind.

 

Read More

Take 4 Steps And 3 Actions To Become Financially Free

Becoming financially free is possible if you take control of your money and lifestyle and stick to your intention as the highest priority. Even if you are in debt right now, with some planning, you can find soon your bank account start to accrue some savings. 

It only takes some time to do some financial planning now and then make some goals to make sure you achieve your objective sooner rather than later.

 

1. Begin by taking a personal inventory about the true state of your financial affairs as they look today. Prepare a personal balance sheet. Create two columns and in one column, list the money saved and assets you have that are available and your regular salary or other sources of income. The goal of financial planning is to be able to pay the bills in the second column from what is available in the first column and still save some amount.

2. The second step is to create your personal weekly budget. Base your budget estimate on your weekly income.

• Begin by estimating your weekly income before you pay all the bills or do anything else with your money.

• Put a minimum of 10- 20% of your weekly income before bills into a savings account. Remember to tithe because it spiritually acts as an insurance premium for Divine Providence. You'll understand well, how this works if you walk by faith and not by sight. 

• Then start to work out how much you expect you'll need to pay in the bills this month. Include all debts as well as utility and other bills you may have or expect to receive. Ensure that you budget enough amount to pay more than the minimum amount required to settle your debts. If you only pay the minimum required you will not achieve your goal of being debt-free faster.

• Divide that amount by four and this will give you a weekly amount you will need to subtract from your income to cover your bills on a weekly basis.  

• Allocate any remaining money for personal use, to increase bill repayments or to increase savings. Give priority to bill repayment, then necessary personal needs, and last savings.

 

3. The third step is to start looking for alternative income sources if your expenditures (not including personal use money) are greater than all your income. This may mean taking a second job, or looking for a higher paying job, or starting a new business. The price you pay for short-term pain will significantly gain more dividends in the long-term. M. J. DeMarco, the author of the book: The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime, this is his quote from that book: “Instead of digging for gold, sell shovels. Instead of taking a class, offer a class. Instead of borrowing money, lend it. Instead of taking a job, hire for jobs. Instead of taking a mortgage, hold a mortgage. Break free from consumption, switch sides, and reorient to the world as a producer.”

 

4. Use credit cards with caution. It is advised that you always use them as you would use the hard cash. Only fall into debt when you truly have no other alternative to avoid getting into debt. You should clearly understand that what you're doing is - you're spending your future, unrealized earning in advance. So, once your financial situation improves, repay the balance in full as soon as possible to avoid high-interest charges on an extended period of repayments.

 

By focusing on these steps, it will be a matter of time before you achieve, what you truly deserve, a life with financial freedom. Now let's turn our discussion into understanding the meaning of becoming financially free. 

“‘Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!’

But you ask ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ ‘

You have cheated me of the tithes and offering due to me.

You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,

‘I will open the windows of heaven for you.

I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them, from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe’’

says the LORD of Heaven Armies. ‘

Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”

Malachi 3:8-12, NLT.  

 

The Meaning Of Becoming Financially Free

Let's start with financial planning, which in its simplest definition, is about taking control of your financial situation instead of allowing it to control you. It is about creating goals and then religiously committing to them. The reward for this action is what we call - the financial freedom, which you are craving to achieve. 

This financial freedom will enable you, first of all, it will make you debt-free, and secondly, you will be saving more money regularly, and thirdly, you'll remain with some money to spend on the things you enjoy and matter most in your life. In short, you'll be free financially.

To achieve financial freedom and live a life that is debt-free, or at least, have the ability to pay everyday expenses and provide for your family without needing to go into debt is the noble goal and it should be so to all other people. If you can't provide for your family basic needs, then be very careful, because depending on others, whether for borrowing or begging or doing evil, it's a guarantee that you lose your honor at any time.

 

And to achieve financial freedom need not be that difficult. People with a poor credit rating can turn their lives around and achieve a better rating simply by making financial goals for their life. Financial planning is not just for the rich and famous. Anyone who wants to achieve financial freedom must and should engage and incorporate some sort of financial planning in their lives.

Achieving financial freedom involves three major action-steps that you should plan on and act on them faithfully in order to liberate yourself from the prison of living in debts.

 

Creating A Budget

 

Creating a budget means ensuring income does not exceed expenditure and the goal of the budget is to create a lifestyle plan that covers all expenses and provides extra cash for saving and personal spending. You must learn to live within your means. 

Creating a budget involves not only listing the current income sources, but potential other sources to increase income if required. The interest paid on debts is a constant drain on finances. While it may seem logical to payout small debts and then focus on the large ones, in fact paying off the larger debts first will save more money in the long term.

 

Living By That Budget

 

A budget is only as successful if there is a commitment to live within the budget and resist any kind of impulse of buying anything that may cause voluntary over expenditure. The exception to this rule is the true emergency, which although not budgeted is covered by the savings plan you have put in place or plan to buy an insurance policy for a predictable emergency. If you have plans to buy household furniture or other expensive items, delay doing this until you are debt-free.

 

Increasing Savings

 

Allocate a weekly fixed amount of money as savings. Do not compromise on this amount for any reason. It is your key to future financial freedom. It's your safety-net when you fall into financial disasters. And along the way, you can start investing some of your money in order to leverage the growth of your nest egg by the compound effect available to you when you invest wisely.   

Here's a video by Stefan James of Project Life Mastery. Here he advises us to seek financial freedom first then start to work on becoming rich when our income has exceeded our expenses.  

 

Read More

Ways To Become Debt-Free And Credit Cards Smart Use

                                          Image by: Alpha Stock Images

 

The fact that you are reading this article shows that you have come to the decision that you want to reduce your debts or you want to be equipped so that the next time you fall into it then you can easily get out of it, and this is quite commendable. However, consolidating your debts is not as easy as it sounds; you need wisdom, strategy, and determination.

 

You first need to know the adverse effects that debts have on you. You may be in dire need of property, a car, or starting capital for business, and you may need some sort of financing. As long as you have a trail of debts after you, then you can rest assured that no financier will look your way. Therefore, your hands become tied-up.

 

Debt consolidation is usually the first step you should take in mending your broken credit history. Debt consolidation does not make all your debts vanish into thin air; what this does is that interest rates go down when debts are consolidated. The fact that you pay less interest on your debts means that you are able to pay your debts much faster than you would have if you had not consolidated them. 

There are many financiers who give nice debt consolidation loans, and you should consider getting one. I must mention at this point that the better your credit history is, the easier it is to get a debt consolidation loan.

 

You might want to consolidate your debt by other means except getting a consolidation loan. Well, if you own a home, there is good news for you. You can put up your home for a mortgage refinancing scheme that can be used to pay all other creditors, leaving you with only one lender – the mortgage financier.

 

However, if the above options do not suit you because you are limited due to one reason or the other, then all is not lost. You can get yourself a debt management agency to get the consolidation job done for you. The advantage with such agencies is that they can get your debts consolidated without you necessarily having a home or any other form of security. Consider consolidating your debts especially when you have gotten to a point where your debts are unmanageable and they are driving you crazy.

 

You can do the application online to the relevant agency. Searching for the agencies via the internet is advantageous because you have a range of agencies to choose from. Go through various agencies online before deciding on which one you will choose to work with.

Once you've picked the suitable one for you, please apply the advice from Dave Ramsey, the author of the book: The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness, who said that: "I tell everyone never to take more than a fifteen-year fixed-rate loan, and never have a payment of over 25 percent of your take-home pay. That is the most you should ever borrow.”

"Just as the rich rule the poor, 

so the borrower is servant to the lender." 

Proverbs 22:7, NLT.

4 Smart Tips To Using Credit Cards

 

Plastic money, which comes in the form of credit cards, is really loved and highly used. There is nothing you cannot purchase with one swipe of the credit card. Credits companies generate multi-billion dollar revenues every year on credit card users. This revenue is made when they deduct their charges and when they find you for late payments, transfers, and over-limits. 

However, a credit card can be a good servant if used wisely but a bad master when used unwisely. As a matter of fact, you can even get bonuses when you learn how to wisely use your plastic card. The following tips will be of great help to you if you apply wisely.

 

1. There are many credit card companies to choose from; choose the best. The best credit card you can have is one that has good interest rates and an open bonus system. Some credit cards usually have rewards for you, if you use it wisely. The rewards range from cashback to college fees for your kids. You can have a look at the customer reviews on a credit card before choosing it to be your financier. Such reviews will give you the best image of the credit card, and the experiences of other customers will help you make the right choice.

2. Avoid carrying balances on your credit card. These financial companies reward those who have a clean record when it comes to having balances in their credit cards. Paying off the balances usually relieves you of the burden of paying huge amounts of interest rates. Make it your aim to pay off any balance in your credit card at the end of every month.

3. Learn how to communicate with your credit card company. When you have a balance that has been forwarded to the next month, pick up your phone and talk to your credit card company and see whether it is possible for the interest rate to be cut down. However, you can only benefit from such a step if you have previously kept a clean record of clearing balances with the company.

4. Avoid cash advances like plague. As a matter of fact, use cash advances only when you are faced with an emergency and there is no other way out. It is very easy to ask for a cash advance because when you get it you feel as if you have been given free money. However, such advances usually attract heavy interests and charges when you delay payment.

 

Use these smart tips when you use credit cards and then you will not feel them be the monster that they are usually touted to be. They truly help in the time of need, but in the long run, the solution can not be lethal than its problem.

 

Here's an episode by Philippine's J3 Patino of Pinoy Money Academy that explains, how smart are the rich in using the credit cards. These are the smart practical applications of using the credit cards. 

 

Read More

Being Grateful, Your Liberty And Community Relationship

Do you find your life seems to be a constant whirl of activity where you don’t have time to sit for a minute and just contemplate the good things you have in your personal world? Society today seems to have created a cycle for most of us that necessitate a constant rush from activity to activity with little or no time to be still and appreciate the good things in our lives. If you're caught-up then you've to seek liberty from that vicious cycle.

Many of us need to stop and take stock of what we have, rather than what we don’t have. In order to stop this endless cycle that will eventually burn out or cause some other physical reaction, we've to learn to be grateful for the things we've rather than continuously seeking the things we don’t have. This moment of action will unleash the power of optimism in our lives.

Gratitude is a powerful characteristic to develop. As we focus on gratitude for the blessings that are ours today, we stop taking them for granted. Cicero once wrote, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, it is the parent of them.” The attitude of never having enough and never being grateful is such a negative attitude; others don’t want to be around it. Yet the opposite is true for the person who radiates gratitude. They usually attract more reasons to be grateful and find more reasons to be grateful.

This attitude permeates every part of their life and is the drive that compels them to undertake the activities scheduled for the day. People who learn to be genuinely grateful for what they already have, they become content and reduces the need to be constantly seeking more. They feel genuine appreciation for other’s efforts and contributions and have energy left over to reach out to others from the perspective of being appreciative of what they already have.

We all know people like this. History has recorded many famous names of people who have learned this important life lesson. We can transform the way we approach our life by developing this characteristic. Writing down each day at least three things to be grateful for, is a great way to cultivate this attitude and taking time during the day to express our gratitude to friends, family, God, or the world. This is a great way to learn to live in an attitude of gratitude even when we are faced with a hectic schedule in our daily lives.

Your Community Relationship

Would it not be so good if everybody could relate with the other without having to fight or using violence? I think the world would have been the best place to be and probably the astronauts would be thinking twice before leaving for space. Would it not also be great if no-one had to say mean things to others or break the other people's hearts?

Ibram Xolani Kendi, the author of the book: How To Be An Antiracist, he himself being black he has a deep concern with Black people in general especially those living in America. In one of his writing, he was quoted as saying: "The only thing wrong with Black people is that we think something is wrong with Black people."  

Would it not be true brotherly love if each race on earth would respect and protect another race and consider that the entire humanity is descendants of the one family of Adam and Eve created by God in the garden of Eden at the beginning of all things? 

It is so sad how little people consider humanity to be and this is seen in the many wars that have taken part in different parts of the world. Protest against racial abuse is evidence of bad relationships in our society. It is crystal clear that our relationships are the source of our never-ending problems. If only people could relate well then there would have been no bloodshed, no racism, no lives lost, no homeless people, no orphaned children, no widowers or widows - or to summarize it - there would be no evil.

We keep hearing of nations where peace is unheard of, fighting is always the order of the day, reason being; tribalism, racism or the greed of a leader who is too selfish to accept the fact that his/her ruling time is no longer compatible with the current economic challenges. 

It is such a pity how someone would prefer being filthy rich to help others, how mean is that? It really does not cost anything to share the little you have with the one who has nothing. it’s funny because we do forget that no one knows how tomorrow will be. And maybe, just maybe the same thing would happen to us the next day or to someone we know or close to us.

To solve our issues like the war, we first have to deeply consult ourselves in terms of relationships. Love is a very essential factor in building healthy relationships. Love never fails. For example, you can smile to that stranger who comes to your office looking for a job vacancy; you can properly shake hands with anyone, be friendly to that person who is asking for directions, kindly help the blind find way in the streets or help old people to cross the road safely. 

Still, you can welcome your new neighbor to your neighborhood in a warm and friendly manner, you can donate food and cloth and other unused stuff to the needy, you can do some community work in your area like collecting garbage or do some clean-up. And yes, you can go on and marry that good-behaving, good-looking opposite sex, from another race, if you are deeply in love. You have the liberty to do what is good and not always doing what is evil by default. 

Do not give favoritism, tribalism, religion, or skin color the first priority when you meet someone in an event or when anyone needs your help. Get to know others regardless of where they come from because it is not a place that makes a person rather it is their character and personality. If you put at work your best side by doing all those loving things to others, don’t you think you would change the world? It begins with you!

“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, 

like putting on new clothes. 

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. 

For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. 

You are his heirs, 

and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.” 

Galatians 3:26-29, NLT.

Here's a video by Tom Richey, a good teacher of history. Here he helps us understand the concept of positive and negative liberty. 

Read More

Positive People: Take The Good And Reject The Rest

Do you know a person who always seems happy and positive about themselves and life in general? They never seem to have a problem and seem to be able to deal with things in life with composure and grace. Do you wish you were more like them and able to deal with your life circumstances like they do?

Before we go deep, today in our image section in this post, we've featured an elderly man cheerfully listening to good music on the headset. There's no doubt he is happy despite the fact that he looks like he is too old to do something like dancing on the headset. He is the kind of person who has a positive outlook that we're talking about. The reward for these kinds of people is usually healthy, long-life, full of happiness.   

These people have a way of seeing life as being the “half-full glass” where even if things are going in the wrong way, they find something positive in it to focus on. This way of viewing life is natural for some people, but for the majority of people who use this approach to life, it is a learned response. It results from making an intention to look at the positive and not to dwell on the negative and then practicing doing this, day after day.

Sounds easy when it’s on paper, but in the reality of life, it’s usually not. How do people learn to focus on the half-full glass and not the half-empty one and remain positive? It’s not easy to be thankful when faced with terrible, difficult circumstances. However, practicing gratitude helps us deal with all but the most difficult experiences we may face in our lives. It is the key to the optimism that we see in the positive people we tend to admire so much.

When we complain all the time, we can quickly lose our perspective. Yes, the worker may have taken hours to complete a job that another worker may have completed in much less time, but before we complain at the bill, consider the work quality between the two. Maybe our concern is justified, but if the work produced is more superior in quality, then maybe the extra time was justified! 

Half-glass full thinking seeks to clarify a situation before complaining about it. It asks whether a complaint will make the situation better or worse and if it will help to resolve the issue. In most cases, the answer to both these questions is no! On those occasions when it is justified, then we should do something about it. 

A clear perspective on the situation can help us to resolve a seemingly irresolvable problem. Maintaining an attitude of gratitude helps us maintain a positive perspective on most things that happen in our life. It helps to keep the glass half-full even in the most horrific and difficult situation. 

Take the Good in Life and Reject the Rest

When was the last time you watched a bee as it busily went from flower to flower collecting the nectar and pollen that would become the life-saving energy source for the larvae back at the hive? While some bees are happy to collect pollen from many different plants and flowers, others specialize in only collecting from certain species. The honey produced in the hives of these specialist bees is premium, a highly sought after for its unique qualities and flavors.

In our life choices, we can be like the specialist honey-bee, taking the good things offered to us in life, and rejecting the rest that will potentially harm us, or our quality of life. Learning to say no is a powerful tool that many of us rarely use, if ever. There is nothing wrong with the pollen and nectar that the specialist bees reject. They have the potential to produce delicious honey too, but for the honey-bees that are searching for a special type of pollen; they represent imperfections and time-wasting activity. These specialist honey-bees know that not all glitters are gold.

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, 

and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” 

Luke 6:45, NLT. 

Learning to reject or say no to what will hurt or harm us in the long term is the key to reducing the amount of stress we carry each day. And to feel better about ourselves on the choices we make in our life. As we learn to reject the things that will harm us, we are more inclined to accept the things that will help us. Perhaps more importantly, we are able to learn to tell the difference between the two.

How can you tell the difference between what to accept and what to reject to help you stay stress-free? Most of us know instinctively what is going to cause us distress. These things are never accepted and must be rejected from our life, but what of those things that will cause us stress but not distress? Can we trust our instincts with them?

The answer is: growing through stress is not a bad thing and sometimes we do need to move outside of our comfort zone to achieve progress in our life. The key to knowing what will produce good stress and what will produce negative stress is to have a life plan and only accepting those things that contribute to our long-term life plan. Saying no to other things helps keep us focused on our goals and thinking positively about our life experiences.

Here's a video by Brendon Burchard, the author of the book: High-Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way. Here he gives us insight on how thoughts are generated and how you can develop the habits of thinking the positive thoughts on demand. 

Read More