Praise for Moms and Box Free Thinking
Most of us think that change happens in huge life changing ways and sometimes it does. More often than not though, change happens in small very important ways; for example when you look at one degree of change it does not seem very significant at first. However, when we follow the one degree of change out over time we see that the one small shift in degree made in the beginning becomes larger and larger over time.
Our change in behavior works pretty much the same way. The reason I bring this up is to remind you that significant change in your financial life will happen with the many small choices you make every day.
For Example: What if tomorrow you wake up just 15 minutes early and write down whatever comes in to your mind at that moment? This has been huge for me. I think my most creative thoughts in the morning. Writing them down so I can ponder them throughout the day has helped me:
- Create workshop agendas
- Establish new and interesting ways to coach my clients
- Remember to make a follow up call that leads to appointments and meetings for new business
- Gain new perspectives with my children and the family budget
- Research financial opportunities in real estate, investments and money saving options with mortgages, loans and credit cards
…just to mention a few.
There is a story from my childhood I think about from time to time that reminds me that thinking just a “little” differently is all it takes to create empowering change in your life.
This is how the story has been told to me, I don’t remember it personally but my sister was there and she remembers, so thank you Alison!
When I was in kindergarten I was given a standardized test to determine how I was doing in basic skills expected of kindergartner. As a result of my test my mother was called in because they had some concerns about my results and needed to make some important decisions about where I would be placed going forward in my education. The concerns were as follows:
1. I was not able to copy shapes because I was not able to redraw a shape from the left hand side of the paper into a box on the right hand side of the paper.
2. I did not know my colors because I had said that a banana was white.
My mother listened to their concerns and suggestion that I be put in some kind of remedial track because of this. Her response;
First she asked them if they were aware that I was left handed and when I had to copy the shapes my left hand was covering the picture I was supposed to copy, therefore making it difficult to copy the shape. 
Second she told them that banana’s were one of my favorite fruits (still are) and that the actual part of the banana that we eat is white so it is reasonable that I answered white!!
Thanks Mom! I wonder what would have happened if my mother was not the strong woman she was and I had been put on entirely different track in my schooling. So many educators and other trained professionals do not think outside of the assessment and make life changing decisions for others without taking a moment to consider alternative answers.
I realize this event may seem unimpressive to some but it is a reminder to me that seeing things just a bit differently is sometimes all it takes to create a new solution, help others, or change your financial life. (and, of course, I had a great mom!)
So stop your “knee jerk” response thinking and sleep on it, you will be pleasantly surprised with what is waiting for you in the morning.
