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In the world we live in, there are certain people that we often see, hear about and admire. These are the public figures we refer to as 'celebrities' or 'stars'. Celebrities are people who are known for their achievements in the creative arts or media, they are usually gifted to act, sing, dance, model, create music, fashion and generally all things creative. We admire them because they exude feelings of accomplishment and excellence through the roles that they play.

On the personal angle, I admire them because I feel that they are doing what they were put on this earth to do. They play their roles so excellently and skilfully that we just can't help but love them.

Deep down, we all have the desire to fulfil something unique continually and once we are able to, we will be happier. Purpose is defined as:

• the reason why something is done or used : the aim or intention of something

• the feeling of being determined to do or achieve something

• the aim or goal of a person : what a person is trying to do, become, etc.

So put simply, we want to find a reason to achieve something, and that reason for achievement will be our 'purpose'. 

I sincerely believe that everyone is created for more. Our lives are more than going through education, or working, or slaving, or chilling and even reproducing.

As a young person, the best time to find out your reason is NOW. Do some soul-searching, ask yourself some deep questions. You can find out what it is by seeking out the things that trigger and inspire happiness in you and the lives of the people around you. Take your time and you will find it.

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No Ordinary Life (c) 2022                                                                                        Last updated: 01/07/2022

Today I decided to write something different and also quite difficult. Difficult because it is the kind of subject that you are likely to read a whole book about, so compressing those tons of information into a 3 minute blog post is a challenge.

Here it goes.

Have you ever sat down and thought about your life and certain decisions you have taken? I know you have. We all have. Whether decisions end up leading to a good or bad outcome, it affects our lives one way or another.

I am not one to keep the fact that I have made decisions and choices over the years which I am not proud of because I veered off my dream. In most of those cases, the decision I made was essentially to give up and try something else. My life has worked out alright but that's because between then and now, I have been able to make some careful decisions and steps. Here are a few things to consider in making careful decisions before taking those important steps into it.

1. Don't make decisions in haste.

Here is a quote for you 

                "Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste."  Benjamin Franklin

Ponder is a word which means to pause and think... brood over a decision or situation.

Speeding is against the law and also a number 1 killer including the drivers themselves. Don't speed into decisions or else you might kill your opportunities.

2. Consider past experiences.

Experience is the best teacher as they say. So let's learn from our mistakes and do things correctly the next time.

3. Seek advice.

               "There is wisdom in the multitude of counsellors."  Proverbs 11:14

The quote above doesn't mean you should tell everyone your problems. 

Counsellors are people who are unbiased listeners and at hand to help and guide you. The kind of counsellors you need to seek advice from are people who are 1.mature and 2. experts or experienced. They are better suited to point you in a right/promising direction.

4. Consider end results.

Questions: Where do you want to go? What will the dream look like?

Every journey begins with a destination at hand. Even life has a destination and I am afraid to say that destination by nature seems to be death, not riches.

So before you take any decision, think of what it will give you or what you hope to be doing at point B.

5. Imagine the journey through the decision.

Questions: How do you want to get there? What will the journey look like?

You are thinking of climbing Mount Everest, you must research into what it is like. What kind of terrain does it have? What challenges are involved? How long does it take? What clothing, equipment or gear will you need. What skills and training will you need?

When you have your answers, you can decide if it is a challenge you can handle. You must literally imagine yourself on that journey. Going through the highs and lows you did or didn't anticipate. Keeping your eyes on the destination. And developing solid problem-solving and decision-making skills along the way.

6. Don't journey alone.

There are very few jobs in life which involve working in isolation. Very very few. Almost all jobs involve working in a team.

So going back to my previous point [3] about seeking advice and experts. I am imagining an explorer who wants to journey to the summit of Mount Everest. Did you know that they don't journey alone? At the bottom of the mountain, there are skilled experienced mountaineers who are paid to lead them to the top. Sports people have their coaches. Entertainers have their managers. Employees have their bosses or line managers. Top businessmen/women have their business mentors or strategists too. So life is never about us doing it alone. 

           "Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labour. 

           For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

           But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up."          Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 

I pray that we find faithful helpers to journey with on our way and that we also be faithful helpers to those we encounter in life. 

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No Ordinary Life (c) 2022                                                                                                             Last updated: 01/08/2022

Happy New Month and welcome to the last quarter of 2022! What a shocker. Time has been running so quickly.

This month's blog post is not the most exciting but it's needful. 

I don't know about you; but I've had money on my mind alot lately. 1 because myself and almost everyone I believe, is feeling the pinch of the global economic crisis. Things have been hard for people and we see and feel poverty and lack all around us. Even the leaders of the "developed world" have been announcing that the economic crisis will get worse due to one or two other factors. The regular civilian in "the west" is feeling the heatwave... now we all know what lack, inflation and poor governance look like.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

So money woes sometimes termed as 'financial woes', what are they?

Let's break it down. Money is money (of course). Woes as defined from a Google search result is 'things that cause sorrow or distress; troubles.' So the overall term means things that cause distress related to money. So for example: debt. The number one money woe which cripples individuals and even nations. 

Debt is a really dangerous thing and often becomes a cycle which is inherited by the next generations. As you know, it's that bad that people end their lives because of it. 

Over the next couple of posts, I will continue to explore the subject of money so take this as the introduction. I will explore how we can develop a better relationship with our money by doing something called budgeting. Yes you know that b word. For today, let's have a short financial literacy lesson.

Imagine we are playing a game of word association and the word was 'money', what words can you come up with?

3, 2, 1 ... Go!

What did you come up with? (Share them in the comments section below)

I made a list of all (or most) of the terms I could think of related to money: Inflation, budget(ing), credit, debit, equity, pension, collateral, capital, loan, grant, APR, stocks, bonds and that was in 3 minutes. 

Oh dear. I forgot salary. And off course assets and liabilities.

Let's start with the last 3 on the list. I will also include some tips for each term.

Salary - the money paid on a regular basis for a job performed.

First tip. Make sure you keep track of your income/salary and budget. 

According to nerdwallet.com (2020), a budget is a spending plan based on income and expenses. In other words, it’s an estimate of how much money you’ll make and spend over a certain period of time, such as a month or year. 

Asset - anything owned that has exchange value. (Collins dictionary, n.d)

Liability - something a person or company owes, usually a sum of money  (Investopedia.com, 2022)

Second tip. Have more Assets than Liabilities. 

You have the power to reduce your liabilities and also increase your assets. But they also depend on the opportunities available to you and how you make the decision to use them. 

I'm going to throw in another term which relates to these 3 terms. Equity. Here are two definitions in relation to money.

1. Equity is equal to total assets minus its total liabilities. (Investopia.com, 2022)

2. The value of a property after you have paid any debts or liabilities or other charges relating to it and shared them among the shareholders (Cambridge dictionary with my adaptation).

So simply, equity is the leftover after all debts have been paid. So here comes the third tip: work and live smart so that your equity reflects the result of your diligence. 

We can all have good equity if we understand short term and long term financial planning and make decisions so that we don't end up in debt.

I'll leave you with 2 quotes from the Bible. 

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.  Proverbs 21:5 New Living Translation

Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 

By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 

Proverbs 24:3-4 New King James Version

Want to learn more about long-term financial planning from the Biblical perspective ?

Why not sign up for the Smart Life People Book Club hosted by NOL's very own Claudia. The book club starts in October.

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Sources

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/what-is-a-budget

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/asset

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liability.asp

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/equity.asp

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+21%3A5%2C+Proverbs+24%3A3-4&version=NLT