Closing Our Minds to Opportunities

February 14, 2008

Working for H&R Block is very eye opening in many ways.  Everyday I see people’s money mindset.  Lately I’ve noticed how people will spend extra money to get their money fast and at the same time are not interested in taking a few extra steps to see if they can find more money for their refund.

Several times a week I see someone who doesn’t think it is worth the trouble to get an extra deduction.  Sometimes it only involves a phone call or a closer look at some business records. We’re talking 5 minutes to half and hour of time to get several hundred dollars of benefit.

When I tell people about this pattern they automatically jump to the conclusion that people are afraid to take too many deductions and trigger an audit.  It’s true, many people have that fear, but that’s not what’s happening in the situations I’m referring to right now.

I believe it all boils down to a money mindset.  Most people get a job, put their time in and get a check. It’s pretty methodical.  It almost closes the mind to opportunities that exist everywhere and everyday.  Partially because of the work culture and partially because of busyness and fatigue.

I believe it’s the crux of why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Rich people see opportunities and act on them.  Many poor and middle class people just talk about how hard it is to make ends meet and mentally accept it as a fact of life.

Then there’s those in the middle who see the opportunities but don’t act out of fear, disbelief, inability to change, or a hundred other reasons. 

It can get complicated because not all opportunities are good and right.  We’ve got to learn and grow.  I’ve taken my fair share opportunities that didn’t pan out. I just count it as a learning experience and move on to the next.  I’m not trying to toot my own horn. My main struggle has always been procrastination, so seeing opportunities is only the beginning of the race.  Seeing that the race is run and finished is the best reward.

To your success,

Deborah 

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