I don't believe in giving away money for someone to do something for me, that I can just as well do for myself. My philosophy is, if I have the ability and requisite knowledge to do things on my own, then I should not pass that responsibility along to someone else... especially not at my own expense. I come from the old school. But, sometimes, my fierce determination to "save money" can be a hindrance.
So, the other day, when I was trying to pluck with my tweezers, I noticed that they weren't catching hair. I tried and tried and tried to make those old tweezers work. I figured they were just a little bit dull and if I applied more pressure, I could successfully complete my routine without any complications.
Uh, no.
The more I unsuccessfully tried to pluck, the more determined I became. I was so convinced that, if I kept trying, I could do it. Unfortunately, my "determined self" was oh so wrong. I ended up scraping the skin off that spot where I kept digging in with the tweezers. Now I've got a dark brown scab there and when it was all said and done, I still had to buy new tweezers anyway!
*Shaking my head at myself*
I really could have saved myself a whole lot of trouble had I just gone ahead and made the small investment in purchasing a new pair of tweezers, instead of allowing my, er, frugality to get the best of me. For now, I'm walking around with a reminder of my poor choice right on my face where everyone can see it.
From that experience, I began thinking about how (just as I did with those dull tweezers), we often hurt ourselves, because we refuse to make the necessary investments in order to obtain what we need to reach our goals. It's not always a financial investment that needs to be made, although that frequently may be the case. Sometimes, we just need to invest some good old fashioned hard work, time and energy... you know, put a little "sweat equity" into some things.
Stop for a moment and really think about a time when you suffered because you wouldn't make an investment in a specific area of your life, then ask yourself, "What do I really need to make an investment in today, so I don't have to go through that same thing again tomorrow?"
Whatever it is my friend, if God has given you the means, resources, and wherewithal to do it... then do it. Don't procrastinate. Don't keep "digging" a deeper hole and staying stuck in the same spot, repeating a cycle that isn't working. Otherwise, you'll hurt yourself in the long run. And chances are, just like me, you'll end up having to make the investment anyway. Only you'll be doing it after you've been unnecessarily wounded.
As you're reading this post today, I want you to examine some things closely in your life. God is challenging you to make some changes in 2010. I admonish you to pursue the course He has laid out for you. That might mean addressing the areas you've been slacking off in. Do you need to pray and read your word more consistently? Finish school? Get more focused on your entrepreneurial pursuits? Renew your commitment to your career aspirations? Work on a struggling relationship? Spend more time with your children? Rid yourself of those unhealthy foods and start exercising regularly? Begin taking steps toward paying down your debt? Or, maybe even carve out some "me time" and invest in Y-O-U?
Whatever it is, make the investment. I promise you the returns will be great and you'll save yourself a whole lot of issues in the end.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
www.empoweringeverydaywomen.com
