Money Hidden In Plain Sight
By Mark Monchek − August 17, 2009
Money presents a unique opportunity for people: a little more could really help, a lot more could change your life.
Most people I know are tight these days, financially. They make do with less, think twice about moving, limit their shopping and take simpler vacations. Lots of people are worried about jobs, business, and the like. The worst of the fear has died down but under the surface there is still a lot of tension. My job is to take a step back out of the scary pit, and up the proverbial high ground where I can see clearly. When I am up here, calm and attentive, opportunities come to me and I can see them near and far.
Let’s examine the burden of a child’s college tuition. Our child chose the most expensive school in the country. Financial aid programs are suffering, and many students must rely on their parents, who are already struggling to make ends meet. While some aid is available, the system is extremely complex and daunting. To give our child the education she deserved, I knew that we would have to learn that system. And learn that system, we did.
In the beginning, I was scared and overwhelmed. But with the help of some good friends who had already gone through the process, I was able to climb up to where I could see opportunity. We hired a smart financial adviser, consulted the school’s financial aid office and read articles about financial aid. By seeking the community’s help and dividing up the task into manageable steps, my wife and I were able to get a generous award. I was amazed to find $25,000 in my ability to master the system. To earn or save up this sum of money would have been nearly impossible, but I got past the fear and allowed the community to help me achieve my goal.
I’ll give you more examples next month, so you can see that identifying and acting upon opportunity can directly lead to a healthier, wealthier life.
