WHILE FAMILY IS A BLESSING {WELL SOMETIMES}, WE MUST CAREFULLY CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS!
Disclaimer: Good Day, Readers. WealthBuildingPowers blog is a financial literacy/competency blog and does not provide specific investment recommendations.
WHILE FAMILY IS A BLESSING {WELL SOMETIMES}, WE MUST CAREFULLY CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS!
While we can’t choose what family we are born into, we can choose our acquittances and friends! How carefully have you made those choices?
One of my immediate family members grew up in the same small town as I. We had 50% of the same immediate family members. His other 50% excelled mine significantly in education and wealth building. But we diverged; early in life, he made abysmal decisions in selecting his friends.
CHAMELEONS
Chameleons change the color of their skin to match the environment. Unfortunately, people sometimes change the color of their very souls to match the people they surround themselves with.
The individuals you surround yourself with can either make you a better person or destroy your future.
AN EARLY LESSON
My father was a school principal and the hardest working man I have known. He was organized, regimented, and delivered on his word. By watching his actions, I learned to achieve dreams; YOU MUST WORK HARDER THAN THE REST! Watching my parents and others I respected taught me to pick my friends carefully
TRAITS I LEARNED TO SEEK
- Smart
- Hard Work
- Values
- Character
- Honest Feedback
- Loved
A big obstacle to befriending people with these traits is YOU!. If your acquittances and family do not see these traits in you, WHY ON EARTH, would they want to spend time with you? They will shun you like COVID!
YOU ATTRACT WHAT YOU ARE!
In our day-to-day life (i.e., family, school, jobs, etc.), we spend long hours with people. Some will have the above traits, but the majority will NOT. You get to choose the people you voluntarily associate with.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS – WINNERS VERSUS LOSERS; MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION!
Pick out associates whose behavior you admire and want to emulate.
“Warren Buffett, Taught a life lesson for all of us about absorbing the very qualities and traits of successful people who will elevate us and make us better as leaders, workers, and human beings. The people you choose to be around truly matter for your career progression. When you choose to surround yourself with better and smarter individuals and learn from their success habits, you absorb their knowledge and become better and smarter yourself. Consciously choose to engage people further down the path you desire so you can pick up their positive habits of success.”
If you want to be a master brick mason, work with master brick masons. A master pianist trains a master pianist. The same goes for teachers, electricians, surgeons, auto mechanics, lawyers (UGH). If you have an excellent lawyer joke, please share. Insulting lawyers is almost as much fun as insulting Politicians and snakes!
MAJORITY OF MY TRUE FRIENDS HAVE THESE TRAITS:
SMART– My friend Clifton is the most competent engineer I know. Being his friend made me change my major to engineering. We learn from intelligent people. What can you learn from a (searching for the politically correct word) fool? How to be a fool!
HARD WORK: – I just came back from visiting my best friend and brother, who, like our Dad, exemplifies the value of hard work. He purchased a new Porsche SUV earlier this year. Paid cash. Because he worked hard and EARNED IT!
VALUES: I once attended a church and was surprised when they fired the minister. The reason – he got one member (not his wife) pregnant and was having an affair with another. But boy could he shout pretend values! Successful people have an unwavering commitment to living their values. This is especially the case when life throws a curveball. They stick with their values because it defines who they are.
CHARACTER: People operating with character and integrity can be trusted; you never have to worry about their actions or whether they’re hiding anything from you. A person with character brings truth which makes it very attractive to those seeking honest feedback. You will never improve without HONEST FEEDBACK!
BRUTALLY HONEST FEEDBACK!
My brother and I discussed the need for any President of the United States to have at least one person they implicitly trust. The individual who can safely say words they seldom hear. “IDIOT – YOU ARE WRONG!” Ok- this needs to be a very close friend.
- Ronald Regan- Nancy Regan
- George HW Bush- James Baker
- George Bush – Karl Rowe
- Barack Obama- Valerie Jarrett
LOVE: Warren Buffett was asked about his most tremendous success and greatest failure: “When you get to my age, you’ll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you.” He added, “I know people who have a lot of money … but the truth is that nobody in the world loves them….that’s the ultimate test of how you have lived your life.”
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life: Schroeder, Alice:
CONCLUSION – WHILE FAMILY IS A BLESSING {WELL SOMETIMES}, WE MUST CAREFULLY CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS!
I do NOT click on my social media pages to count true friends. I count true friends on my fingers and still have the capacity to text!
THREE FINAL PIECES OF FREE ADVICE
- Be someone others see the above traits in, and those types will seek you.
- Find friends that make you a better person.
- Attract friends that are happy in their own lives so they can be authentically delighted for you.
I dedicate today’s blog to my Uncle Nathaniel Boney {the Center of the above picture}. A man that exemplified ALL the traits I discussed today. I miss his wisdom and his love.
LET’S MAKE SOME MONEY – CRYPTOCURRENCY IS ACCEPTED!
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ABOUT ME
I am a proud nerd (as my beautiful wife and daughter have told me) investment and finance blogger with an N.C. State, Chemical Engineering, University Rutgers, MBA and Harvard University, Advanced Management education.
I left a corporate career because I desired to make a difference as a speaker and writer. I was blessed to be coached and mentored by strong women and men in my family and professional life. It is my time to serve and give back.
DISCLAIMER
I started my first business at ~13 years of age (a small but brilliantly created plant nursery). I am a successful investor in stocks, options, real estate and am happy to share my finance and investment lessons. I am NOT a licensed financial advisor. Please do not construe my suggestions on this blog as recommendations for your situation.As an investor, you must establish your risk/loss tolerance. Investment in any asset involves risk, including complete loss.
Please seek your licensed CPA or fiduciary financial advisors for individual financial advice.
I write this weekly blog to make an impact by reaching an audience and demonstrating the need for financial literacy. I will help you get there.
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