I’ve never been a wealthy man. Despite a lot of hard work on various things throughout my life I’ve not been one to catch “that break” that pushes me into that realm of having my money working FOR me. Most of the time it’s been having my money cover my ass from last month while fighting tooth and nail for the opportunity and resources to do the same next month. There’s been a few times where I’ve been floating around even but rarely have I ever been ahead. Definitely not ahead enough to “invest” in the future. Which brings me to what inspired me to write this post.
Nothing in life is guaranteed. Not the length of our time here, not our health, not our “secure employment”, not a pension, not our careers, not our relationships, nothing. The only thing guaranteed in this life is that it will end, sooner or later.
In the last two weeks of 2019 I was informed that I was starting a new job. Great news considering 2019 was a total shitshow of a year financially. Already struggling with some debt left me via my previous relationship I was knocked in the teeth again in April when I lost my main form of employment. Scraped and clawed my way through the rest of the year and things started the upturn in January 2020. Yeah, now here we are again with this COVID-19 reality closing down the economy and regulating us all to our homes. Since I am already working remotely this part isn’t a challenge but when the work stops or slows down, I again find myself in the same boat as many others.
Pathetically enough I know this boat very well. Living my life as a creative person while always chasing my creative dreams, trying to make a living with my music, my art, my other creative skills has proven to be a sometimes overwhelming rollercoaster ride. Making this state of financial purgatory a familiar uninvited guest that I’ve managed to evict a few times already. So what’s one more?
This time however, as messed up as it seems, there is a comfort that isn’t usually there, a feeling that I’m not alone as right now MANY people are struggling to make the most of this strange new shitty situation and are assessing how to best deal with their own brand of upcoming financial uncertainties. This comfort and the mere fact that I’ve been through this shit many times before and quite recently, gives me a calm positivity that wasn’t there last time. Like I said, I scraped and clawed my way through 2019 and I’m still here. One of the things that I learned in doing so is that one needs to remain positive and looking to the future. Don’t let yourself drown in the present. Don’t climb under the weight of some account notice sent from an automated bot deployed by the credit card, utilities, etc companies and decide to live there. It’s no help.
As hard as it can be at times, look to the future, push forward as best you can, look for other ways to live, work and earn. Move forward a tiny bit everyday on something. Especially in this current situation, use this downtime to your advantage, think of a way that this extra time can be advantageous to you now so that when this whole pandemic storm breaks you’re one step ahead on the path to your financial recovery. Who knows, it could very well lead you to a new path completely.
I’m NOT saying that by being positive you go spend as usual or try starting a new business with out all the proper research and planning etc. All I’m saying is stay in the light. Use logic in your spending, be cautious but be proactive. Think about what your talents and strengths are, looking deep to see if there’s something there you can monetize now or when this mess starts to clear.
We ARE NOT defined by our debt, our bank accounts, our jobs or even our current careers, and they sure as hell aren’t guaranteed.
