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The Kid Behind the Counter

June 3, 2013 By Mike Farag 2 Comments

On the way to a meeting I stopped by a local gas station to fill up and snag a drink.  Sam, the kid behind the counter, was probably 10 or 11 years old working with his dad.

Sam’s dad was coaching him on greeting customers, taking cash, credit and thanking us as we left. It was golden.

I’m not sure Sam knew how valuable a lesson he was getting behind that counter.  It reminded me of so many lessons I learned (sometimes I had no idea I was learning), at the hands of my dad.  The value of how to interact with others, handle money, open a bank account, ask for forgiveness for a job not well done.  I learned a lot behind my own “counter” with the steady hand of my dad behind me. Guiding me, coaching me, calling me out and telling me when I hit the mark.  It honed so many things that I continue to use today.

If you don’t have a “counter” for your kids to learn these things at, find one.

If you aren’t behind that “counter” with your kids, join them there.

If you still don’t have that steady hand or coach, you need to find it. Or rediscover an old steady hand.

It’s never too late to learn and hone the skills of human interaction, sometimes even manual labor or making change at a register is good for the soul.

Filed Under: Advice That Matters, Featured, Fervor, Money Tagged With: Advice, Do Something, Learn Something New, Mike Farag, Money

The Money Factor: Golden Handcuffs

March 22, 2013 By Mike Farag Leave a Comment

Golden Handcuff

It was early on in life that I discovered something.  Money.

It wasn’t until later that I discovered it’s power and the theory of Golden Handcuffs.

I was 10 years old when I got my first ever paying gig. I earned $10/week to weed-eat a neighbors yard. $10 bucks a week!  That was good money.   I could use it in so many ways – baseball cards, candy. You know the really important stuff.  As time passed, that one client turned into 34 yards a week and some commercial properties. If I counted, I probably made more profit my sophomore year of high school than I did until the middle of my career.

By that point money had dug it’s heels in. I liked being able to go out to dinner, entertain friends (especially girls), drive a car I liked, etc… However I didn’t realize that once I got a taste of the drug it took more to keep my appetite in check.  A bigger job, a bigger title….more money.  I hadn’t read Easterlin and didn’t really understand the correlation between money and happiness.

What I was beginning to notice was that my corporate buddies and I were working more for the paycheck than the love of the work we were doing. Much more.  We were willingly letting others continue to tighten the grip with each promotion or increased responsibility with Golden Handcuffs.  Alan Watts even shows us how students would choose something completely different than what they love doing, just for money.

The longer they (we, you and I) do something just for a paycheck the harder it is to break free of the Golden Handcuffs.

Now, I’m not advocating leaving your day job this instant. However I am asking you to consider your passion, what drives you and what you are great at. Do that, let the money (and Golden Handcuffs) fall into place after that.  Chances are, you will find happiness isn’t as tied to your paycheck nearly as much as you thought.

Making a living doing what you are great at is so much more inspiring and impactful.

 

Filed Under: Change, Money Tagged With: Advice, Change, Do Something, Golden Handcuffs, Money

411 ON ME


 
An Ex Corporate Climber turned Entrepreneur (Founder of Fervor). An Adventure Junkie. A Reader. A Passionate Advocate for Change and Impact. Married to Kim and Coffee. On A Mission of Self Discovery...
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