2012 – See You at the Next Level

As we bid 2011 a final goodbye, we need to take a look back at the passing year with a grateful heart to God for keeping us throughout the year and learning the lessons from things we did wrong and things we got right.

The year 2011 was a mixed bag for many. Recession staged a comeback and many lost their jobs. The interesting thing about life is that it is different strokes for different folks. It is very easy to feel gloomy at times of economic uncertainty. The feeling is that everything is going down, and everyone is having financial challenges. Nothing can be further than the truth. Anytime there is an economic downturn, there is a global transfer of wealth.

The money does not disappear from the planet or get zapped back into the Central Bank (most countries are now broke). The money simply changes hands. You have some companies like Apple having more liquidity than the US government etc. The money is alive and well in somebody’s hands. The Occupy Movement knows this fact very well, hence the demand that the 1% share the joy with the remaining 99%. One good question to ask is, as the money is changing hands, why are you not a recipient?

I ask myself that question a lot. During the holiday shopping mad rush, I was in the car waiting for my wife who had gone into the supermarket in my neighborhood to pick up some stuff. Since I had no book with me to occupy myself with, I spent the time observing the goings on around the supermarket. There were so many cars coming in and out, the parking attendants had a heck of a time managing the sea of automobiles while trying the keep the road clear for the free flow of traffic.

Although I admired the fancy automobiles, my focus was on the constant stream of shoppers going through the revolving doors, going in with money to spend, and coming out with loads of stuff. I was wishing the supermarket was mine and this crowd of people was queuing up to give me money. I pictured the owner of the supermarket in my mind’s eye smiling all the way to the bank the next day. One man caused traffic gridlock as people dashed from ATMs to come to give him their hard-earned money. Lucky guy, or is he? He earned it, by starting small and building a one-stop shop where you can buy whatever you can think of below open market prices. He just opened a bigger building which now seems too crowded.

For people to give you money, you have to earn it, through providing goods or services or both. For someone to hand over his mansion to you at a ridiculous price, you have to show him the color of your money. The transfer is not free of charge. Rather than join the general lament of how things are tough, a better use of your time is to figure out what you can do to legally be on the recipient side of the ongoing wealth transfer.

2011 has been a year of personal development for me. My library doubled in size and I almost go into a panic attack if I leave home without a book. I prefer forgetting my mobile phone at home than forget the book I am reading. I have come to discover that life is lived at levels, and the level you are at determines your level of understanding and commitment to action. There is a level you get to when common sense becomes common, and you think through it before you speak or act. In 2011, I transformed from a desk potato to an athlete and runner who is preparing for his first marathon.

My weight is heading in the right direction and cholesterol numbers are in the normal range except one which I am still working on. I managed to scale through Christmas without gaining weight. My finances are taking better shape and I feel more in control of what I choose to do. I can focus better and I am getting better results. I am really amazed at what changes reading can make in one’s life. I am now unashamedly a bookworm. I keep wondering why I did not realize this much earlier in life. I may not have achieved all my goals, but I am thrilled with how far I have come. If you focus on your goals, you will make progress in the direction you are heading.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
― Les Brown

Come 2012, by God’s grace I still plan to continue on my voyage of personal development while working on my multiple streams of income. As wealth changes hands, I have made up my mind I will be among the 1% although my sympathies are with the occupied folks in the 99% camp. You have to make up your mind what you really want, and expect it to happen to you as you take steps towards it.

When it comes to wealth distribution, the world is divided into four camps

– The Haves
– The Have Nots
– The Yet to Haves
– The Used to Haves

The demarcation will become wider as world economies tumble like dominos, heading toward China. When the dust settles, the money will still remain intact, but in different hands. You need to decide which quadrant you want to play in. It is not a matter of circumstances, but a matter of mindset, choices, and decisions. Your decisions determine your destiny. It’s your call. See you at the next level. Happy New Year 2012!

Photo: topclassmoving.com