So what is the history of money? I am no historian but I am informed that it dates back over 5,000 years. We have long used it as a method of payment and store of value. It’s format continues to evolve from coin, to paper and now digital.
If you were to ask yourself, what is your relationship with money, what would the answer be? This is a really important question. If you have not previously stopped to ask yourself this question and reflect on the answer…STOP. You should!
Your relationship with money and how you think about money will have most likely been influenced by your early years and your parents.
Over a lifetime, your relationship with money and how you think about it will further be impacted and influenced by life stages and events.
Think about it, from studying, to your first job (or business), buying a house or car, holidays, marriage, children, divorce, retirement and death. The common factor is money. Whether you like it or not, money and your relationship with it, is a governing factor in your life.
If I reflect on my early years, my parents influenced my thinking on money in three primary ways…
- 1. You work hard for your money.
- 2. Buy what you can afford and avoid debt.
- 3. Save your money, investing was risky
Do I still think the same way about money? No. It did however take me until my late 20’s to evolve my thinking and since then I have continued to develop my thinking on money.
Since then I have transformed my thinking on money from the above to the below…
- 1. Work smart, make your money work
- 2. Be sensible, use debt selectively
- 3. Save, invest and compound
For me, there was definitely an opportunity cost attached to not evolving my thinking sooner.
Looking back on my teenage years, I wish family, friends, teachers and a Money Parrot had signposted me to great books on money and investing. Never mind, it’s never too late!
A must read for everyone is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book was recommended to me by a friend, I had just turned 30 and wished I had read it when I was 18. It was a game changer for me.
Since then I have read near on a 100 books on money and investing. Some great, some average. You can never stop learning.
The next game changer that I read was The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
What will I do when my children turn 18? Ideally sooner. I will give them a fresh crisp copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Psychology of Money.
The world and our thinking might of moved on by then but the principles remain the same.
So turning to the Money Parrot and this blog…
What I am going to share with you is not rocket science. Quite frankly, it’s a simple set of thoughts, ideas and suggestions to help you reframe how you think about money, how you can make more money and how you can make money work for you.
What if I told you that if you stopped watching the latest series on TV or put your smart phone down and tuned into YOU for just one night a week (to start with), you could set in motion a series of changes in your life that could compound over time and deliver truly remarkable results.
WARNING. If you want to quit your job today and get rich tomorrow, this is not the blog for you. Now I appreciate in the ‘I want it yesterday’ world we live in, nobody finds the thought of getting rich slowly very exciting.
What is exciting is that if we go back to YOU, compounding and remarkable results, this is where you can set in motion the magic of getting rich.
Is getting rich a race? I would argue it’s a marathon that never ends. You might sprint, you might jog, you will likely do both at times. Please enjoy the journey.
Until next time…the Money Parrot!
MoneyParrot 