Ko Jeremy tenei, ko ia te mataamua o tōku whanau. (This is Jeremy, he is the eldest of my family).
He is the owner of Keep Constructions, a thriving building company he has built up over the past 12 years in Sydney. I have always been impressed by his dedication and purposeful approach to life, not only in his business but also in his commitment to his family, community service, and pursuing his passions.
I asked what personal development books he could recommend to me and he suggested "Wink and Grow Rich." I immediately looked it up and listened to the audiobook, as I couldn't wait for the hard copy.
The book tells the story of a young boy who embarks on a quest for wealth but learns life-changing principles about what it truly means to be wealthy and happy.
One of the principles that resonated with me the most is:
"To know and not to do is not yet to know."
How many times have we heard or read something that could potentially improve our lives but said, "Oh, I already know that," yet our reality hasn't changed?
It's like wanting to get fitter, improve our finances, or learn a new skill, but we keep saying we "know this technique" without taking action or committing to give it a good go.
I'm guilty of this in some areas of my life. There are things I've read and heard before that I don't really know because I haven't consistently applied the knowledge. I then wonder why I'm still in the same position.
One example is my finances. I've tried things here and there to improve my finances, but I had never really committed to building financial wealth and building a mindset around it. I've never had much money. I was never taught about financial literacy, I wasn't aware of the beliefs I held onto about money while growing up. A few years ago, I was in a terrible financial situation and felt hopeless. I struggled to buy food and pay my bills.
I had come across a technique, which was to regulate my body through Hā (breath) which relieves biochemical reactions when I would get worried and anxious about paying bills. It would also assist me in navigating the uncomfortable emotions, allowing me to feel them in a non-judgmental way. This would help shift me into a parasympathetic state. I realised that the quicker and more often I could shift into this state, I could better focus, become more creative, and intuitive. When I was in the parasympathetic state (instead of fight & flight), I could focus on what I wanted (increased finances) instead of worrying about a lack of money. I could concentrate on finding solutions and actions to move forward. I made a commitment to practice this daily. l commited to doing whatever it would take to get myself out of the financial struggle. While it took a lot of effort and many failures, I persevered in the practice of self-regulation and focused thinking.
Eventually, I got better at shifting my attention to financial success, which led me to take action and improve my situation. After a year of holding onto this practice, even when my bank account was extremely low, I went from being a part-time worker and beneficiary (earning 28-35k per year for 15 years) to having a $220K turnover in a 12-month period.
MY PHYSICAL REALITY CHANGED. I consistently practiced self-regulation (physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually), even when things seemed unlikely to change.
So to emphasise my point. We can't say we KNOW something until we live it. We need to embody it. We can close ourselves off from KNOWING a principle’s benefits when we're not open to trying something new. We might believe it's too hard, or we may experience failure and give up before reaping the rewards. Keep going, you will get there.
Feelings of hopelessness, embarrassment, frustration, vulnerability, shame, failure, sadness, or anger often arise, and these emotions can stop people from taking the unchartered path. But the key is learning how to keep moving forward, even when it's uncomfortable.
I also think it's essential to remember that we can know something and forget it if we don't keep practicing it. Recently, I found myself slipping back into scarcity around my finances. I realised that over the last six months, I had become complacent and wasn't affirming those financial abundance thoughts like I used to. My mind had slipped back into unhelpful, anxiety-provoking thoughts.
Instead of getting caught up in anxiety and fear, I KNOW what I can do that is more beneficial for my well-being. You guessed it! Practice self-regulation and keep my thoughts focused on what I want, which will eventually lead me to actions that align with my thoughts.
Thanks my bro for your example. I know you have continued to move forward in your life by continually applying knowledge, not giving up, and having the faith to persevere when it gets hard. I am quietly watching from afar. Arohanui.xx
Hā Habit Founder | Julia Wikeepa