I’ve really been struggling with this month’s newsletter. Trying to bring you something pithy and original…crickets. Then I open up my email this morning and there’s Gary Vaynerchuk’s smirky face. I’ve followed Gary since his days with Wine Library TV where he invited guests for 20 minutes or so of wine and conversation. It’s brilliant actually. He had amazing guests on the show from Wayne Gretzky to Jim Cramer of Mad Money. Check it out here.
His headline today: Your insecurities are the jail to your freedom. “Let that sink in,” he says.
He then goes on to deliver the knock-out punch.
“The insecurities and flaws you have been keeping “hidden” by PR’ing yourself on Instagram are holding you back from true happiness—try to share more of your truth this week and who you really are. You will be surprised what happens.☺️”
He added the smiley face.
I spent last week in rural New England with my family for our not quite annual reunion. I am the oldest sibling and the oldest cousin on my father’s side of the family, which essentially makes me an elder. Things move a little slower in New England and they are pretty unapologetic about it. There was plenty of time to reflect on the beauty of New England and take in the sights, sounds, and smells. This gave me time to reflect on what is really important. But wait, did I just spend the week PR’ing myself with my family? Did I spend time with the ones I love catching up on what is new for them and letting them know how much I care about them? FAIL! There was certainly quality time spent, don’t get me wrong. But did I use the time wisely? Did I say everything I needed to say? Not even close. Thanks, Gary! Truth is I knew something was a little off. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Here are a few things I did come away with.
Collect experiences rather than things.
I’d rather spend time with my family and those I love than accumulate more stuff I don’t need. I came back wanting to clean out my closets and drawers and rid myself of some of the things I had been clinging to for no apparent reason. When I do buy things, I want it to be a few quality things over a quantity of cheap stuff that will end up in a landfill.
I want to spend my time with things that make me happy, connect me to others, and give me a chance to appreciate what I have.
I want to take better care of myself. I’ve spent the first half of the year putting in long hours on difficult projects and I thought if I just worked harder, at the expense of my health and well-being, I could get my projects finished and take care of myself later. Trust me, this does not work.
I did have a chance to read a few books that may have moved my thinking along. First was You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero. Why was this a worthwhile summer read? Because the author asks us to take a look at the beliefs we have accumulated since birth, unexamined and unquestioned beliefs that run in our subconscious and keep us from living the life we were born to live. I have been looking at this in the context of money for several years now so it was great to see that someone had taken it on at a more general level. When it comes to money, it is relatively easy to tell people how much they need to save and where to put those savings. What is often harder to get to is why do we do the things we know we shouldn’t do? Or don’t do the things we know we should? Why do we sometimes make bad financial choices? The answers, I believe are in what we were told about money before we really had the brain power to question them. And those beliefs stuck with us, unexamined and in the background, running the show without us even knowing. There is also You are a Badass at Making Money, so I am anxious to check that out, as well. If you’d like a copy just click here and put BADASS in the subject line.
Enjoy the summer with friends and family. Slow the pace down when you can and see if things don’t just keep going along despite the fact that you have stopped juggling all the plates. Take Gary’s advice and try to share more of your truth this week and who you really are.
The links provided are for educational purposes only. The links do not represent an endorsement by either Hicok Financial Solutions or ProCore Advisors, LLC.
The information provided is for guidance and informational purposes only. The articles are not the opinions of ProCore Advisors, LLC.
