We seem like we don’t work for a living but work for dying.
We need to think about how to see our jobs, in this world, we have a caste system of job, we divide them from their salaries.
In America, though most people make 6,000$ a month still not happy.
It seems like we have no choice and just be in the corner.
The Limits to Growth: We are in the corner of growth, we think growth is the truth, we think more is better, but nature is finite, though technology will help us, the government will help us, but we don’t think about the problems of ourself.
The Creation of Consumers: In this sociology, we are not citizens, but producers want us to buy more, so they create a lot of desires but the populace didn’t increase very much.
To buy is right: Because we are all intertwined with the productions, imagine that if we don’t wear clothes, the workers in the clothing industry will out of work. So if we don’t buy, we are “wrong”, but if we buy, we are still “wrong”. Because of that, we need to think about serials new questions about money and consume, we need transformation.
The Beginning of a new road map for money
Patterns of Belief: There are so many superstitions that we believe, from childhood (if the mother leaves the door ajar the snake will be banished) to adulthood (expose to germs will catch a cold), our brain is pattern making, but most of them can be changed.
What Do Our Actions Say?: We always try to buy something to solve our problem, like now, I bought Dongfang Shuye but avoid washing my bottle (it is stinky because I didn’t wash it for several days with a teabag)
The Fulfillment Curve: Once you know it is enough, the fulfillment curve changed direction.
Clutter—A Fate Worse Than Dearth: If anything is excess for you, you are going to get clutter. Like the example of the hot tub, we don’t need it actually. When you want to spend money and buy something, ask your self twice and think more.
Stations of the Crass: When you think more is greater, you enter the door of materialistic. When you think something needs to buy, but just because of commercial propaganda effects you make you think it’s your self-fulfillment, but this kind of self-fulfillment is fake.
Faces and Functions of Clutter: There are so many things are cluttering, you will find it everywhere. Noises, meaningless activities, in your environment. Once you notice them, you will make your own definition of clutter, and clean them intentionally. Now you can follow these 9 steps.
Step 1: Making Peace with the Past
You don’t need to follow the first steps right now, you can read them or read all of this book and practice this step.
A. HOW MUCH HAVE YOU EARNED IN YOUR LIFE?
You need to dig out your all logs of your financial income. As possible as you can, don’t miss any details.
The Value of Step 1: You will make clear how much money you earned and eradicates some illusions like “I can earn lots of money” or “I can’t earn lots of money.”
No Shame, no blame. You need to repeat this mantra, the money you make is just a number, you needn’t feel sad about it or gloating because your friends made less.
B. What have you got to show for it?
Be Prepared. you own minus you owe is your net worth, maybe it will show you are in an awful situation, or it looks good, but you need to ask yourself: “What have you got to show for it?”
Liquid Assets
Cash, or anything that can easily be converted to cash, like cash on hand, savings accounts, stocks, etc.
Fixed Assets
start with the obvious, your house, your car. but, don’t overlook anything, without subjective evaluations like “That’s worthless.” Some decorative light fixtures, books, debts owed you, also can be calculated, One person’s useless junk is another’s precious antique.
Liabilities
This category includes all your debts.
Net Worth
Calculating your net worth, but we do not include nonmaterial assets, net worth does not equal self-worth.
Why Do A Balance Sheet?
Because in this way, some people find they can liquidate their excess things, some people also realize they possess so many things just because “need them someday.”
To this point, you will walk through your past relationship with money, you are now ready to look at the present.
Summary of Step 1
A. Find out how much money you have earned in your lifetime.
B. Create a balance sheet of your assets and liabilities. What do you have to show for the money you’ve earned?