This week I fell into a normal pitfall of mine, that is not paying attention to the broader world and being knowledgable of what is happening day to day. Before I knew it, a family member said “Did you hear about the internet outage, what happened?’
“WHAT?! Are you joking?” I retorted as I quickly ran to the computer to check on things.
This is a small example of what can happen when focus is present in keeping one’s internal state in good stead. While the world was experiencing upheaval, I was just after sourcing a fantastic book that was published in 1880 and written by a well known figure of that period, P. T. Barnum.
It is a small book with practical down to earth life wisdom that still applies today. Actually, it is a book I wish I had read when I was in my late teens / 20’s as it would have saved me in some respects. For those of you who want a short read, you can find it here. Entitled ‘The Art of Money Getting’ it is a subject that should be spoken about more in my opinion.
I have seen both in my own life and others, that the education around financial and business management is very lacking among ordinary people that don’t have the advantage of degree level education. Bad management or misunderstandings on how debt should be used (for example) keeps too many people in poverty. I think the greatest gift any parent can give their child is education in these matters. Looking back to older wisdoms, they are simple understandings and not complex to understand. In my opinion, just because writings are around a long time, they should not at all be ignored.
P.T. Barnum includes a very important point that I want to highlight, and that is one’s Vocation in life. I have lived my own life with a drive for working and exploring the world within my purpose, and it has served me to grow internally more than I would have otherwise. However, I have had to sacrifice in other areas of my life to make it happen this way, but I would not trade it for the world. There have been periods of my life where I have had to leave my purpose for practical considerations, but I have always returned to purpose with a renewed awareness, more knowledge gained, a heightened respect and utter gratitude.
While I choose to protect my internal mental landscape which includes my surrounding environment in these days from the pollution of stupidity I very often see in the news and social media, I sincerely prefer to remain this way. I have learned that life is precious and with that comes the protection of oneself to maintain optimal overall health and wellness.
So this week, I hope this post serves to give you some food for thought as we all prepare for the exit of Summer 😌 and all that brings.
