The Tortoise Wins!
Welcome to day 9 of our 10 days of financial wisdom. So far we've learned about leaving a legacy for our kids, working together with your spouse to build confidence with money, paying attention to how the already financially successful use money, being really focused on getting out of debt, why we should not live as slaves to debt, saving today for tomorrow and planning ahead. All of which have been very helpful and each using a key verse from Proverbs to teach us about money.
Today's message is for people like me who work now and expect results NOW.
"I've been blessed to learn from some wildly successful individuals. I love those opportunities, and I always try to make the most of them. I even take a pen and a notepad so I can write down important insights.
The way I see it, you stop growing the moment you stop learning.
One day, I was spending time with a really successful guy. I mean, this guy was a billionaire! Over lunch, I asked him a question I've asked many wealthy folks: "What can I do today that will get me closer to where you are financially and in business?"
Now this was a godly man who had been walking with the Lord for a long time, so his first answer wasn't really a surprise - give generously. Almost every wealthy person I've ever talked to has emphasized generosity, and giving is already one of my favorite things to do. So, that was pretty much a given.
His second suggestion was to read a book that he guaranteed would change my life. I'm a huge reader, so I was really excited about this idea. I had my pen to the paper, ready to write down the name of this transformational book.
"Dave, have you ever read The Tortoise and the Hare?" he asked.
Huh? A fairy tale? What's that got to do with wealth?
Seeing the weird look on my face, my friend said, "Dave, we live in a world full of rabbits. Everybody is running around, hopping here and there without paying attention to where they're going. If you want to succeed, you've got to stay focused and move slow and steady."
Then he leaned in and hit me with the clincher: "Every time I read that book, the tortoise wins."
I think Solomon was making a similar point in Proverbs 21:5. Diligence requires patience and perseverance. It's much more tortoise than hare. It also leads to plenty, while haste and hurry lead to poverty.
Reliable wealth building is really pretty simple - maybe even a little boring. It just takes doing the right things consistently over time. It may be tempting to sprint ahead like a rabbit, but don't fall for that myth. The truth is, building wealth is a marathon, not a sprint. And in this race, the tortoise always wins."
By: Dave Ramsey
I truly believe that for whatever reason I'm part of a generation of get-rich-quick people. I look at my grandparents and wonder how they can afford such nice things for ALL of their family members at Christmas. Or how they can randomly bless us with money when we have a baby. But then I realize these people don't live lavishly. They have nice things but have had them for yearssssss. Consider this how many people do you know with grandparents that live in the same house they bought 35plus years ago? They've spent their entire lives being frugile, patient, and smart with money. They've invested and watched their investments grow over time. This man, Dave Ramsey is talking about, is probably one of those people. Now are my grandparents billionaires? NO, but they are patient and have kept their eye on the target.
I think maybe I need to read this advice at least once a week to remind myself that it doesn't happen all at once. I really like that the verse says Good planning AND hard work lead to prosperity. I feel like my generation wants and thinks everything should be handed to them on a silver platter. Sorry guys that's not how life works. It didn't work like that for my grandparents, so it's not going to work like that for me. If Dave, my Dave, and I are married for 25 years and still have the same sofas we bought with our engagement money but we are completely debt free, then I'll truly be a happy, happy, happy ;)
Grace to You,
Jenna
Welcome to day 9 of our 10 days of financial wisdom. So far we've learned about leaving a legacy for our kids, working together with your spouse to build confidence with money, paying attention to how the already financially successful use money, being really focused on getting out of debt, why we should not live as slaves to debt, saving today for tomorrow and planning ahead. All of which have been very helpful and each using a key verse from Proverbs to teach us about money.
Today's message is for people like me who work now and expect results NOW."I've been blessed to learn from some wildly successful individuals. I love those opportunities, and I always try to make the most of them. I even take a pen and a notepad so I can write down important insights.
The way I see it, you stop growing the moment you stop learning.
One day, I was spending time with a really successful guy. I mean, this guy was a billionaire! Over lunch, I asked him a question I've asked many wealthy folks: "What can I do today that will get me closer to where you are financially and in business?"
Now this was a godly man who had been walking with the Lord for a long time, so his first answer wasn't really a surprise - give generously. Almost every wealthy person I've ever talked to has emphasized generosity, and giving is already one of my favorite things to do. So, that was pretty much a given.
His second suggestion was to read a book that he guaranteed would change my life. I'm a huge reader, so I was really excited about this idea. I had my pen to the paper, ready to write down the name of this transformational book.
"Dave, have you ever read The Tortoise and the Hare?" he asked.
Huh? A fairy tale? What's that got to do with wealth?
Seeing the weird look on my face, my friend said, "Dave, we live in a world full of rabbits. Everybody is running around, hopping here and there without paying attention to where they're going. If you want to succeed, you've got to stay focused and move slow and steady."
Then he leaned in and hit me with the clincher: "Every time I read that book, the tortoise wins."
I think Solomon was making a similar point in Proverbs 21:5. Diligence requires patience and perseverance. It's much more tortoise than hare. It also leads to plenty, while haste and hurry lead to poverty.
Reliable wealth building is really pretty simple - maybe even a little boring. It just takes doing the right things consistently over time. It may be tempting to sprint ahead like a rabbit, but don't fall for that myth. The truth is, building wealth is a marathon, not a sprint. And in this race, the tortoise always wins."
By: Dave Ramsey
I truly believe that for whatever reason I'm part of a generation of get-rich-quick people. I look at my grandparents and wonder how they can afford such nice things for ALL of their family members at Christmas. Or how they can randomly bless us with money when we have a baby. But then I realize these people don't live lavishly. They have nice things but have had them for yearssssss. Consider this how many people do you know with grandparents that live in the same house they bought 35plus years ago? They've spent their entire lives being frugile, patient, and smart with money. They've invested and watched their investments grow over time. This man, Dave Ramsey is talking about, is probably one of those people. Now are my grandparents billionaires? NO, but they are patient and have kept their eye on the target.
I think maybe I need to read this advice at least once a week to remind myself that it doesn't happen all at once. I really like that the verse says Good planning AND hard work lead to prosperity. I feel like my generation wants and thinks everything should be handed to them on a silver platter. Sorry guys that's not how life works. It didn't work like that for my grandparents, so it's not going to work like that for me. If Dave, my Dave, and I are married for 25 years and still have the same sofas we bought with our engagement money but we are completely debt free, then I'll truly be a happy, happy, happy ;)
Grace to You,
Jenna
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