moneyFYI
Financial Freedom Is Merely Organized Common Sense
We Violate Ancient Wisdom
Chinese writer, philosopher Lao-Tse was born in 591 BC and over his life founded the philosophy/religion of Taoism. Many of his ideas are easily applied to life tody. Let’s look at three of them.
“Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power”
Until you master yourself, you will follow counter-productive paths. Remember how we thought as children. Being the dominant kid in the neighbourhood seemed attractive. Being promoted at work is often for its social value. Leadership positions that provide control over others ccan be addictive. Leadership is not control, but direction and growth.
When you know your values it is easier to aim yourself at outcomes that truly matter. Maybe those would matter only to you, but you cannot have a strong relationship with any other unless you know who you are.
One big step is understanding your strengths and how they work together with your weaknesses. Weaknesses are easy to overlook when seeking validation by achieving what you think others would value. You do not have to turn weaknesses into strengths, but you must learn when they imperil the application of your strengths.
Life is like golf. You can have exceptional talents in one aspect of the game, but champions are at least good at every aspect. Building the “You” package is your task.
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”
Many people value things that are not functionally useful. I recall an organizational psychologist talking about how money is a “dysfunctional motivator.” If you pay someone too little they will be demotivated , but if you pay them too much they will not be much more motivated than someone who is paid correctly. That is true in some businesses, but not all. Wall Street bankers value their seven figure bonuses without regard to the personal value of the work they do. Working just for money and valuing yourself accordingly becomes self-defeating eventually.
In economics there is a thought. “Diminishing Marginal Utility.” That means that some money is necessary and valuable, and more can provide security and options. But as you pass those guideposts, you may find that money becomes just a number on your tax return. Nice enough but if that number defines you, you will not get the most from life. Someone with two billion dollars can live as well as someone with ten billion.
When you know what provides value to you and your important others, excess can easily become a burden. Do you give much thought to travelling with bodyguards? If you had an enormous fortune, would you? There are guiding principles in life. One is the law of conservation of problems. Problems don’t go away with more money, they just change their form.
Know what enough means to you and be sure the definition does not rely on comparisons to others.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished”
Do you know what 90-day corn is? It is corn that from the time of planting to maturity takes 90-days assuming the weather is as expected. Corn takes longer to develop if it is cool. farmers manage their planting by a formula that relies on “degree days” a measure of accumulated heat. If you live in a colder place the corn needs longer to reach maturity.
Using Lao-Tse’s thought it means things happen in accordance with a natural cycle or pattern. You cannot stand in your cornfield and demand the crop grow faster. Understand the whole structure and work within it. You can be like nature only when not burdened with impatience.
Another bright mind delivered a similar Idea. UCLA basketball coach John Wooden coached his teams to win 10 national championships in 12 years. His idea applies perfectly to any form of athletics. “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Like Lao-Tse, he recognized that hurry is a defect. You will find many other tworthy houghts if you examine these “Woodenisms”
The idea.
Know what you must have to be happy and secure. Don’t chase external values. Cooperate, don’t command. Once you know notice how long it takes to fit everything together, take the time and do it right. Impatience is your enemy.
moneyFYI 
Excellent Don, thank you!