You’re Not Broke—You’re Just Thinking Small (Like I Was)

Another one,

Before the Wake Up Call  

For a long time, I believed I was doing everything right. I worked hard, earned an income, paid my bills, tried to save what I could, and gave when I had extra. It was the rhythm I was taught: work, earn, survive. Repeat.

But even with all that, something has always felt off. I was constantly busy, yet not fulfilled. I was always “on,” yet I couldn’t point to anything I was actually building. My life had become a cycle I didn’t question just accepted. I’d wait for payday, survive the days in between, and then start over. It was stable, but it was also painfully stagnant.

I measured my life by how much money I made in a month, not by the value I created or the growth I experienced. I never asked myself what my time was worth. Honestly, I didn’t even realize that question mattered. Time felt unlimited. Money felt scarce. So I worked for the money and let the time slip by unnoticed.

I also thought of giving as something I did from what was left never something I led with. I gave when I could, usually small amounts, and always from a place of obligation. I didn’t think I had “enough” to give meaningfully, so I didn’t stretch myself. I thought I was being responsible, but in truth, I was playing Small. Safe. Afraid.

And maybe the hardest truth of all: I was waiting for someone or something to come along and unlock a better version of my life. A new job. A raise. A lucky break. Anything but me.

What’s Changed  

Then came a shift not overnight, but through a series of realizations that cracked my comfortable mindset wide open.

I have started seeing time differently. I learned that time is not just something I spend it’s something I invest. Every hour has value, whether I choose to use it or not. And the biggest financial mistake I was making wasn’t overspending it was undervaluing my time. I never calculated what an hour of my life was worth, and that ignorance was costing me.

The idea that really hit me was this: most people spend money daily, but earn it monthly. That imbalance keeps us trapped. We’re trained to consume daily, but taught to wait for earnings. Why isn’t the reverse true? Why aren’t we building ways to earn daily and make every moment count?

I also started to see giving differently. I heard a story about Alexander the Great giving a beggar gold instead of copper. When asked why, he said, “Gold is what a king gives.” That floored me. He didn’t give based on what the beggar needed; he gave based on who he was.

I started asking myself: am I giving like a king or surviving like a slave? My generosity wasn’t about the size of my wallet; it was a mirror of my mindset.

And then there was the painful but freeing revelation about how I handled my income. I wasn’t earning to grow, I was earning to pass it along. Rent, food, bills, it all disappeared before I could ever feel the reward of my labor. I wasn’t building wealth; I was just delivering money to others.

That realization opened the door to a bigger one: I have the power to change this.

What I’m Doing Next(this might sound like a rap song)  

So I’m flipping the script, no more playing it safe,
Counting my hours, each one is at stake.
Treating my time like tik tok on a tower,
Every minute I hold has purchasing power.

I’m saving first, not spending fast,
Investing in seeds that are built to last,
I give with conviction, not just when I’m fine,
Because purpose and passion now draw the line.

I’m building streams big or small,
If it grows, I’m in. If not, that’s not all,
I’m leaning in where I used to retreat,
Chasing discomfort so I don’t repeat.

My life is a business, I’m the CEO,
Tracking the inputs, watching it grow.
No more drifting, I’m steering the ride,
With God, clarity, courage, and purpose as my guides.

Every hour, every coin, every move has weight,
I’m not waiting for luck, I’m crafting faith.
From floating to focused, from passive to pro,
This life is mine, but God’s running the show.

So here’s the only question that really matters now:

What are you going to do with your next hour?