Why Should You Read My Blog?
I know many people might say, why the heck should I read this guy’s blog about personal finance, he’s a neurosurgeon and has plenty of money, and that’s not relatable to me. But before you rush to judgement, I ask you to consider the following:
- I didn’t always have money; in fact, I grew up without much money at all. It seemed my family was always struggling with money when I was growing up. I remember nights when my mother was crying because we didn’t have enough to make ends meet, people coming to the house to collect debts, and a tow truck screeching away in the middle of the night to repossess one of our cars because we couldn’t make the payments. At the age of 12 I began working for myself to pay for everything from summer camp to school clothes because I knew my family didn’t have the money. So I can completely relate to those that may not have much right now and are struggling financially.
- I have pursued the American dream. I have gone from a dishwasher earning minimum wage ($4.35/hr in 1996) to a neurosurgeon making . . . well, much more than that. After having walked this path, I want to share the steps I took to reach success, including mistakes made and lessons learned along the way. Hopefully people can find some inspiration in the things I have been able to achieve through hard work and determination.
- For those that are higher income professionals, I know what it is like to let your expenses grow right along with your income, because that’s what society expects you to do. I also know how important it is to turn things around, because no matter how much money you make, it is quite easy to let your expenses grow to and even surpass any amount you earn.
- With my responsibilities at church I counsel people nearly every week that are struggling financially, so I understand the position many of you may be in and how desperately overwhelming things can seem. I also know the steps that need to be taken to get back on track.
- I had a financial awakening in my own life in 2018. Through that experience I have come to a very clear understanding of how our own individual freedom and happiness are tied to our current financial situation and future financial path. Through this process I increased my financial literacy and completely changed the financial path of my life. With all the knowledge I gained I was able to take control of my own financial destiny and map a course to Financial Independence (FI). As I see those around me going through similar struggles, I want to help others find freedom through FI.
Now that you understand me a little better, I want you to ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you overwhelmed by credit card and/or student loan debt and don’t see a way out?
- Are you living paycheck to paycheck and feel you have no control over your financial future?
- Do you blindly trust some financial advisor to make “all these money decisions” for you, and just hope they are doing the right thing?
- Are you confused by all the different account types to save for retirement and don’t know what strategy you should pursue?
- Does investing your money seem like something you should be doing, but you don’t know where to start or what to invest in?
- Are you putting what is most important to you (such as time with your family, traveling the world, serving others, or pursuing your dreams) on hold because you feel trapped by your job and current financial situation?
- Do you desire more freedom in your life?
If you answered yes to ANY of these questions, then this blog is for you. I promise that as you read through the content here, you will be able to find information and ideas that can improve the quality of your life. As you become more financially literate, it will shift your financial paradigm. This will lead you down your own path towards FI, which will give you more freedom in your life than ever before to pursue those things that are most important to you.
With that, I welcome you to the blog and hope we can take this journey together, finding more Freedom Through Financial Independence! Please go to my next post: Guide to the Blog.
