“We control our reasoned choice and all acts that depend on that moral will. What’s not under our control are the body and any of its parts, our possessions, parents, siblings, children, or country—anything with which we might associate.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.22.10
When dealing with money we need to understand what is truly under our control. We should then focus on that to maximize the amount of money we can earn. Otherwise stress is induced by dwelling on things not within our control.
As an employee you can’t really control how much your boss will pay you. But you can control the attitude, promptness, and the quality of your work. When you do this consistently your boss will have no choice but to promote you and/or increase your salary. Either way it is impossible to sit on an excellent worker. His/her star shines so bright that someone else will notice and grant them another opportunity.
If you are a business owner you can’t really control how the market will react to your product/service offering. The only thing you can control is to deliver the best quality product/service in line with the customer’s needs. Focus on serving the customer. Money will then become a guaranteed outcome.
If you are unemployed, don’t focus on things you can’t control. As an individual you can’t control inflation, the economy, politics, government policy, education system, family background, banking system, etc. The only thing you can control is working on increasing your value in the market place. Provide valuable service. Work for free. Show up. Read and learn. Eventually an opportunity is going to present itself. Someone is going to notice your work ethic and they will take a chance on you.
Unlock your true potential 