The Art of Life & Money

Art, Life and Money are not exactly concepts often put together. Too abundant are the demands on our time that we seldom have time for ourselves to do the things we love, much less time to contemplate our self in our life. It is important that we pause every so often and look around at the road we are on. Are we on the road to ruin or the road to fulfillment?

Many years ago (it seems like a life time ago) I was an actor in NYC. One day my acting instructor posited that as artists we must learn how to see. As an exercise he sent us to the concrete jungle below to observe our fellow humans in the context of their environment. We were to notice the smallest, most mundane examples and bring them back and show the class our observations. It is an exercise that sticks with me to this day because I sought out the exception within the mundanes. The examples that somehow chose to rise above the mediocrity of blind action to be interesting. They were the artist in the moment of their life. In and among the hustle and bustle they were alone, creating as they went on their way. My instructor was right if we were to create interesting characters we must find the art in life.

In the end it is up to us to make our lives a Work of Art.

The Art of Life

When it comes to life, I believe that we must first see ourselves as artists. Far too many of us spend more than a third of our lives in the pursuit of money for the sake of living yet we fail to truly live. The excuses pile up and become a prison that has no doors and no windows.

We only have one go around as far as anybody knows. Those life whispers that keep calling your name. Enticing you in a different direction those are the voices we should be listening to, rather than the voices of doubt or fear. We are meant to create. It is our responsibility to claim our role as creator of our lives... as the artist.

The Art of Money

Money does indeed play a role but it is not the deciding factor as to whether you live your life as an artist. It is less about the numbers and more about what use you make of the resource. No different that clay or a painters brush, in the hands of an artist it can become a masterpiece. We focus as a society on stuff more than substance. Keep money in its proper place, the tool chest.

The better defined you are about your life, the better you are able to use this tool. The more nuanced and flexible in your desires the better an adviser can help in guiding your decisions in getting the most out of this tool. The numbers will not lead the heart. The heart must lead the numbers.

Become an Artist.

Decide what you want to create. Start with a clean sheet of paper and write down ten adjective that you would use to describe yourself. The flip the paper over and write ten more that you would LIKE to be able to use. (I have had countless people do this exercise and it never fails to have an impact. If for no other reason that it reminds them of who they want to become).

After you have the ten finished prioritize them into your top five. These five will be the litmus test for you when you are making decisions regarding the moment or your future. The decision should be made that leads you towards the embodiment of the five adjectives you wish to be able to use. If you use this as your litmus test then it becomes the lens through which you can aide your decision making. Tim Ferris has a great way of putting this. His two answers are "No" or "Hell Yes"... He goes on to say that if is is not an immediate "hell yes" then it is an automatic "no"

Next write down a list of 1 year, 3 year and 5 year experiences/accomplishments etc. that you would like to curate in your life (write a minimum of fifteen...MINIMUM). This exercise should have big thinking. Do not judge or edit, just write. What is or is not possible is none of your business. It is important that you rise to a different level of thinking than you are accustomed to. How can you get excited about something if it is just "okay". Get excited!

After you have the list, pick three from each time frame and start on a separate sheet of paper and for each goal write three actions that you can take tomorrow that will begin to move you in that direction. All statements MUST BE ACTIONABLE and completely within your control.

Last and most important piece... You must write you goals and actions statements twice per day, when you first get up ad part of a morning routine and in the evening as part of your end of day routine. Also share the list with someone you trust for accountability and ask them to call you once per day and ask you the following question (learned from Marshall Goldsmith's FANTASTIC book "Triggers"):

Did you do your best today to... (whatever actions you said you need to do to make progress) ?

Then you are to rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. That is it. Stay mindful, be reminded and take action.

I believe the last steps will be valuable because it keeps you focused on what you want to become and the things you want to accomplish... In other words you become the artist for your life. Then money is much easier to figure out because the heart is leading the show.

Writing things down daily and being held accountable also serve to remind you of what you said you want and can hopefully start having you act in your own best interest. I wonder sometimes if we just allow life to become too busy and we forget our dreams.

In the end...

We know in the back of our mind that our life has an unknown end. Few of us think of our lives as art. What if we did? What if we simply made the decision to be courageous and bold in our living of life. How would that make you feel? Who needs to see you being an example of life?

I believe each of us has within us the ability to create. It is a responsibility that we either ignore or lean into and become the example that inspires others to create their own art. Be the artist that creates your masterpiece of a life. Let that be your legacy.

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Lewis B. Walker Jr., is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ?, professional dedicated to the education encouragement and empowerment of individuals.

He uses the perspective from his journey of going from financial insecurity and five figures in debt to financial stability using hard work and an attitude of one hundred percent responsibility for his circumstances. He believes that money and all that goes with it begins first with the internal game and through commonly used tactics anyone can work towards becoming less financially insecure and find success on their terms. With his twenty plus years of counseling success he knows that money alone does not create true wealth, but with better money comes better lives. He writes about his perspectives on what he believes are the five realms of a truly wealthy life: Physical, Intellectual, Social, Spiritual and Economic.

He is a Financial Consultant with LPL Financial. For more information about Bob or hiring him to speak or assist with finances, send a message through LinkedIn.

The opinions are that of the author and are not indicative of LPL Financial or any other affiliations. Markets are extremely unpredictable and nothing in my post should be construed as advice or a prediction in any form. Securities are offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. The investment products sold through LPL Financial are NOT FDIC insured. These obligations are not obligations, nor endorsed, recommended or guaranteed by any government agency. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. The value of the investment may fluctuate. The return on the investment is not guaranteed. Loss of principal is possible.                   

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP?, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER?, CFP? (with plaque design) and CFP? (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

#Money #Life #Inspiration #Motivation

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