It's All About ME

I saw a young girl wearing a t-shirt that said this recently, and my instant reaction was to think how obnoxious that is.

...And then, I re-thought. While I'm all for children learning to respect and think of others and not be too self-centered, I realized the more I thought about it what a great message that really is. It's all about me!

How many times, as kids, were we told that the Universe doesn't revolve around us, the world does not just give us what we want, we should just stop dreaming and be happy with what we have like 'everyone else,'? How sad!

Girls, especially, get short shrift when it comes to people telling them how great they are, how talented, how special and how capable...how important. This translates, later in life, to women who lack confidence, and who don't really know how to take care of themselves. In a world that runs on money, this means that many women end up poor and scared, and wishing that the little girl they once were had been taught better.

As women, we are often caught up in all the roles we play: mother, wife, co-worker, neighborhood driver, volunteer, friend...the list goes on. We are bombarded with mixed and varied messages - we look old, we haven't saved enough for retirement, we're beautiful just the way we are, we need to be more youthful and beautiful, strength is beautiful, wealth is evil, especially for women.

We need to invest time in thinking about our true priorities. After all, if we don't define and live our priorities, who will? And whose priorities will we be living?

Those priorities have to include financial independence. There are no two ways about it. Even if you believe you don't need financial abundance, the freedom from worry that comes with having enough is something we can all achieve, and should all strive for. Financial independence doesn't need to be some ideal on a pedestal - it is as simple as having enough cashflow to cover monthly expenses. When you have that, everything else is gravy, and can be saved and invested, which is also, obviously, important.

Put yourself first and enjoy the rewards. For once, think to yourself, 'It's all about ME!!'

Some resources you may enjoy and perhaps share with your kids:

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