We’re all familiar with the parable of touching the hot pan on the stove. It literally defines the two types of people in this world…
Those who are told that the pan on the stove is hot and therefore avoid touching it, so as not to get burned.
And…
Those who insist on touching it to learn the hard way that the pan is indeed hot!
There’s also a remarkably interesting thing about the second type of people…
They keep touching the hot pan over and over! I guess they never learn.
Look, being a little stubborn is not necessarily a bad thing. It takes an insistence on achieving success to actually achieve it. You must be strong willed to push yourself up and over the mountain to become financially free. It takes determination.
But being stubborn and being strong-willed are two different qualities. It’s important to know the difference.
Because chronic stubbornness is a roadblock to success. It holds people back. They become self-sabotaging.
I’ve seen so many grown men and women fail to achieve financial success simply because they can’t get out of their own way. They insist on doing things their way, even when it’s painfully obvious that their way isn’t working. It’s as if they don’t want to be right, rather they want what they’re doing to be right.
Which brings up today’s question…
How do you know if you’re being too pig-headed about something relative to achieving financial success?
The answer is easy…
Look at your fruits.
You see, you are like a tree. You literally “bear” fruits. Those fruits are the outcomes of the decisions you’ve made and the philosophies you’ve held to date.
I always say, that’s there’s several sources of truth in our lives – children, the bathroom scale, yoga pants, and the bank account to name a few.
That’s right. If you want to know if you’ve got a mental block about something related to building wealth and achieving financial success, look no further than the ultimate “fruit of your labors”, your bank balance. It’s literally the sum total of what you think.
If you’ve been working at financial success for quite some time and you haven’t seen the needle move much on your bank account, there’s probably something that you’re pridefully sticking with that’s holding you back.
Maybe you think that admitting a weakness is for losers. I can tell you that’s patently false. That very thinking feeds a limited and fixed mindset, which is ironically what creates “losers”! Too funny!
I can tell you that the people who succeed the quickest are generally the ones who know very little about success. Sounds counterintuitive, but here’s the thing – Since they’re not burdened with “know it all” stubbornness, they’re very flexible and therefore quick to learn sound financial lessons. They’re open-minded to success principles. And guess what learning all those lessons about financial success compounds to? That’s right, financial freedom.
Here’s another way to know if you’re being too stubborn when it comes to moving forward with success – Do you see the same financial problems recurring in your life? Over and over like you’re on a merry-go-round?
That’s a big one.
If you’re constantly running out of money or having to abuse credit cards, I can guarantee you there’s something you’re refusing to see.
If you’ve been unable to save money consistently most of your life, you have a mental block around honest evaluation of our finances.
If you don’t think you need to read self-improvement books and that you can just coast your way to financial freedom, you have a strong denial of facts.
These are examples of the person who has to touch the hot frying pan over and over.
Friends, perseverance is great but only if the trajectory is right. Stubborn determination will get you across a “finish line”, but it’s up to you to make sure you’re crossing the right line, the one into financial independence and not into financial struggle.
Take an honest assessment of our financial habits and philosophies. Are they serving you? The bank balance doesn’t lie. Where might you be a tad stubborn? Where in your financial life are you inflexible and closed-minded?
It can be hard to let go of a “cherished” belief, even if it isn’t working. But let go you must, if you want to improve. As they say, you can’t reach out for the right thing when you’re desperately clinging to the wrong thing. In other words, you’ll just stay stuck.
Be willing to take a good, hard look at the not-so-pleasant aspects of who you are and how you do things relative to finances. Once you do, you can work on the habits and beliefs that are keeping you from the financial success you’re capable of. And when you do, you’ll move forward. Forward to financial success. Forward to financial freedom.
Be free. Nothing else is worth it.
P.S. Why aren’t you wealthy yet? It’s because of something you don’t know. Otherwise you’d already be rich. Isn’t it time to learn what you don’t know? Consider signing-up for my newsletter below, to help you build wealth faster.
P.S.S. Looking to make an overnight fortune? Don’t sign-up to receive my newsletter below. There’s no magic secret. Becoming financially free takes time and dedication. But learning professional-grade money skills can have a life changing effect. If you’re ready to put in the work and learn, I can show you how to achieve financial freedom faster than normal.
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Ready for more tips on how to achieve the free life? Check-out more articles from the blog archives below:
What’s The Best Thing You Can Do To Build Wealth? View Yourself As A Science Project!
These Are The First Eight Questions That Every Person Answers Before Achieving Money Success
Premature Emancipation: The “Freedom” Joke That Minimalists Play On Themselves & Regret