FINANCIAL LITERACY WILL NOT JUST COME TO YOU!
We do not come into this world knowing how to read or write. We are taught to do those things. We learn those things in school, among a group of other children learning. Some learn faster than others, but either way we learn and grow. With each grade the complexity of education increases and expectancy of knowledge changes and as individuals one must rise to the occasion or fail. Financial literacy isn’t any different. The difference is that our financial education occurs for too many of us when we are adults, already in process of handling our money. We’ve learned to be embarrassed easily, we’ve become far too conscience of what people may think or say and allow those thoughts or potential embarrassment to stop one from learning and growing in financial areas.
For a great majority of people, especially, African-American People, our thoughts, our methods and strategies or lack of strategies as it relates to handling money is based on what we’ve been taught or seen. The effects of slavery, Jim-Crow, lead to limited opportunities for economic empowerment for African-Americans. It is difficult to teach or talk about money when one doesn’t have access to it. As the opportunities increased and the money increased, so too did the knowledge but just like the opportunities the knowledge in some cases is distant, lacking or limited. Just like any other person, one tends to learn based on what is shown, demonstrated before them and that’s fine when you’ve seen, heard or expect to earn/handle or manage a certain portfolio but without that expectancy, knowledge or preparation for more, one will operate based on experience alone, even when his or her experience hasn’t prepped him or her for his or her reality. Simply put, one will operate as if he or she has less even when they have more!
Making more money means nothing without the experience and knowledge to manage it. That’s been proven repeatedly with instant or over-night millionaires from athletes to regular people winning the lottery, having more money isn’t the same as understanding the responsibilities and opportunities one has with the money!
Without acquiring knowledge for the direction of obtaining more, a person will use the knowledge he or she has which means misusing or abusing their money. Never assume that financial literacy will just come to you! No one will treat you differently because you don’t know or take pity upon you because you don’t know. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, the lack of knowledge leaves one as a prime target to be misused financially.
Financial literacy is that subject that one must actively and openly seek. Unlike school, this topic becomes important to us at different ages, stages of life, as well as different financial statues. Having said that financial literacy is like many lessons or subjects, an ongoing course and the need for knowledge is contingent on the growth, decline or stabilizing of one’s economic status. Seek the knowledge needed for your level, acquire it, retain the knowledge, apply the knowledge and grow! It is better to be embarrassed for a moment than broke for a lifetime!
FIND AND SEEK YOUR MONEY!
