Live like no one else so that later you can live like no on else...

That picture was taken when Megan and I were fortunate enough to attend the Smart Conference in the fall of 2020. We were attending this event to celebrate a milestone we had been working towards since we got married in 2004. At the present time I am working remotely because we are celebrating another milestone...a little more on that later...

We believe in hard work, we believe losing sucks more than winning is fun, and we believe in celebrating victories when they happen because the wins we go after are big wins. I am pretty sure the main reason we win now is because growing up, we both lost a lot...so we not only know how bad things can be, but we can also appreciate the good things when they come our way.

For years we would look around at our peers who were driving nicer cars, living in nicer homes, and taking really nice vacations with their families...and we would say, not yet but we'll get there someday. We stayed the course and did without those things because we had some big goals...

Our goals were three fold: 1 - we wanted to build a portfolio of investments that would produce enough income for us to live comfortably on our side/investment income, 2-we wanted to pay off our house in 10 years or less while building the portfolio of income producing assets, and 3-we wanted to reach baby step #7 at age 40 for me and 38 for Megan. You can Google Dave Ramsey's baby steps if you don't know what it means to reach baby step #7...

Delayed gratification is not popular in our culture today. We live in a society where people are taught to want it all and to want it now...because we are taught we deserve it all and we are entitled to it all, now. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with wanting and / or even having nice things...not at all. What I am saying is there's a right way and a wrong way to get there...and short cuts fueled by entitlement are not the answer, hard work is the answer...grit wins out over talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Megan and I attended the Smart Conference because we reached the point in 2019 where we could live comfortably on the income we have coming in from billboards and rental houses. This was not an easy target to hit but with time and focus, we hit and exceeded the mark so we decided to celebrate. I am currently working remotely because we paid off our house last week...I am 40 and Megan is 38. We saw this coming about two months ago so we booked the reservation in the resort...to celebrate the win.

I am not ashamed of having grown up in a single parent home after my Dad died when I was 11. I am not ashamed of the fact the trailer we lived in when I was a kid had a well that ran dry and huge holes in the roof. My Mom worked hard and she taught me to do likewise and she told me "Hank, make enough money when you grow up that you can afford to pay cash for a BWM but drive a Ford." It is no coincidence that I drive an F150 and that Megan drives an Explorer...and that we paid cash for both vehicles. Even now at age 40 I am still listening to my Mom's advice...I figure it has worked so why stop now?

In summary, if you live like no one else so that later you can live like no one else...everything on the other side of "so that..." makes all the stuff in the first part worth it. This doesn't mean the first part is always fun or easy, but it's worth it.

Have a great evening, I am going to take the boys fishing after my last call for the day which is slated for 5:30...notice earlier I said "working remotely", not farting around! We celebrate the results of hard work with...working hard. If it aint broke...

I still love my job and am committed to doing what I do for another 10 years. I will "retire" at 50 from finance...and between now and then I will teach as many people as will listen how they can also win with money. I will then spend five year helping Brock start something, then I will spend five years helping Brianna, and then I will spend five years helping Bryce...then at 65, I'm going into Grandpa Mode...that's when I will help my kids in the way I have seen Dean Pugh help his children, Todd and Trish...I want to do for my kids what he has done for his...teach them to work hard and then be available to work hard alongside them for a while. It's nice to have examples like that walking around, so I want to be an example like that for others!

I have no idea what our kids interests will be or if I will be a valuable resource when those times come, but I will be available. Just like I am available to them now. I work hard but I always have time for the kids...I don't miss ball games or piano recitals, ever.

Work hard and teach your kids to do the same and make sure they know you love them...I still listen to my Mom at 40 because she did all those things for me and I am hoping my kids will follow the same pattern. Thank you Mom for laying the foundation for Megan and I to build upon...the foundation of hard work, it is that foundation that has helped us win when others would have expected us to lose.

Live like no one else so that you can live like no on else...Dave Ramsey preaches this and I am telling you from my own experience, it's worth it!