Financial Freedom Quick Tip #34: Don’t be a victim
A mob was quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the judges ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden whips. Again and again the rods slashed down across their bared backs; and afterwards they were thrown into prison. The jailer was threatened with death if they escaped, so he took no chances, but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet into the stocks.
Even if you were victimized, even if life dealt you a bad hand, even if someone caused bad things to happen to you, even if your country’s government does things that place you at a disadvantage – even with all these things:
Choose not to think of yourself as a victim.
The problem with being a victim
Victims are powerless.
Victims are at the mercy of their oppressors.
Victims cannot do anything to change the bad things in their lives.
Victims are victims. There is no hope for a victim.
Is life unfair?
Yes. Life is unfair. Deal with it.
And know this: Life is superbly unfair to people who feel sorry for themselves.
Life is cruel to people who compare themselves with other people and always manage to notice the ways in which those people are better off.
Victims are proud. They believe they deserve better. This belief not only makes them unhappy and useless at solving their problems, it also makes them the most unlucky people alive.
How to be the lucky
If you want to be lucky, be humble. If you’re humble, you’ll know the truth about yourself.
Around midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to the Lord – and the other prisoners were listening – suddenly there was a great earthquake; the prison was shaken to its foundations, all the doors flew open – and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
Are you a victim in your finances
Got done in? Got the wrong degree? Not earning enough? Don’t have the right personality to work wisely with money? Just couldn’t help yourself? That bloody salesman? Your stupid country? The government? Zuma? Affirmative action? The bank? The store that sent you a credit card in the mail? Your parents who didn’t teach you money skills?
You can be a victim of your finances, or you can become financially free. It’s your choice.
This tip is part of the Financial Freedom Quick Tips series. If you want to receive a notice every time a new quick tip is published, you can subscribe to Liberta.
October 29th, 2008 at 02:07 am
This was a great post for thought…I definitely agree that you have a choice…
October 29th, 2008 at 03:05 pm
yeah, so stop feeling sorry for yourself (dumbass)…
;D
Thanks, F… the reminder on this point is always welcome.
October 29th, 2008 at 05:55 pm
Dit wat jy skryf is baie waar. Die probleem met slagoffers is dat niemand hulle kan help totdat hulle nie besluit om wenners te word nie.
November 11th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Jis hierdie is so waar, en het my soos ton bakstene getref, defnitief “eye opener” vir my, dis presies wat ek nodig gehad het om my ken op te lig!
November 11th, 2009 at 01:02 pm
@marcel
En ek moet vir jou dankie se^ vir die reminder.
Elke nou-en-dan lees ek weer artikels soos die een, en al het ek dit self geskryf, het dit dan dieselfde ton bakstene effek op my ook!
Ek dink mens moet jouself op ‘n gereelde basis herhinder om jou gesindheid reg te hou. Dis natuurlik vir ‘n mens se denke om oor tyd terug te beweeg na die ander (verkeerde) manier.
November 11th, 2009 at 02:51 pm
Ek stem 100% saam, op die einde van die dag is ons in ellende gedompel en die wêreld is VOL negatiewe dinge, maar die mens het TOG goed in hom, en maak nie saak hoe klein die goeie hoop is wat ons so van tyd tot tyd kry nie, dit oorskadu altyd die slegte – EN HIERDIE ARTIKEL IS PRESIES WAT EK NOU NODIG GEHAD HET, ek het sommer dadelik analise voltooi en vir Ultima gestuur want eks seker hulle deel jou “state of mind”. Ek hoop iemand het al virjou dankie gese want ek’s seker dit gee meeste van hulle nog hoop, en wys wat reg gemaak kan word.