April 3, 2007

Cause and Effect: The Power Of Habits, For Good Or Ill

Cause And Effect In Daily Experience

Imagine that a mother suddenly hears a loud crash down the hall. She dashes into the room and finds a shattered lamp and a surprised child. Now, what do you think her conclusion is? Does she shrug her shoulders, resigned to the fact that lamps randomly leap off of tables? No! She instantly searches for what CAUSED the lamp to fall off the table.

The Chain Of Effects

The routine of cause and effect is so common that its full value is often overlooked. You see, the remarkable thing about causes and effects is that they are inextricably connected. Nothing happens that wasn't caused. And everything that happens causes something else to happen (which then causes another thing to happen, and so on). In essence, every action sets off a chain of effects long into the future! There is also a high level of predictability to cause and effect -- certain actions (causes) are known to lead to specific effects. If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it HAS TO boil. If it doesn't, then it's not actually water.

Powerful, And Dangerous!

And so, this is the most important lesson of the Financial Freedom series: through the laws of cause and effect, you possess a tool that is at once extraordinarily powerful and unimaginably dangerous.

Powerful? Yes! By taking deliberate actions that lead to expected effects, you shift from merely reacting to random events to actively influencing your future. In short, you gain remarkable control over your future.

Dangerous? Yes! If everything you do causes endless chains of effects that project into the future, then how important is it for you to be mindful of your actions today? Ignoring the influence that your actions have over cause and effect is like walking into the street with a loaded gun and firing it randomly in all directions!

Harnessing The Chain of Effects

Harnessing cause and effect means to finally, unequivocally accept responsibility for your life. Implicitly, everything you have done so far has brought you where you are today. If you are dissatisfied, the cure is simple. First, examine what actions have led you to where you are and quit them immediately. Then, determine what actions will lead you to where you want to be, and commit to them. You are one action away from building either a better future for yourself or a worse one. Which will you choose?

The Complete Financial Freedom Series

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is a great way to start a series, it made me want to read more! Yeah, if you want to get somewhere, you should start from somewhere, the key to financial success, I think, is discipline and get your priorities straight, also be focused on what you want, it will happen, we just have to be patient, right? :)

Aaron Simmons said...

Thanks for the feedback. One thing I've learned as a financial counselor is that money problems are only a symptom of much larger issues. I wrote this series to show a new way to look at money. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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