Hi Friend
It’s been a pretty great week. My daughter returned from her five month European vacation disguised as study-abroad. While there she spent time in: Spain, France, Hungary, Portugal. England, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Netherlands and Czechia! Oh and she got all A’s in her classes. #ProudDad
My big personal accomplishment this week was installing a thermostat in my home. My old one had died a couple weeks ago. I opened windows around the house, turned on some ceiling fans, circulated lots of air and weirdly felt great. I have an internal battle between being incompetent as a handy man and not wanting to spend money on things I should be able to do.
I don’t trust myself. Owning rent houses for over 20 years I learned about five years into it, if I try to fix something, I’m going to make it worse and more expensive. From installing garbage disposals to changing locks, replacing toilet guts to ceiling fans, I somehow make things worse.
It took me five years because I kept thinking “this time I’ll get it right.” What I discovered was that if I was by myself, I just never could. However, if someone was with me, I either was an excellent helper or became more confident and competent just by talking it through with them.
BORROW
Can you borrow competency? I know you can borrow confidence. I know you can borrow tools. I know you can’t borrow time. I know it’s not a good idea to borrow money from friends or family. Some people won’t borrow anything while others are always borrowing. Smart borrowing makes us exponentially better.
Borrowing is a temporary assist that enables us to achieve something we couldn’t with our own available resources. It’s primarily used in context of money. What if we were much more intentional with the other gaps in our life? Like courage, strength, smarts, imagination, vocabulary, perspective or emotions?
BANKS
We know where to borrow money. Do we know who we can access for courage? Who do you have in your life that you can borrow their way of thinking when you need new thoughts? I like the phrase “Can I borrow your brain?” But have you ever considered “Can I borrow your heart?”
Fortunately, I have a strong group of people in my life who are wealthy with internal resources. The folks in your life possess a vault with a variety of riches you need. Just like with money, sometimes the interest rate is just too costly. Others are generous with interest-free lending. We have to request it though, when we need it.
Instigating Ideas…
1. Tell someone an area of suckage in your life.
2. Appreciate someone who has been a bank for you.
3. Identify a current place in your life you need to borrow.
4. Be generous and willing with someone in your life.
I’m regularly aware of my deficiencies. I also hate debt. In my money life, I don’t borrow except for real estate. I realize there are people too proud to ask for what they need because they (you and me) think we should be able to do it all on our own. And if we can’t it reveals something lacking about us.
I had an HVAC company come out to service my units and I thought while they were here, they could install the thermostat. The young guy told me it would be an extra $193. So I got to work doing it myself while he was here. It’s slightly crooked which makes me smile because it shows I did it myself.
ACCELERANT
Borrowing wisely, accelerates forward motion and growth. ChatGPT has become a verbal vault. We borrow it’s words to help us write beyond our capacity (sometimes). If you’re stuck, stagnant or stalled-out in an area of life, look around for a friend bank that has the means to loan you what you need.
On more than one occasion my daughter flew to a country with friends who had to return sooner than her. When they left, she flew to a different city for an extra day by herself. They enabled her to get close enough so she could go on alone.
I want to empower others to go further in life because I’m in their world. Don’t you?
I hope this week you are a friend bank; Purposely borrowing and lending in ways that expand and enhance those in your life and your own. Please don’t let the lie that you should be able to do it all on your own, prevent you from accessing available resources that could catapult you towards destiny!