How Personal Investment & The Value Of Education Go Hand In Hand
The Value of Education
When making financial decisions, many people like to do a cost-benefit analysis: is it worth it? Education is one of those grey areas where traditional economic logic need not apply. Intuitively, one may safely assume that “education” means getting a college degree. While in a very practical sense that is correct, I am referring to “education” in a broader sense and will get back to the value of a college education later on.
What shapes who we are isn’t our formal academic education, but an education that is lived through life’s experiences and one’s personal character development. In a financial sense, the investment in one’s character development is invaluable. Therefore, a premium cannot be attached to it. How does one invest in their own character development? Let’s try to answer that. Well, the easy answer is through one’s upbringing, which we have no control over. The harder answer is: through personal-investment. Personal investment is the little things that we do each day. It is the decisions that make us fundamentally who we are, which we pay the least bit of attention to. Decisions that our subconscious, however, is fully aware of. These fundamental decisions shape who we become, which is the essential goal of education.
Personal investments take time, which is our most important asset. Personal investments have a broad range. This can include anything from working out in the gym, meditation, and reading to developing one’s speaking skills, posture, facial expressions, attitude, conversation skills and vocabulary. Working on these sorts of things in a positive way will yield great returns with regards to the time it takes. The returns to this include a more positive outlook on one’s everyday mundane routine. As one develops a positive outlook on the mundane, they will slowly notice a shift in the way they think. Once one’s thinking is oriented toward a higher purpose, they will achieve a sense of self worth that can propel them to believe they can do anything. This is known as conviction. If one ever wants to achieve anything in life that is of substantive magnitude, they must have the conviction or belief that they can do it.
No particular person or academic institution can ever teach someone conviction, it has to be drawn out from within. So, take time everyday to be aware of the small decisions that you make, and invest in improving one’s self.
Practically, there may be financial obligations associated with particular personal investments. These may include a gym membership, going to a psychologist, buying books, or perhaps hiring a personal speech coach. Whatever it is that you may find is worth your time, it is certainly worth the money. So perhaps spend less on material entertainment (which is important as well), and shift funds toward personal investments.
Personal investments are the fundamental building blocks to shaping one’s education, however, there are formal aspects to education that are needed in order to achieve one’s goals. Whether it is a trade school, military training or college, one must weigh in on, not the costs, but the potential returns. When I refer to the returns, I am not referring to financial returns, but to the ability that this form of practical education will have in propelling one to achieving their goals. When deciding on a college to attend, many people tend to consider the price, which is very important. However, the price of college should not be the determining factor. First, one must consider the fact that debt is good. Debt is an investment. For example, if someone wants to open up a pizza shop, suppose they need funds to purchase an industrial oven. They must take out a loan. That loan is a form of debt which allows for the entrepreneur to conduct business and make money. That is exactly the same concept as taking out a loan to attend college: it allows one to earn a formal education that can propel them into a fulfilling career. So, if you want to attend a particular college and are afraid to accept a considerable amount of debt, due to a belief that it may be impossible to pay off, remember that education is invaluable and it is worth it. Take the debt. Earn the education. Do not short-change your potential because of a financial consideration that inherently works in your best interest.
In conclusion, invest part of your money on the personal investments that shape your fundamental education and do not be afraid to invest in earning a solid practical education. Both are important to shaping who you are and what doors will be open to you within your lifetime.