I would like to clarify the growth that can happen to us into four separate categories.

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Financial

I know the line between mental and emotional can be blurry, but I’d like to distinguish them because in this case, mental means personal mental strength and emotional indicates more people-related feelings/thoughts. Already we can see how growing in these two categories can affect each other, and it is not difficult to create links between the four areas. In other words, when we grow in one area, it provides support for us to grow in another. Examples such as, when we grow physically, becomes healthier and more fit, we have an improved sense of confidence that strengthen us mentally. In return, the mental strength provides the discipline needed to continue to exercise, and the discipline we used in that can spill over to let us have control over our money. And then by having control over our financial life, we feel more secure and thus, able to divert our mental energy to better purposes than being stressed out all the time about money. Or when we become more emotionally stable, there will be less situations where emotions take over us and allow our logical side to help resolve the situations for us. Stability in the other three areas help our emotional stability… etc…

As we can see, that is exactly why we need to grow and never give up in all four directions on our paths of personal development. They are closely related. None of the four should be neglected because lacking any of them will weaken the other areas drastically. To visualize this, let’s picture what would happen to a four-legged stool if one leg is missing. You get the idea.

Somewhat related to this, I’d like to quote myself from a conversation I had today, “Only if we’re truly independent, we will make real friends in life.” This is a bit vague, but “true” independence amounts to reaching certain level/independence in each of the four areas I mentioned. What I said is what I fully believe in my heart. “Inter-dependence (friends) is possible only after Independence (self)”.

I would like to thank all the friends and family who reminded me of getting old… I mean, for wishing me happy birthday today. I got a very unexpected call from an old friend too, it’s great!

I was asked somewhere along if it feels any different to be a year older… not really :P It is not like I can, or anyone for this matter. How can anyone possibly change and metamorphose himself within a day?? There’s even a saying that goes like this, “it is easier to move a mountain than changing yourself (personality)”.

Relating this to personal development and personal finance, that is exactly why we should not wait for these “special days” to set our goals, like birthday, new year day (aka. new year resolution), or even more generic like “summer”. We have to start as soon as we can and make it a continuous process just because sheer difficulties involved, that we have to learn new habits.

For me, I am aware and have been rolling in actions and the only difference of turning 24 is none but persist and continue to learn. We have to remember that we may not have tomorrow. If we want to start something, it needs to be start now. One we got started we cannot cease to push ourselves. Do not give up for even if we may not reach our goal, we are moving forward, which is why we must aim high. As I like to quote, “tomorrow’s myself” needs to be better than “today’s myself”.

We talk about personal development (PD). We talk about personal finance (PF). Bunch more people talk about both topics out there. In our journey to both of these paths, I’d like to lay down the ultimate goal that is not to be overlooked and ever forgotten.

That ultimate goal is happiness.

The reason I feel it is important to remind ourselves is that sometimes I see people lose themselves in their zealous attempt to be successful in either or both of the PD and PF paths.

I have a friend who is very much into health/fitness, and she consistently go to the gym 3/4 times a week. However, there are times I feel that she’s too tired from work or sick to go, and she will force herself to go. I understand it’s a very positive thing that she has that drives. I also go to gym and exercise (play basketball) consistently myself and force myself alike, but I’d like to point out that we need to be careful not to push ourselves to the point of burning out and get hurt in the end. As long as we’re keeping up with the routines frequently, it is OK to take a break if we feel we should.

On the financial side, I am reminding myself of the ultimate goal to keep myself from becoming cheap vs. frugal…haha. We have to understand that we have to save for the future but at the same time, we may not live to see tomorrow, and hence, it is OK to spend money on things that will make ourselves happy. Just remember to spend under your means.

One last thing I’d like to point out, especially being in the Silicon Valley Bay Area, that people get so focused into their work that they forget to take care of themselves. Yes, our career is important. Yes, we need to work hard to become successful. However, we cannot forget to do things that will make us happy. Gym/Exercise is important because health is important and we will not be happy if we’re sick. Having hobbies is important because work may not be always enjoyable and hobbies will give us something to look forward to.

We don’t live to go to gym or to exercise. We do those because they give us health, make us look better :), or are hobbies that we enjoy. So in turn, they’ll make us happy.

We don’t live to save money. Wealth lets us buy things we like, buy convenience in lifestyle, take trips to places we’d like to see, etc. In other words, it lets us live a better life, and we save for retirement because we also want to live a better life later, but it’s important to remember the present.

Remember to do things you like and make your happy. Happiness for ourselves and people around us is the ultimate goal.

One way that will help speed up the prcoess of saving and accumulating wealth is by paying off debt. Usually we have debt that are at interest rate higher than our saving or even investment account and as a result, we’re losing money that way (+inflation, +tax). Right now, my car loan is the only thing besides the student loan, which is at 4.25%. So my plan to “deal with” my car loan.

Sometimes this is not the easiest thing to do but realizing the benefits of how it’ll help to accumulate MORE wealth in the future really helps. As I’ve mentioned, my car, a Scion tC, was bought with a loan when I was still in school, at a rate of 6.15%. There is 12k remaining to be paid off, and I have made up my mind to pay it off this month. Ouch to my saving account! But like I said, realizing how I can save more in the future without the monthly payment and paying the loan interest helps. Another way to think about it is that I “automatically” make a 6.15% return of the 12k after-tax.

I know some may say that 6.15% rate is pretty low, and that I can have an investment account with a higher rate of return than 6.15% (remember, we have to calculate the return rate after tax here). And that is true and very do-able. However, one more thing we have to realize is that paying off debt not only has its monetary motivation. It also provides a joyous, positive sense of feeling to be freed of debt, and I can already picture the great feeling. Life is not just about money after all. Soon I can really call my car – my own :)

We all roam this world with different levels of consciousness. The level of consciousness that one possesses is not always relevant to age. When I talk about consciousness, it is largely in relation to awareness plus some more. People may or may not reach a high level of consciouness, which I also call “waking up”, going through their entire lives. Personal development is definitely a path that can help grow our consciousness, but with certainty unless they also possess a very strong will to pursue this. But then, some may stumble and suddenly “wake up” and have a new sense of consciousness of him/herself and the world around.

John over at Universe of Success provides some insight about finding a new sense of awareness that is in relation to “waking up”.

At Breathing Prosperity, they specify some signs that suggest someone is not conscious yet.

Based on latter post and my personal observation, I believe there are a lot more people who are “asleep” and has yet “wake up”. Hopefully with this site and all the other development blogs out there, we can help to make people become more aware and find new level of consciousness.