You’re Smarter Than You Think

Hello, tender friends!

God has highlighted this message to me recently:”You’re already qualified.”

From a young age, I became complicit in limiting myself. I struggled with feeling like I didn’t know as much as other people or was innately stupid. This feeling was contradicted by every academic testing I ever participated in, but I dismissed the testing as “lucky.”

When I was waitressing at a country club in college, an older member of the club pulled me aside and implored me to invest in a Roth IRA. Another kid that I worked with was already investing in a Roth IRA and agreed with what the member was telling me.

I smiled and thanked the man, but I dismissed him because my thought was that I just wasn’t smart enough to know how to invest. So I never did.

Now, if you’re reading this and thinking that all investments are risky and maybe a Roth IRA isn’t the best plan, that’s not the point. The point is that I have finally given myself permission to start reading about investments instead of assuming that I’m just not smart enough to do so. The inflation rate really doesn’t give us a choice at this point.

Plus nobody wants to be that dude in Matthew who buried all his money instead of growing it.

On the nights that Jacob goes to bed with Anthony and I have a few minutes to myself, that’s how I’m using my time. I’m not studying anything complex yet, this has already changed how I see myself a little bit.

Why did I think I wasn’t smart enough for this? Math was always my favorite subject growing up. I tested out of it in college precisely because I was good with numbers. When an econ professor suggested I major in econ after taking his class, I said I wouldn’t. (This is another WHY, STACEY, WHY? moment of my life). I just couldn’t establish that vision for myself.

So here I am, about to turn 40 in 3 months, regretting my complicity in limiting myself.

Here I am, about to turn 40 in 3 months, realizing that I was smarter than I was willing to give myself credit for all along. I’m sharing here because I believe the same is true for you. Here’s my prayer for you:

Lord, let those who read this be filled with clarity and revelation regarding the gifts you’ve given them. Let them not sell themselves short, for your kingdom is glorified by everyone owning and operating in your gifts.

P.S. You know I need to take my financial future seriously in case that kid’s face gets stuck like that and I need to pay for plastic surgery.

Ok, that’s all for today. Thank you for stopping by, tender friends, and thank you for sharing!

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