Believing (aka Faith in ACTION) Is the Real Foundation for Success

This is the last in the series of notable quotes by investor Warren Buffett.

In this post, we learn how important faith is to achieving success. It is believing something on the inside so strongly, that obstacles and hurdles are only tests to overcome.

To take a line from Billionaire Buffett:

"I always knew I was going to be rich. I don't think I ever doubted it for a minute."

I’m glad he said ‘I don’t THINK’ when it came to doubting it.

For most, who can remember being the only one in the pool who believed he would succeed at something, the FUD factor rearing its head, can darken even the brightest of moods.

Buffett says he always had a knowing. However, more importantly than the knowing was the putting into action things that would propel his belief into reality.

Had he not believed he’d be a success, he may never have succeeded.

It’s really that simple and complicated all in one. Believing and maintaining an unrelenting perseverance are crucial.

Because Buffet had steadfast belief, every time he failed along the way, the ‘knowing’ persisted, keeping his forward momentum towards the end goal.

I’m sure that eventually he reached a place where he KNEW he was rich; but, chose never to put a defining cap of that number. He, as many wealthy people, maintains the belief that growing money is an endless journey in the earthly realm. There’s no time to sit back and rest on one’s laurels. There is always a plan of action for the next successful venture.

There’s something Biblical about this belief. I’m reminded of the parable where three people were given a talent…one multiplied it three times, the other twice, and the third just hodl, because he wanted to make sure when the hard taskmaster returned for it, he could give it back to him, every cent. The last person infuriated the taskmaster because he did nothing to grow the value. (Matthew 25:14-30)

It’s the same with us. When we are blessed with SP, we should be good stewards of it. We should learn how best to grow these rewards. HODL when all signs say Power Down and have a strategy to invest it in another currency is important.

Watching a coin dwindle to nothing, without a stop-loss strategy, is costly and being a poor steward all in one.
I’m reminded of investor Warren Buffet’s acknowledgment that “the greatest risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” A huge lesson for me was learning how to stop the STEEM balloon from totally deflating after the huge pump around the 2017 Christmas holidays.

As my life lesson would have it, I came in at a time when the major exchanges weren’t receiving new members; and, admittedly, my perception of powering down meant cashing out. Not so! It simply means that the Steem Power will turn into usable Steem. Go figure! And, because I accept everything in life as a learning lesson, which if applied properly, becomes a teachable moment for someone else, this devaluation of the asset was no different.

This reminds me, when you watch videos offering tips, be sure to take notes; because, studying them will help them sink in. Crypto has a steep learning curve. When you encounter investors who speak in layman’s terms, be sure to add them to your follow list, give them your best up vote; and, give thanks for the gems they are.

After endless research on alternative stop-loss strategies, I (in Divine Timing) came across an archived post about powering down. It offered nothing of new substance; and left me hanging in the end on what happens thereafter.

I decided at that point that I would have to just do it and learn firsthand what happens when one powers down. I did a few calculations and decided to just go for it. On doing so, I was shocked to learn that it doesn’t go into a bank account; but, as noted, simply reverts to STEEM to be dispersed over a 13-week period.

Of course, had I known that sooner, I would have done that sooner. Ha! But, as a student, I realize some life-lessons have to be learned firsthand in order to appreciate/value what I’ve learned from my own efforts just that much more. I suppose I had to experience the losses to prove how costly this lack of knowledge can be. I’m reminded of the Bible verse: My people perish for a lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

In closing, having a Buffett mindset, believing you will succeed, is crucial. You can’t measure your success by others’ standards. You have to define them uniquely according to you. There are few things worse than comparing your measure of wealth to someone else.

As a self-proclaimed minimalist, what brings me contentment, and what brings the extravagant spender contentment are on the broadest of scales. A Certified Used Range Rover versus a “fresh off the assembly line” Lamborghini makes wealth relative to the standards of each individual.

However, what does matter is that you never lose sight of the belief, that in matters of success, even if it takes your last breath, “You will win!”

In the Bible, that’s called a Hebrews 11 kind of faith:

Faith is counting those things that be not as though they were. (Hebrews 11:1)

Best regards!

I genuinely hope you gleaned as much from this series as I did.

I end with one last ‘mantra’ that resonated at the close of this post:

I can do all things through Christ Who gives me Strength [to succeed]! (Philippians 4:19) [words inside brackets my own]

Peace.