1 – Partnering in a business with someone you don’t really know – If you ever had to dissolve or walk away from a business because of a deceiving business partner, you already know how expensive and awful this experience can be. Going into a business alone can be more challenging, but in the end much more rewarding. Of course this is not always easy or even possible, but it is of primary importance to know who you are getting into bed with, before it is too late.
2- Not wearing a helmet when operating a motor bike, moped or scooter. A helmet maybe a nuisance but it could save a life. A high percentage of people die operating a vehicle because they didn’t wear a helmet. In some states in the US is illegal to do this, and even then you will find folks not wearing one.
3- Smoking Cigarettes – I used to smoke for a long time and even though I knew the risks of lung cancer, stroke, high blood pressure etc. I deceived myself that this habit was actually a pleasure. Another problem is that second hand smoke will indeed affect your loved ones and anyone around you.
4- Arguing over a parking spot. This is the most irrelevant think one could get involved in. it takes a couple of more minutes just to keep on driving and find another empty spot, than get involved into an altercation. Not ony is it a waste of time, but the consequences could be devastating if things were to escalate.
5- Always agreeing with others. Being sociable and agreeable can make life very pleasant, unless it diminishes the quality of one’s life. If I agree to go anywhere because that is what I want to do, great. Making and exception once in a while could do wonders, but agreeing all the time, to do what you don’t want to do, will make you very unhappy.
6- Believing entirely in broadcast news – With the experience of the last election process in the USA, its hard to decide who to believe or what is true and what is been blown out of proportion. Some networks broadcast one theory while other networks lean completely the opposite way. Oprah Winfrey once said she just doesn’t read nor watch the news. Can we blame her?
7- Always expecting loyalty from others – Expect the best and always prepare for the worst. Have you ever experienced a let down from a friend or a family member? It is extremely disappointing to have expectations from someone only to one day find out we were wrong about that person’s actions. As human beings we are flawed and realizing these flaws can come up to the surface any second, will make the blow less intense.
8- Not Paying your taxes – I was on a lunch break with someone once. She insisted we go to an ATM machine to withdraw cash. She got a receipt back from the machine that read. “your funds have been frozen. call this number” Soon after she found out the government had frozen her back accounts because she had not paid her taxes in several years. Ouch!
9- Staying angry for too long – Even if I feel the right to be angry, what good does it bring into my life. Cant change what already happened. Once I heard someone saying that staying angry at someone is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to get sick.
10- Getting married for the wrong reasons- If you get married because you are in love, kudos to you! But marrying for any other reason other than love spells disaster. Even when you are in love at some point you realize there are many areas where you are just not compatible. However with love and friendship your chances of overcoming incompatibilities are pretty high. A friend of mine once moved forward with the marriage, because he was too embarrassed to call the whole thing off after all the wedding preparations and expenses. He was just to anxious of what people where going to say about him.
11- Worrying what people are saying behind your back – People have the right to their opinions and you have the right to ignore it. A man said to me once, “I have 2 businesses, my business and minding my own business” Is like if someone called me a moron, does that makes it true? Absolutely not and here is the proof. Let’s say my name is jaime, am I always jaime? absolutely! even while I am sleeping I remain Me. If I acted like a moron yesterday, does that mean I am still a moron today? or am I a moron while I am sleeping? What comes and goes cant possibly be me. I remain even while I sleep.
12- Buying a brand new car – Unlike real estate, a car depreciates the moment you drive it out of the dealership and up to 20% every year there after. Those who like to drive expensive luxury vehicles that they cant really afford, take on monthly payments that in the long run makes them slaves to their car payments. When in doubt a good accountant can tell you immediately what is an asset and what is surely a liability. Financial health is closely tied to monthly payments of any kind.
13- Dwell on past mistakes – The more mistakes I make the more I prepare I become. Taking measured risks can be a lot of fun. Making a fool out of myself and not taking myself too serious could be even better. There are risks in not making any mistakes. Looking in history, those who took risks and made mistakes, are the one who are in the history books. A child tell Achilles that he is afraid for him going into battle. Achilles response is, “that is why nobody will remember your name”
14- Drugs – Just in this past year, we lost many to drug overdoses. Another downside is the risky behavior tolerance that drugs provide. When high or drunk all seems normal and exciting, not until we wake up in jail one day that we realize how not normal nor exciting all of it really is. Often times we do drugs to fit in, to experiment, to feel better or to feel good enough. The other issue is that the longer one stays hooked on any drug, the better changes to become addicted.
15- Traveling during holidays – Things do seem a lot more expensive during the holidays. From plain tickets to hotel rooms, everything seem more expensive than during the slow season. I usually travel during January and February and always get great deals even discounts from air travel to hotels, restaurants etc. When I travel during the downtimes, I find airports are not as crowded and even get better seats on the plane. Even the person at the airport checking counter seems more relaxed and more willing to accommodate my request for a better seat. Additionally I always get empty room compartment for my small travel suitcase above my seat on the plane.
16- Buying dumb things on TV – Once while I was watching television, I saw an advertisement about a gadget that gets you great abs while you watch TV.. LOL. It was a battery operated gadget that apparently burns the fat from your stomach with no effort on your part. Honestly I did buy it and used it once, because I was getting zapped with electric currents as I used it. I cant even remember what happened to this thing, but I do remember seeing the purchase note on my credit card statement and promising to myself never again.
17- Credit Cards – Not only can these things damage your credit score, which you will one day need for a real purchase such as an apartment or a house. When young we all fall victims of the cycle of buying and not being able to pay or pay late and lower our credit score. Getting in out of control debts is another reason to avoid credit cards altogether. A few credit cards, a car loan and student loans and you will be working for the man for a long long time.
18- Being Greedy – In the movie Alfie, Jude Law says “ I don’t want to be the richest stiff in the cemetery” I often remind myself that I will die one day and that is not a matter of if but when. As a child I used to avoid these thoughts, now I think about it often to put things in perspective. What is a little more or less success or failure, what does it really matter in the end. A few more or less bucks in the bank account, who cares! Our odds of dying at any moment are higher than ever, now we cant even go out without a mask. Climate change, viruses, wars, crime, poverty. I am not suggesting that we should stop trying to achieve but that greed keeps us running in circles.
19- Plastic Surgery – Not only is this a very expensive luxury, but we run the chance to end up looking like Gilligan. The Kardashians have made a sport of getting fixed here and there and more surprising is the amount of followers they generate in social media. That tells me many of these young people want to emulate these celebrities. In a TV show I recently watched a lawyer says “juries hate to convict beautiful people” It is no wonder folks are running to their plastic surgeons to be beautiful.
20- Electric Scooters – Here in New York I have seen an explosion of electric scooters. I in fact I tried riding in one and the experience of riding while standing gave me the chills. It is so much easier to avoid the many holes on the road if you are sitting down. Good luck if you fall into a hole while standing and traveling at 20 MPH which is the alleged speed limit for electric scooters. Injuries can be substantial in an scooter accident being that there is absolutely no rider protection. If the car in front of you suddenly stops, you are in for a serious injury.
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