Time, money, and effort are the three components of investing in your future.

Each of these things is of course up to you. How do you invest your time? How do you invest your money and your energy and effort? Some people don’t invest wisely.

I’ve learned that life will give you nothing if you are not ready to invest.

Investing has a certain amount of sacrifice attached to it. It is not giving, and it is certainly not receiving. The word invest makes on think of the concept of putting away now, for the future.

To invest is to know you’re doing something important.

You have to learn and give first . . . invest time, invest money, invest effort first. You must keep going even if you are tired or ready to give up. You cannot always take from life. Life does not give to people who only seek to take or receive. Life does not give to people who are always waiting. Life gives to people who first give.

Think of the farmer who sows his seeds first before he harvests his crop.

If you never plant seeds in the spring, you will never harvest your crops in the fall. When you give, you receive one hundred-fold. Giving is living! In order to invest in your future, you must have a clear understanding of who you are and what you want to be. I encourage you to be more than just a taker, or someone who is only existing in this world.

“When you make mistakes, you’ve got to be able to face them, overcome them, learn from them, and move on.

Another successful trait that high achievers share is preparation. Unless you lay the proper foundation, any great idea is bound to fail. Planning is essential for success.

You need to learn to plan your life. Those who do not plan the future must accept the fact that others are doing it for them. It is impossible to succeed without planning success. And remember, if you sow the seeds of poverty, do not expect the emergence of wealth.”

-Excerpt from Me and Money