Give Your Life Purpose

I’m a firm believer in the idea that you must consciously prioritize your life every day, preferably in the morning. Yes, I am saying you should get up thirty minutes earlier! When you get up, you can spend some time in the quiet of the morning assessing where you are and where you want to be. Most of us have grown up in an alarm clock society where we leap out of bed and run through the shower straight to the car, where we drink our first cup of coffee and put on our tie or make-up on the way to work, barely arriving at our place of employment on time. When I sit in traffic, I am always amazed at the number of people who have become fairly good drivers while using their knees to steer so they can eat breakfast and get dressed on the way to work!

You can not only dramatically affect your financial life by having a quiet time early in the morning, but it will affect your career and your spiritual condition positively as well. We do what we really want to do. If you truly want to change certain areas of your life to avoid pain and then prosper, you will have to try new ways of doing things. You have probably experienced having planned an exciting Saturday—one which you had to wake up early—and you wake up thirty minutes before your alarm goes off. It is amazing how your mind and body will cooperate for something you really want to do.

You can spend your quiet time learning from your past by review, as well as thinking where you need to be in five years personally, with your family, and in your career. This time of reflection will cause you to make adjustments in all the areas of your life.

You may ask, “What does this have to do with money?” Everything. We are spiritual beings and when you neglect that aspect of your life, you do not run on full power. All areas of your life will be affected, including money. Yes, Christians have money problems too, but they have an extra ability to survive and prosper in the long run. As you add quiet time and grow spiritually, the quality of your life will improve, and so will your financial condition.

You really do not have a choice; either you will start controlling your life and money, or it will forever control you.

People consider me a strong person with strong opinions, but even I had a hard time getting started and staying on track with making life-changing decisions. These decisions call for sacrifice, discipline, and patience—three tough words. I have been to the top and then the bottom and back again financially, and I know whatever you are facing you can survive. No matter what you gain or lose in material goods, you can never have talent and hope taken from you, unless you surrender it. I must tell you that there is no way within my own strength that I could have survived learning these lessons the hard way. Only through the power of Christ who strengthens me was this possible.

— Dave Ramsey
For more financial help please visit www.daveramsey.com