AngelaI set my mind on a financial goal before arriving in Korea, and I’ve been true to reaching it. I’m thankful for the financial discipline I have. I came here on a one year contract not aware of the bear trap I was stepping into. But you know what? It doesn’t matter! In 83 days, I will have reached my goal, in half the time anticipated, and will be headed to wherever I want to go that’s not Korea! Just imagine if I could stomach staying til I completed the year…Oh, well… I can get the same result putting simple principles to use. So no worries.
I started on a new book a few days ago. Here’s one of my favorite passages thus far from The Richest Man in Babylon:
“….Thereupon they agreed that it was so.
“Then,” continued Arkad, “if each of you desireth to build for himself a
fortune, is it not wise to start by utilizing that source of wealth which he already has established?”
To this they agreed.
Then Arkad turned to a humble man who had declared himself an egg merchant. “If thou select one of thy baskets and put into it each morning ten eggs and take out from it each evening nine eggs, what will eventually happen?”
“It will become in time overflowing.”
“Why?”
“Because each day I put in one more egg than I take out.” Arkad turned to the class with a smile. “Does any man here
have a lean purse?” First they looked amused. Then they laughed. Lastly they waved their purses in jest.
“All right,” he continued, “Now I shall tell thee the first remedy I learned to cure a lean purse. Do exactly as I have
suggested to the egg merchant. For every ten coins thou placest within thy purse take out for use but nine. Thy purse will start to fatten at once and its increasing weight will feel good in thy hand and bring satisfaction to thy soul.
“Deride not what I say because of its simplicity. Truth is always simple.”
Indeed. Truth is always simple. I’m asked how I’ve managed to save so much in such a short period. Same principle I held as a child- Don’t buy what you don’t need. Really simple.
I buy only what I need. Here and there a little trip or two to keep from losing my mind being in this town, but even then I try not to spend much. I don’t care much for a lot of hanging out with others, too expensive. I have a goal and I’m not about let anyone get me off track. So don’t get offended when I turn down invites. I’m on a mission to get my money and get out of here.
I can’t do as much as I’d like to being out in the distance, but when I get back to the States I’ll be ready to start the next task: “This, then, is the third cure for a lean purse: to put each coin to laboring that it may reproduce its kind even as the flocks of the field and help bring to thee income, a stream of wealth that shall flow constantly into thy purse.”- Arkad, The Richest Man in Babylon
Family, ATL- See you soon!
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I didn’t know you were planning on leaving early?? What happened? I’mglad that you have met goals and are happy with what you’ve got planned. But I hope your Korea experience hasn’t been too terrible.
In a nutshell: I didn’t leave my family and a higher paying job to fly all the way over here and be treated like a slave.
That sucks that you have a bad placement. But yeah you don’t have to take that. I feel like because you are in such a remote area they try to get over on you. Because there aren’t a lot of supportive resources etc. 🙁