“The universe does not offer financing.”

—Shane Parrish, Author of the Farnum Street Blog

Image from Unsplash by NASA

Today’s quote and post are taken directly from Shane’s blog post from Sunday 12/14/25. I hope it provokes your thinking about life as it did me:

“The universe does not offer financing. This is hard to accept because life trains us to expect the opposite. We are addicted to “buy now pay later.” You live in a house before you pay off the mortgage. Your get the degree before you pay off the loan. You eat the meal before you ask for the check.

We are conditioned to enjoy the benefits today and pay the cost tomorrow.

Achievement reverses the transaction. It requires full payment in advance (and regular payments forever). If you want a fit body, a calm mind, a healthy relationship, or financial independence, the cost is non-negotiable. You must do the work before you get the results.

This is why most people quit. They pay little, see nothing, and stop. They never make it far enough to see the first return arrive.”

EXERCISE:

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