This Is Not Survival...It's Thrival.) Tweet This Post As I’ve been going through the book Survival+ (A Short Cut to Financial Freedom) by Doyenne, I realized that there are some valuable lessons in this book. As a student of survival, I think that it is important to learn from the mistakes of others and, with the right perspective, I believe that the same mistakes can be avoided. Take the example of “Facts”. Facts and “facts” are two different things in this book and, for the beginner, these are easy to get lost in. What’s important is that we all understand the difference and not make a mistake in which our assumptions cloud our mind. One big fallacy that has often been made with the term “facts” is the fact that most people will do anything and accept anything as long as you say it is a “fact”. Most people will often give you a story based on “their personal facts”, which may seem like the truth. But in reality, there is no such thing as “facts.” It is important to understand what is a fact and what isn’t a fact before you make assumptions and generalizations based on your “facts.” Fact can also be looked at as “Facts.” What is a fact? What we often assume to be a fact is sometimes the “truth” but it is just the truth according to one person or perhaps one source. In other words, it may not be a fact. What constitutes a fact is more of a question of opinion than one of facts. You may believe that the Earth is flat, but I believe it is round. (Perhaps I should say that I believe that the Earth is, most likely, round.) And that’s not a fact? You see, it’s all about perspective. What if we assume that “God does not exist” is a fact? Is that true? Or, are we just saying that it’s not true for us? Just because we think it’s true, doesn’t mean it’s true. Just because you believe the Earth is flat doesn’t mean that it’s not round. What is meant by “facts” in this book, to me, is the perspective and interpretation of the same facts that has been determined to be true. (Even though these can also be considered opinions or assumptions.) So, what does it mean for you in your business? Well, as an entrepreneur, it doesn’t matter if you want to be an individual owner or a team of people – knowing what’s important and what isn’t is key. What if you don’t really want to be business owner and work all the hours and days of the week to make it happen? That might be great for some but, for others, that may not be what they’re looking for. So don’t fall into the trap of believing that you need to do something to achieve the “money.” There is more to life than money. If you love what you do, what’s important is how much love you have for it. If you’re willing to put in the extra hours and do whatever it takes to achieve success, go for it. But, do so with the thought of being a giver and not a taker. (How many times have we all heard that saying, “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to have, don’t give it away. If you’re generous and give it away, it will not make you happy.”) For the business owner or business owner to be successful, there needs to be a balance of how the money is made. Being a service-based business doesn’t mean that there’s no money involved. Money can be made in a number of different ways, which gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pursue their passion. A small business doesn’t have to be all about “business.” Sometimes it is about “giving” and “shopping” – but being aware of the difference in business and being aware that money can be made and how to create it is important. Having a business built upon principles and core values instead of the money is the key to living a life that you love. It doesn’t matter if you’re running your own business or managing the other side of the world. Money is made when you have a passion for what you do. Businesses and individual consumers can spend less time making assumptions based on what they think is the “truth” about “what they think they know” and more time finding out what it is they do know about the world around them. Money, however, can be important, but it can only get you so far. The important thing to focus on, instead, is your overall happiness and how you are able to create that. When you’re spending too much time on what you think you need, you may be missing out on the things that can truly help you make a difference in this world. Happiness is the most important thing. The reason we think that being rich is important and that we can’t be rich if we’re not in control of the business and spending money like it was going out of style is because of the fear of losing it all. It’s human nature to think that we have to have this perfect life because we all want what everyone else has. You can never get a perfect life if you don’t start from the beginning. If you keep looking at the things you think that you want and you don’t focus on the things you know you need, then you will never achieve the life that you want. It is important that you know what your priorities are and the choices you make based on those priorities. If you are in a life situation that doesn’t fulfill you, try to change it. If you are running your business in a way that you feel is not making you money, then change it. If you want to give back in the community, then do that. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments when you find something that doesn’t feel right for you. Sometimes you don’t get to the point you want to get to, until you get to the point that you want to get to. In order to truly get to your goal and know that it’s not just the money that you need to make it, you need to take your time in life and find out what works for you. There’s no such thing as failing. If you try your best and fall short of your goals, get up and start over. Remember that the only limits are the ones that you place on yourself. If you truly believe you are blessed, then you’ll do something with your blessings. If you know that you are in the right place at the right time, then you will do everything to make sure that you are doing the best you can. A new perspective is all that it takes to start your life off the right way and you don’t want to miss out on any chance at finding that right perspective. A new perspective or a new way of thinking is all that it takes. You’ll be able to achieve the goals you want to achieve when you finally decide to change how you see the world. It’s been six months since I saw my doctors and my oncologist has set me up with a very aggressive treatment plan. Due to my age, he didn’t want to give me chemo or radiation. I’m very thankful for that because I know that I wouldn’t be able to deal with it. I have stage four breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy but, unfortunately, the cancer has spread. It is in my liver and a bone. I want to fight the cancer and continue to try to make a difference in the world but I feel like the “old girl” who doesn’t know what to do anymore. We can tell ourselves all we want that we are strong but in reality, we’re not. We put up an illusion to keep going and keep doing but the reality is that we are dying. Why I’m Fighting (But not always winning) the battle with Cancer I know this is the last moment where I’ll be able to fight for the life I once knew. I also know that there are people who are fighting for a cause that I love so much. Cancer is my enemy. There are some days when I just want to surrender and stop the fight but I know that there are people out there who can help me fight it. There are also times when I think that I don’t want to fight for life anymore. I would rather just let the cancer come. Just let it come. Just let it take me away. But I know that if I want to make a difference in this world, I have to fight. When I first got diagnosed with the cancer, it was definitely one of those moments where I lost hope. When we lose hope, we start to let go. We start to take “bad thoughts” and thoughts of giving up. Cancer seems to take this away from us. I used to believe in karma, the belief that you get what you deserve, good or bad. But it’s a very naive way to think and it’s probably one of the things that holds us back from truly giving up. We need to be strong enough