Honoring the Past, Lean into the Future

We start out every year with holidays that honor some of the legends in our country. MLK Day in January and President’s Day in February are two days our government closes down for holidays in honor of men who made an impact. There are many people who we should honor because of how they lived their lives and the messages they provided us for the present. Taking a few moments at the beginning of the year to remember is a great way to begin a New  Year.

Martin Luther King Jr. said the following:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

“We refuse to believe there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

There are financial lessons in all three of these quotes we can use to lean into the future.  We have to be willing to take the first step to financial freedom to climb to the top of the stairs; you can have financial freedom.  That freedom comes because our nation is full of opportunities; the only person holding you back from those opportunities is you!

Our Founding Fathers who are often talked about on President’s Day had some great financial wisdom also:

“The circulation of confidence is better than the circulation of money.”  – James Madison

“Never spend your money before you have earned it.” – Thomas Jefferson

“To contract new debts is not the way to pay for old ones.”  – George Washington

Our first President’s wisdom rings true today; don’t worry about the ups and downs of the markets, don’t overspend and don’t use credit foolishly.  You can take out the risk of the market moves and normalize return with some help.

This year, honor the past and listen to them.  Let these words inspire you to lean into the future that is so bright for us all.  Your wealth depends on what you do today so you can see benefits tomorrow.