Duh, Winning!!

Even after hundreds of hours of listening to dear ol’ Dave Ramsey, I still find moments where he surprises me and provokes new thoughts to pop up. Like the other day, I grabbed an hour of his podcast, which I hadn’t done in a long time, and one call he took in particular has been rolling around in my noggin’-head ever since.

The caller had a story, and question.

He had been working on his financial well-being and had taken a few hard lumps along the way. He and his wife had been through Financial Peace University, he had read several of Dave’s books too. Recently he had lost a job, and decided to take out a loan for schooling, and his question was about his wife. He couldn’t get her to commit working the baby steps, or to actively pursue financial freedom and asked Dave: “How to Get Her On-Board”

Can you guess Mr. Financial Guru Dave Ramsey’s big response???

“I don’t know.” is what he said.

Wow. I just kinda loved that.

This has to be one of the hardest and most common things that we’d all like to know about people. How to get them to want to improve an area of their life? (of course, it’s usually someone else that we see that needs to ‘get on-board’ right?)

This wasn’t the only thing he said in response to the caller. In Dave’s own way he handled this call with his classic Tennessee tough love.

Basically, to paraphrase, he explained that the caller had already been exposed to his best products, and had attended 13 weeks of his classes. So the caller had already tried what Dave would have suggested he try.

So then what. Where do we go from there. Well truthfully, as he explained, the caller’s wife (and maybe the caller himself) didn’t have a financial problem, they had a hope problem.

You see, we can’t teach people how to have hope. We can’t explain to people why they should want a better life for themselves. We can’t insist that having a more stable and prosperous financial life would be beneficial to them, they have to decide that on their own.

I believe Dave was being very respectful, helpful and honest with the caller when he said:
“I can’t make you think like a winner.”

Examples of solutions were mentioned. We can show them how to win. We can be an example of real-life debt-freedom and the benefits it brings. We can be around to answer questions and to encourage someone who is interested and wants to discuss the details of walking up this new and transformational path out of normal and into possibility.

And yes, Dave also brought up another great point. It is possible that the caller’s wife was suffering from a spiritual disease. She may have been exposed to so much hopelessness and financial drought in her childhood, that she sees reality through Eeyore’s lens. It may be that she doesn’t believe in hope, or even if she plants corn seed, that corn will grow.

I will re-mention here, as many have, that Dave Ramsey’s techniques are not slick, savvy, clever, or high-tech. They are plain ol’ nothin-but common-sense. His suggestions are like seeds of corn. When you plant them, they grow. Every time. It’s stuff that we all know would help us, if we actually did it. And it’s amazing how many of us, just don’t.

So, weirdforgood folks, I am now admitting to you, that I have hidden the oh-so-cliche’ New Year Inspirational Message waaaay down in this here blog post.

I am someone who Does Believe in Hope.

I am currently exploding with Spiritual Blessings.

I am not afraid one bit, to tell you that I intend to increase and enhance my ability to personally and professionally  “Think Like a Winner!” all throughout the new year.

That is a very basic version of my 2012 message to myself.

I intend to make this year, my year for exponentially increasing results and enlightening experiences that explore my potential in previously untapped and underutilized areas. I want to pump up the muscles of my natural strengths and make regular measured steps toward serving others in my true God-given Calling.

This is the unteachable part. That burning desire and inner drive. The “want-to” and even the “need-to” grow, increase and stretch ones-self.

As Abraham Maslow describes the “Self-Actualized” person: “They must be, what they can be.” 

And so, how do I accomplish these things that I’m driven to go after?? Well, I find tools, I find instructions, I find people, and take action. That’s just what I plan to do. This year, a serious, high-end, not-cheap-to-hire coach is going to be part of my plans. I’ve taken myself about as far down this road, as I can on my own. I’m getting some good help. It will be worth every penny and a whole lot more.

And now to turn this subject back to the reader. What are your hopes? What dreams do you want to see come true? What results do you want in your 2012? Are you a goal-setter? Are you a follower-through?

Or, are you someone who says things like, “Oh, ya know, same shit, different day.”?

Well, I respectfully would like to help by saying; Those words and thoughts: Ain’t Winners!

Just like Dave, I can’t make anyone out there want to improve any area of their life, financially or otherwise. I can however continue to be an example of real-life living debt-freedom, and somebody who is taking step after step forward in pursuit of improvement.

If you do have a list of 2012 goals and aspirations, and really want your ideas to materialize, I suggest getting serious about accountability. It has been the key to changing my life in the last several months.

I don’t know if I can help you out with your goals. I have no idea how your thinking is based. I do know that in 2012 I will be helping lots of people and organizations reach their goals. We all benefit from someone who will make us do, what we won’t make ourselves do.

We can get together sometime, to find out if my coaching is for you. Call or text my cell, email me, facebook, twitter or skype, just make that contact, and we’ll talk.

Until then, we’ll see you right here, at www.weirdforgood.com

Thank you again, for reading the very last post of 2011. Happy New Year!!

Sincerely,

Aaron Nichols

785-218-6134
aaron@truenorthffc.com
aaron.online – skype
www.twitter.com/aarononline
http://www.facebook.com/cydeburn


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