A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit – Author unknown.
Conversations with Friends
Sometimes the conversations we engage in on social media are just that, conversations that have no lasting effect. No deeper meaning than the bits and bytes that were used to type it out. Every now and again, I come across conversations with friends that are interesting and help to transform thought. Now, no major epiphanies here. Just small changes that could help people make progress in their lives and maybe advance on their goals.
The Question
I came across one such conversation on a Teachers of Color page that I belong to. The post talked about people of color(mainly black folk) who see someone post a message about their earnings. Usually there will be likes and congrats, but some people, including the poster looked on it as bragging.
The opening statement of the post implied that people of color(POC) have a tendency to be in competition with each other. That we need to show people that we are doing good or we are better than the next.
The poster went on to say that because of ongoing oppression, we as a people have a need for “reassurance and approval”. We need to have that pat on the back. So the question asked was, other than the congrats and kudos of the moment. What is the gain of posting your achievement?( In this case the achievement posted was a weekly earnings total.)
My Answer
Now, there are folks who do post with the desire to get accolades for their achievement. However, the people that posted their earnings knew that there are people that struggle with earnings or are new to the job and wanted to show people what was possible.
I thought it was very helpful to see what someone else was able to earn. It was encouraging since it showed what I could look forward to.. The poster on the other hand, saw the earnings post as a negative thing. Looked at it and thought the person was bragging.
In defense of herself, the poster also felt the need to let readers of the thread know that she was doing well with her own work.
My thoughts on this are varied. How are we(Black folk) to advance if we are not willing to share our success and experience with those who need it? If we do not talk to someone about our finances how will we learn to manage our money using the best practices and ideas?
The idea that people of color feel the need to compete with each other is actually a problem in my view. One that if we are are in agreement exists, can also be something that we can work to get rid of as an issue. Now I’m not saying competition is bad, but think about it… one person sees an earnings post and decides that the person who posted it is just bragging. Who benefits from that thinking? On the other hand someone sees an earnings post and says Yes! I can do that too! Who benefits from that thinking?
Our life is full of choices. In this we can choose to see things from a positive point of view or a negative point of view. I would argue that the positive point of view is the better path. The one who takes that path is the one who gains the most from the post. The negative point of view will only hinder your ability to make progress on your goals.
A Generational Problem
Many of us were taught to never discuss our finances. Our parents did not speak with us about the house finances. The financial advice most of us probably received was to save your money, get a good job, retire and collect a pension. How is that working for us in today’s world?
Today, our kids need so much more from us on how to manage their own finances. I would argue that at an appropriate age, we need to actively show our kids examples of good financial practices. This way they do not have to reinvent the wheel and learn on their own the hard lessons we had to learn. Our children shouldn’t leave home without knowing basic things, like what is a credit score or how to budget. Proper investing knowledge is a must.
How can we make progress on our goals and get to a place of financial freedom? As a people we will share just about everything else, but when it comes to our financial knowledge… then it’s “none of your business!” Hey I understand, I do get it. However, I’m not talking about full disclosure of everything concerning your finances. I’m talking about age appropriate conversations that will help them get familiar with finances. Click the link for information on how to get started teaching our kids financial literacy.
When I look at other cultures, It seems like they do not have this problem. It seems like other ethnic groups have an easier time making progress as a culture by sharing how they did something so that their cousin does not have to reinvent the wheel and start off from scratch. It seems other groups are more concerned about seeing their people succeed, instead of worrying about potential competition. Can we as people of color do the same?
Making Progress on your Goals
I believe if we do not have much, we can always start off with knowledge. We can always make progress on our goals. Anyone can go online and get the knowledge on how to manage their wealth better. Make better spending choices, become more disciplined.
While you work on your financial situation, you can also teach what you have learned to your kids. This way they start off on a better foundation than you did. As a father, I want this for my kids. I also know that there are many who want their kids to start their lives better than they did. Together we can create a more informed future building more financial success with each generation.
For more information on investing you can check out my previous posts. Thinking about investing. 5 tips to quickly get you started and Investing in Stocks? 7 Tips to Better Investing. Subscribe today to stay up to date with my latest posts. Commit to making progress on your goals today!
Advance Your Day. Advance Your Life.