The high price of avoidance

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. Jim Rohn 1930 – 2009 It’s unfortunate, but most people tend to avoid doing the things which will have the biggest impact on their lives. We’ve been taught since childhood to be careful, to avoid failure, and to stay away from danger. We’ve become conditioned to steer clear of conflict and problems and to avoid threats to our sense of self. But avoidance comes with a price. All worthy goals in life require us to try something new, to explore unknown territory, to …
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The layaway plan

It is unreasonable to think that we can earn rewards without being willing to pay their true price. Epictetus 55 – 135 A.D. Do you remember when buying bigger, more expensive items on layaway was a common thing? At one time, most department stores offered a layaway plan. While a few stores still offer these plans, for the most part, they’re a thing of the past. The widespread availability of credit cards has greatly diminished the need for layaway plans. I don’t think I mind the layaway plan fading away, but I’m troubled by the shift in mindset that’s come …
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Was it worth it?

Appearances often are deceiving. Aesop c. 550 B.C. Some time back, a certain bookstore (which we’ll leave unnamed) ran what seemed like a very nice online promotion: buy 1 item, get the second item for 60% off list price. Sounds good, right? Wrong. My daughter took advantage of the promotion and placed an order. But after studying it a bit further, she realized the math didn’t add up. The discount they were deducting from her total wasn’t 60% of the price of the lower item. It was only 50%. So she called customer service. They didn’t understand what had happened either, …
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