Why Your Most Valuable Asset Is Your Positive Attitude

The following is an excerpt from Suze Orman’s new book, The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+: Winning Strategies to Make Your Money Last a Lifetime.

I have news for you: The most valuable asset you own at this stage of your life is your spirit. It’s not your retirement money, not the equity in your home, but the attitude and energy you bring to the job of planning your future.

How you think about yourself today and how you envision your future are everything. A positive, can-do attitude will carry you forward into the future when times are good but also when times are not so good. If you’re able to face the future with the strength and conviction that you can handle what­ever comes your way, well, your future will indeed be bright. And that’s the goal, right? Being able to face the future without fear, being able to envision better things ahead—that is what makes the so-called golden years truly golden.

But sadly, that’s not what I’m hearing from many of you. When you talk to me about your impending retirement, I have to tell you, your attitude is not all that positive! You tell me you’re worried that you won’t be able to retire. You tell me you are so angry/ frustrated/embarrassed that you didn’t do more or do better with your money when you were younger. You tell me you’re worried that everything you’ve done up to this point—saving diligently, living within your means—will not be enough. I hear from many of you who are retired now and yet are still worried you haven’t done enough or done it right.

Please listen closely. Stop focusing on what you didn’t do or could have done differently. Stop beat­ing yourself up about how you should have more, or how you should be in control of your finances at this point in your life. Stop being paralyzed by the fear of what may happen years from now.

I have a firm belief when it comes to money: Fear, shame, and anger are the main obstacles to wealth. They push us to do the wrong things and miss out on the smart choices that can move us toward our financial goals.

I am asking you to let go of any fear, shame, or anger that lurks around retirement planning issues.

You can’t rewrite history, undo the past, or pre­dict the future. But in terms of your money, you do have total control over how you will live right here, right now. There is so much you can do—and must do—before you actually retire that will help you real­ize the life you want to live in retirement. For those of you who are already retired, there is always the opportunity to reconsider and refocus your plan to make it work even better for the years ahead.

I wrote this book for you: the worried, the fear­ful, the anxious. I know you need help navigating the road ahead. I’ve steered people toward happy and secure retirements my whole life, and now it’s your turn. I titled this book The Ultimate Retirement Guide because I have plenty of advice to share. I haven’t left anything on the table. In this book, I’m putting it all out there. Strategies. Dos. Don’ts. Challenges. But honestly, none of that really matters if you can’t mas­ter this one essential requirement:

The only way to conquer fear is through action.

Your optimism and resolve will be what trans­forms the advice in these pages into actions and deci­sions that will propel you and your family toward the future you deserve. That means no focusing on the rearview mirror of life. Look at what you have today and what you can do to create the tomorrows you want and deserve.

For you to live the retirement you deserve, you need to let go of the past. Maybe there were some bad finan­cial decisions at some point that derailed you. Maybe it was a divorce or an unexpected death. Maybe the Great Recession did a number on you or your loved ones, and you are still digging out financially. Maybe you are totally underwater paying back your kids’ student loans. Maybe it’s on you to take care of your aging parents. I get it—all these things, and plenty more, can sap your spirit as well as your finances.

But here is something I would like you to do every time you begin to feel anxious and afraid. I want you to look in the mirror and say these words:

I am a warrior, and I am not going to turn my back on the battlefield.

I am well aware that my critics will sink their teeth into that one. “Are you kidding me, Suze? That’s the advice you’re giving people?” To which I would reply, “Oh, you bet it is.” For here is the scoop, my friends. If you cannot pick yourself up, if you cannot start taking action right now, then who is going to do it for you?

Look around you. Who cares about your money more than you do? The answer is no one. What hap­pens to your money directly affects the quality of your life—not my life, not some financial advisor’s life, but your life.

Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+ by Suze Orman, Hay House, Inc.

This excerpt was featured in the March 1st edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper inspires hearts and minds to rise above the noise. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.