While I like posting to my blog everyday, today is one of those SPECIAL post. Yesterday was an off day for me so I went to my usual place, Starbucks. I usually get there around 7 am and stay until around 12pm. I know that's a long time to be at Starbucks, but what can I say, I like the place and it's the only place where I can get any writing done. While I was there, I got a text from my manager. She asked me if I could be at work at 9:30. I replied back and told her that I would. The weird thing about this part is that when I first arrived at Starbucks, I had this weird feeling that I had to go to work. So, when I left Starbucks, I went home to change clothes and then headed to work. Deep down I did not want to go to work, but I knew that my manager needed me. When I got there she had a resolution that involved me not staying. I was excited. Now I was on my way back to Starbucks, but I just didn't feel like going back. My momentum had been broken, so I was just not in the mood. I was riding down 459 passing through Hoover, when I looked to my left and saw Barnes and Nobles. I didn't want to go home right away because I knew that I would just go to sleep, so I told myself that I would just go there and read a book. It's about 10 am and the place is pretty empty. As I walk in the door this idea just hit me. I had the thought to get 5 books pertaining to areas in my life that I needed improvement with. I told myself that I was going to read at least three of them. Now when I walked in I had no idea as to what book I was going to read, I was just there.
I walked over to the magazine section and saw this magazine (Inc.) that just stood out like a sore thumb. It was a picture of this young guy with a sweater and jeans and some casual shoes. The headliner said: How to Get Good at Making Money. For some odd reason the title just stood out to me. So I grabbed the magazine and proceeded to find 3 more books. I found a book about money make over-The Total Money Makeover Workbook-Dave Ramsey. Then I found one on self-improvement-Super Rich-Russell Simmons. And last but not least I found one on relationships-Women Who Love Too Much. I know that this is only three, but once I got them I felt like I had enough. I sat down and started reading. While I was reading I started thinking about having access to knowledge and not using it. I use to always say that I didn't have enough money to buy the books that I wanted from Barnes and Nobles but never really thought about just going in there and reading the book for FREE. Well, that's what I started to do. The first book I read in there was called The Outliers-Malcolm Gladwell. The book was only being sold in hard cover and it cost about 30 bucks. At the time I wanted to purchase it, I didn't have 30 bucks to spare so I started reading it in the store. I continued to do so and after 3 visits, I was finished with it. Sorry, I got of track, but I just had to tell that little story. Back to the story at hand.
As I was reading these books, it was like my mind was elevated to new heights. I started having these great thoughts and I was able to retain the majority of what I read. I was amazed. I got so engulfed in the books until I brought 2 out of the 3 that I had picked up. I spent 45 dollars on these books. I really didn't need to spend 45 dollars but I felt that it was a well spent 45 dollars. I have two good friends of mine who I always think about whenever I purchase something-Jon David & Willie. These are two of the cheapest guys in America. Before I purchase anything I always ask myself, would Jon David and Willie approve this and if the answer is no, I don't purchase it. Well, when I asked myself that same question yesterday, the answer was yes because both of these cheap jokers believe in enlightening (educating) yourself. Both of them are scholars even though they will tell you that they aren't. I felt good about spending the money and after I continued to read the books that I had purchased I felt GREAT about spending the money. I went home continued to read and created a home budget. Now I am taking it one day at a time to improve my way of life.
Reading these books helped me to learn that nothing happens over night. In order to make a change you have to make it, one day at a time and over the course of time, it will show a difference. I taped the receipt to the back of Dave Ramsey's book so that I will know what date I started this change so when I look back I can say, "This change that happened to me only cost me 45 dollars and it was worth every dime, if not more."
"God gave you every thing you need to be happy and rich, so why aren't you both of these?"-K.J Swint
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