Your position is pivotal

As Talib Kweli so poetically said, "Even when the condition is critical, when the livin’ is miserable, your position is pivotal."

This post is all about you. In fact, all of my beliefs about money stem from the idea that we are each responsible for the financial decisions we make. This is nowhere more apparent than when it comes to exchanging money for time. Otherwise known as convenience. We pay people to do jobs for us we don't feel we have the time to do. You don't have time to make dinner tonight so you pay a restaurant to feed you. You don't have time to mow your lawn so you pay someone to do it for you.

"Convenience is a luxury, which many of us truly can’t afford. Sure, at some point practicality comes into the picture. For instance, if I want to work on my gutters, which by all measures would be an epic disaster, I would need to buy a giant ladder, watch three hours of YouTube videos on gutters, update my life and disability insurance and kiss my wife goodbye. Or, I could spend $125 to have a professional do the job in about 30 minutes. That’s exactly what I chose to do last week. I also spent 45 minutes mowing my grass." (courtesy of Indy Star)

Financial stress weighs on your life, infecting every corner of your day. To climb out of the financial hole you are in requires giving more than you did previously. In fact, it was probably your exchanging of money for time that got you into the mess you are currently in. To move forward you have to do more in the limited time you do have. You have to clean your own house, mow your own grass, pack your own lunch. It won't be fun, but it will absolutely help you move forward in your financial life.