Years later, he heard on the radio of a Rich Dad basic stock courses coming to Calgary and he signed us up. We had received some books and material at the registration event, and he had read it all. he was starting to get frustrated with me because I hadn't even looked at them. "You're not putting any effort into this" he would say. And, he was right. I wasn't, I had no interest, but to appease him, I glanced at a few pages. I was content with our situation and didn't feel the need to reach for something different.
At the course, I found the information interesting enough and I could see the potential so when he said he wanted to sign up. I agreed. I pictured myself as a very supporting wife, although at the time my intention was probably going to support him by letting him take the courses. I don't know that I had the intention of spending all that much time on them. But I was willing to let him try. I'm sure I would have set limits. I would still have expected for the same amount of his time to be spent with our boys and myself. Looking back now, I can see that I probably wouldn't have been really all that supportive, I would have being just barely enabling.
But at the end of the three day, the presenter asked that everyone described their WHY. The WHY is the reason we want to do this. The purpose that will keep us motivated and moving forward when we are experiencing a low.
I figured my why could be so that I am the one raising my kids instead of the day care. It's a decent why, it's fine really. But deep down, I know I didn't need stocks or real estate so reach that goal. I could work from home or we could live on one income.
Before my turn came to describe my why, it was Adam's turn. He explained how his parents had been hard working farmers their whole life, working 24/7 to maintain it. He explained their love and passion for their horses, and how if they could retire, they would be able to spend more time doing that. He explained how his parents where at a time when they should retire but they did not feel they could support it. He said "I want to be in a position, where I can buy their retirement"
Then it was my turn to speak, and I couldn't. Adam's response took me by surprise. I guess I expected his reason for wanting to do all this to be for more money so he could have more stuff. The presenter was waiting for me, and the other students. But I was crying, not just crying, but bawling! Snot running for the nose, unable to speak bawling. The fact that his reason was so pure; became my why. I had his back.
Then I was really on board, I even read all the books. It became all we talked about because it was all we wanted to talk about.
Two months later, Adam broke both his wrists in a motocross accident. Did I mention he was a motorcycle mechanic? Both his wrists, where in screws and external fixators for four months before they could cast it. That was four months of him not working and since he couldn't even scratch his nose, four months of me not working.
Think about it, if you take the income from your work away, will you last four months? We also had two young boys to support, they where 2 and 3 at that time. We probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for the amazing people in our life that helped. My boss at the time, paid me full wages, even though I was previously only working part-time, and that I was no longer working at all. The community organised a fund raiser. My in-law's kept our boys but brought them home for every meal so that we could still have family meals until Adam's pain and discomfort where under enough control.
It should have been the scariest part of our life. The doctor was clear Adam should not plan to go back to mechanic work. But we felt a lot of peace in the fact that we had a Plan B already in the works with our courses.
Since Adam couldn't do almost anything. We dedicated the time to learning our courses. Once we got our life back under a regular routine. We added more course at the end of 2011 to add real estate.
It's been an amazing journey with lots of ups and lots of downs. But if we knew then, what we know now. We would have taken the very same decisions.
Many people asks if we have accomplished our dream of the WHY. Well, my father in law, was diagnosed with cancer, and within a month, we lost him.
People pay attention! It is not enough to have a dream, you also have to go after them because you never know how much time you and the people around you have left.
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