choose rational thinking over good fortune
“The rational soul is stronger than any kind of fortune—from its own share it guides its affairs here or there, and is itself the cause of a happy or miserable life.” — Seneca, Moral Letters, 98.2b
Not too long ago, many Americans were facing a big dilemma: Should they pay off their student loans or wait for the government to forgive them?*
Dave Ramsey, a well-known financial expert, had a clear message for everyone who asked him about this issue: “Don’t wait around for the government to forgive your loans. Just go ahead and pay them off. Legally, you're responsible for them, so it's best to take charge and get rid of them. It's your responsibility, not the government's.”
“Take your student loan and divide it by how long you want to be a slave, how many months, and that tells you what you gotta go make. Get up off your couch, go leave the cave…and get this dadgum thing out of your life.” — Dave Ramsey
Without a doubt, this was one of the scenarios in recent history where simply waiting for Lady Luck to solve your problems instead of taking action could have seriously hurt your financial situation and your life in general.
Dave Ramsey explained further to one of his callers, expressing sympathy for those struggling with student loans: “I hate it for you guys—and everyone else in America who took out a bunch of student loans—because you’re getting messed over by your own government. The first way they messed you over was to put a student loan program out there and then tell you the way to success was to borrow tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars for a degree in left-handed puppetry. And now, guess what? You’re a barista! Then, they start shouting they’re going to forgive it all. After that it’s, “No, we’re not. Yes, we are. No, we’re not. Yes, we are.” He further added, “The fact is, they don’t intend to forgive it. It’s the biggest scam in history—mathematically speaking—ever perpetrated on the American public by our government.”
Instead of relying on others or waiting for luck to turn in your favor, it's much better to take control of your own problems. While it might seem daunting, taking action is the best strategy to move forward in life.
If there's a tough problem you want to solve, it's important to make a plan and work towards solving it. When you've had enough of a negative situation, you're more likely to take decisive action and find a permanent solution!
Rather than seeking temporary relief or waiting for circumstances to change on their own, it's crucial to build resilience and strength. Being prepared for any challenge life throws your way will make you more capable and confident in facing difficulties.
Don't put off improving your life for months or years. You have the ability to tackle your problems head-on and make positive changes right now.
. . .
*Back in August 2022, President Biden announced a new plan to forgive a portion of federal student loan debt for millions of borrowers. But on June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's forgiveness plan, ruling that the program was an unlawful exercise of presidential power because it had not been approved by Congress. In other words, student loan forgiveness wasn’t happening.
Under Biden’s forgiveness plan, those who make less than $125,000 a year (or $250,000 for married couples) would have had up to $10,000 of student loan debt forgiven. And anyone who received a Pell Grant in college would have had up to $20,000 of student loan debt forgiven. But that's no longer the case.
This meant that Americans had to get themselves ready to start making student loan payments again by October 2023.
Hello, Successheads!
We are fast approaching “Read an Ebook Week,” a week that encourages readers to pick up the digital device of their choice and download a new book to read.
I'm excited to announce that all my books will be available as part of a promotion on Smashwords to celebrate 2024 Read an Ebook Week! This is a chance to get my books, along with books from many other great authors, at a discount so you can get right to reading.
You will find the promo here starting on March 3, so save the link:
https://www.smashwords.com/ebookweek
Also, here's my Smashwords Author Page:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ParthSawhney
If you wouldn't mind taking part in promoting this celebration of Ebooks and reading, please feel free to share this promo with your friends and family. Just forward this email to anyone who would love a chance to find their next favorite book and, as the name suggests, read an ebook!
Thank you for your help and support!
Happy reading!
