RealWealthTalk

Parents,

As your teenage children approach the threshold of becoming full-fledged adults, have you often wondered what guidance you could give them to help prepare for that major step in life?

Well, I have two out-of-state nephews that are currently facing that predicament.  They, like most teenagers, need some guidance… they need a sense of direction… they need (though they may not realize it) a sense of purpose in life.

With all of the above in mind, I proceeded to write to them, hoping that some of what I had to say would resonate with them, and serve some positive purpose.  If so, what I wrote could very well serve as that magical crystal ball that would reveal to them where and what, in all likelihood, their employment endeavor will be in, say, five years.

Good, Bad, Or Indifferent, here is what I wrote.

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Hi J and E,

Both of you have been very much on my mind lately.  Does that surprise you?

You are both on the threshold of becoming men.  You may not realize it, but this very year and the next few years that follow, are the most important years of your life!  Why?  Because what you do in these next few years… the decisions you make… will have a profound effect on what you will be doing… for a living… for the rest of your life!!!

Do I have your attention?

Let me begin by telling you a story.  I once attempted to help someone that was really “down on his luck”.  I gave him a place to live for three months, and set him up in his own lawn mowing business. i.e. I bought him a brand new self-propelled HONDA lawn mower, a weed-eater, a blower, and ear muffs to protect his hearing.  It cost me over $700!  Would you believe that all of that was pawned within two weeks!!!  I told him:  “As long as you live, you will never have someone do for you what I have done“!  Some people, you just can’t help!

You may be wondering:  “What’s my point… How does that relate to us”?  Well, by the same token, as long as you live, you will never have another man share with you what I am about to write!  What I write can not be pawned, but it sure can be ignored.. not heeded… not valued.  If so, the net effect is the same as pawning a lawn mower.  And just like with the lawn mower guy, what you do with this opportunity is up to you. The choice is yours… you can use this information to great advantage, or you can pawn (ignore) it.

So let me begin.  As you look to the future, and ponder what career path you want to take… what you want to do for a living, the starting point is to get focused on that very subject!

The alternative is to be somewhat like a tumbleweed that goes where ever the wind takes it.  And I dare say, the majority of men live tumbleweed lives rather than working in a career or occupation they really enjoy and find rewarding.

Now getting career focused is not that easy.  Those your age who know what they want are the lucky ones.  The rest of us have to do a lot of soul searching.  A good starting point would be to make a list of career options that appeal to you.  High School counselors could be of great assistance.  Summer employment as an apprentice could prove to be invaluable.  There are aptitude tests that you could take.  You could seek advice from those who are already doing what you may be aspiring to do.  The whole process could be both rewarding and fun!

The most obvious preparatory course of action is college. If so, the decision making process is made a lot easier.  In addition to becoming more educated, and trained to pursue a given career, the wide range of courses you can take help you narrow the field down, so that you can specialize.

But what about those who do not aspire to go to college or believe they can not come up with the money?  Well, there is good news for you!  There is a growing school of thought that college may not be the “be-all, end-all” that it is cracked up to be. Many of the degree programs have limited value when it comes time to seek employment in the real world.  and many students are graduating with a mountain of college loan debt, with payments they can’t afford to pay based on their entry level salaries.

So you could opt for a trade school!  What’s your passion?  Computer tech, the trades (many plumbers and electricians  earn more than white collar workers).  Let me stretch your imagination by throwing in a few more vocational hats in the ring, such as gun smith, photography, welding, surveying, automotive, making money on line as in internet geek, or starting your own business.  The list could go on and on, limited only by your imagination!

Regardless of what you select, resolve to become a specialist; seek specialized training; become one of the best in your chosen field.  Again and again, get focused;  Find what it is you want to do for a living, and pursue it with persistence, determination, and passion.

Well, how would you like to have a crystal ball that would reveal what you will be doing for a living in four to five years?  The crystal ball I am referring to comes in the form of a blueprint.  The blueprint becomes your crystal ball, and if you follow it faithfully, it will take you where you want to go.  Think of the advantage that gives you over your friends and associates.  Following it will put you way ahead of where you would otherwise be without it, and put you far ahead of your competition in what ever field of endeavor you choose.

Isn’t that exciting?  Like…would you rather begin a complicated project with, or without, a blueprint? And in a sense of the word, that blueprint, taking you where you want to go, becomes your crystal ball… almost like magic!  The blueprint I am referring to has a lot to do with your perception of reality, and how you can control your thinking to take you where you want to go.  Does this sound corny to you?  Have I offered hype, only to let you down?  Stay with me just a little longer, and maybe you will come to appreciate the value of what I am proposing.

If you wanted to get into body building, you would readily recognize how important a strenuous exercise program would be needed to achieve any degree of success.  Well, by the same token, much of what you are about to read will daze and amaze you with respects to how your mind can serve you, or fail you!  Okay, I may be over-stating the impact of what I will be having you read.  So let me make a more conservative statement.  Much of what you read will be motivational and inspirational.  But all of that will ware off in a short period of time if you only read it one time.  In order to master the subject matter presented to you, you should read it multiple times… like three to six times. e.g. perhaps once a month for three or more months.  If you do, just like with body building, you will be inculcating these concepts into every fiber of your being.

The net result is that it will change the way you think, and the way you think will determine your future!  What a powerful statement! Stated differently, you are now, and you will become, what you think about!

Asking you to change the way you think is a big proposition.  But just as your mussels can be strengthened with an exercise program, the way you think can be changed if you will take control of your thought process, and force your thinking to take you where you want to go.

Become complacent about what has just been written, and you will be doing the same thing in five years that you would be doing had you never been exposed to these concepts.

Remember I said at the beginning of my diatribe that “as long as you live, you will never have a man tell you what I am about to write”?    So if you are only going to hear it once in a life time, wouldn’t it be wise to take maximum advantage of this opportunity?

So the conceptual foundation has been layed, as best I know how.  Now it is time to cut to the chase by giving you a reading assignment, and turning you loose.

Here’s your assignment:  Simply go to my blog post titled:  Herb’s Letter… How To Find That Career Opportunity.  Read it multiple times, not just once  Each time you do, you will  benefit from having done so.  Remember, the key to learning is repetition!

If you do decide to pick up the lance I have thrown at your feet, and use it effectively, here are some elements that will hopefully come into play, and be demonstrated by you as the years roll by:

Goal Setting (Read my blog post titled “Why a lighthouse”)

Desire  (A strong desire, is the starting point of all great achievement)

Enthusiasm

Discipline

Persistence

Courage and self confidence

Imagination

Wisdom

Keep in mind:  It isn’t a question of intelligence, current wealth status, perceived obstacles, or physical abilities.  It is a question of training and controlling your thoughts too take you where you want to go.

Who’s with me?

Darel

P.S.   “Life’s not a goblet to be drained, but a measure to be filled”.  (Author not known)