Episode 27 | What If You're Wrong? The Beliefs That May Be Holding You Back

What if the biggest obstacle in your life isn't your circumstances...

What if it's a belief you've never challenged?

In Episode 27 of Life, Finance, & Real Estate with KirbyTheRealtor®, we continue last week's conversation, "Who Told You That?", by asking an even deeper question:

What if you're wrong?

Together, we'll explore how the beliefs we hold about life, money, debt, investing, homeownership, relationships, and purpose shape the decisions we make every day.

In this episode, you'll discover:
• Why questioning your beliefs can change your future
• The difference between saving and investing
• How debt and interest impact wealth
• Why knowledge without action keeps us stuck
• Biblical principles for wisdom, stewardship, and growth
• Practical steps to begin changing your mindset today

This episode isn't about proving anyone wrong. It's about becoming teachable, growing in wisdom, and making decisions that create lasting change.

Because...

When you're wrong about life, you lose time.

When you're wrong about money, you lose wealth.

When you're wrong about real estate, you may lose opportunities.

But when you're willing to learn, you gain wisdom—and wisdom has the power to change every area of your life.

🎧 Listen on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Goodpods, Castbox, and more.

📣 Own your life… so you can own a piece of America.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Life, Finance and Real Estate, where we discuss how to make smart money moves, the ever-changing real estate market, and of course, things going on in life. And here to talk about it more with you is your host, Cody Louis.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Hey family, hey family, hey family. Welcome back to Life Finance and Real Estate with your girl, Kirby the Realtor. Yep, that's me. I want to thank you as always for tuning in every week and supporting and listening and sharing the good news. And to my new listeners, thank you for tuning in because guess what? We are here to educate, empower, and elevate. Because I don't teach you how to earn it, I teach you how to sustain it. I teach you how to keep it, y'all, because we we focus on success, purpose, and growth and owning your life so you can what? Own a piece of America. Let's recap last week. Last week, guys, we talked about that one simple question. Who told you that? Who told you that you weren't smart enough? Who told you that you would never become a homeowner? Who told you that investing was only for rich people? Who told you that your past would determine your entire future? Who told you that debt is just the way life is supposed to be? Y'all, who told you that because your parents and your aunties and uncles and grandmothers struggle financially, that you have to struggle too? Who told you? See, many of us have accepted beliefs that we never stop to question. Who told us that? Some of those beliefs came from our childhood, it came from our friends, it came from our parents, it came from social media, some came from fear, and some even came from our own failures. But today I want you to take that conversation one step further. And I want to ask a question that's even, I don't know, I was gonna say harder, but I just want to ask another question, and that may make some of you feel uncomfortable or challenged, but the question is what if you're wrong? What if you're wrong? Now don't get offended because I'm asking myself this question too, and honestly, I asked myself this question just last week. What if I'm wrong about how I'm thinking? What if I'm wrong about what I thought? What if I'm wrong? Because what I have learned over my years is growth begins the moment we are humble enough to admit that we don't know everything. Oftentimes I tell agents and I tell people that I mentor and encounter that ask, I'm gonna ask. If I don't know, I'm gonna ask. And I can learn something from you because I don't know everything. That's where growth starts. Growth starts when you can admit that you don't have all the answers. I don't know everything. So before we get started, I want everyone listening to grab a pen, open the notes app on your phone, or find a piece of paper, turn on your recorders. If you're driving, just ask these questions out loud. If you're at work, open the notes app. If you're just sitting at home, get your paper. But every time I ask this question, what if you're wrong? I want you to make one check mark. Now don't overthink it and don't just make a check. But by the end of this show, I want you to count your check marks, count how many you have. Because each check mark, y'all, represents an area in your life that deserves another look. Sometimes it's not that we are just stuck, it's that we don't have enough information, we don't know enough, we don't ask enough questions. Sometimes we're stuck because we become too certain, y'all. My Bible tells me in Proverbs 3 and 5 Um, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and in all what in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. Now notice, notice what the scripture doesn't say. It doesn't say lean on what you've already believed. It says do not lean on your own understanding. God never tells us to stop thinking, He doesn't, He tells us not to lean only on our own understanding because sometimes our own understanding, the way we interpret things, the way we see things, is exactly what's keeping us stuck. First check mark. Okay, that's exactly what's keeping us stuck. What if you're wrong about yourself? Let's think about life. What if you're wrong about yourself? Maybe you have been saying, I am too old, I am too young, I don't have enough education, I am not qualified. I just I made me too many mistakes. I never recover. I will never recover. I'm too broken, I'm too late. But what if you are wrong? See, Moses believed he couldn't speak well enough to lead God's people. Moses stunned, y'all. But guess what? God still used him mightily. Gideon, think about Gideon. Gideon called himself the weakest in his family, but God called him a mighty warrior. Jeremiah, I'm only a child. But God said, don't say I'm only youth. See, sometimes God sees something in us long before we see it in ourselves. And honestly, not only does God see things in us, but God also reveals it to other people that see things in us long before we see it in ourselves. Sometimes the greatest limitations isn't our ability, y'all. It's our belief, it's what you say, it's what you believe, is what you profess. The Bible says, now unto him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think. Now notice God's ability isn't limited by your opinions of yourself. Okay, that's another check mark. Let's talk a little bit about our finances. Let's let's talk about money. How many people believe if I save money, I'll become wealthy? I'm gonna save and save and save so I can have all this money, maybe. But what if you're wrong? Because savings protects your money, but guess what grows your money? Investing. Investing grows your money saying, guess what? Those are two different goals. So let me ask you this do you know whether your money is actually growing, or are you simply looking at your bank account balance? Because just because your account has money is it in it, doesn't mean your money is working, right? Inflation is inevitable. You know, inflation may grow faster than your savings. You can have money saved up, but y'all, we felt it even just this year. Inflation is something serious. So while you feel safe because of what's in your banking account, your purchasing power may actually be shrinking. Another question. How many people know what a mutual fund is? We talked about it briefly a couple of shows back. We talked about mutual funds. How many people actually know what their 401k is invested in? How many people know the rate of return on their earnings? How many of you out there know the difference between saving and investing? Or are you simply hoping everything works out? What if you're wrong about how wealth is built? Because y'all listen, I know a lot of people that save faithfully. I know people that had money just tucked away, saved faithfully, but yet they never built wealth for years. Money just piled up money, money, money, but it was never wealth. Why? Because they never learned how money actually grows, and they never learned how to make their money work for them. Even the Bible, y'all, the Bible tells and teaches you about investment. Ecclesiastes 11 and 2 says, invest in seven ventures. Yes, in eight, you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Even scripture speaks to the wisdom of diversification and preparing for the future, y'all. The scripture tells you to invest. Here's another one. Debt. How many people think debt is normal? Is debt normal? Maybe. But what if you're wrong? See, I'm not trying to say that debt is always an evil thing, but debt always deserves respect because interest can work both ways. Either you're earning it or you're paying. Which side are you on? Are you on the earning interest side or are you on the paying interest side? Every month, interest is taking money from somewhere. And I'll give y'all an example. A mortgage on the house that I have um had in the past, and I was making payments, and before I actually understood how all of this work, I was like, I'm paying this much a month. And then I look at my statements and it's saying I paid that much in interest. I didn't quite understand. You know, a lot was going to interest, and very few was going to my principal. So what I'm trying to tell you is it's very important to understand interest. Are you on the side of the receiving? Are you on the taking side? So is interest paying you, or are you paying it? That's the difference between building wealth and finances someone else's wealth, right? Like when I say if you're having an apartment, you may not be paying your mortgage, but you're paying their mortgage. Check mark. Proverbs 22 and 7 says the barrier is the servant to the lender. See, the Bible isn't saying borrowing is sinful. It reminds us that debt creates obligation. And freedom should always be the goal. Now, oftentimes, I know we we had people very early in our marriage that wanted to either borrow money or for you to co-sign. And you have to be very careful with that because while people may have good intentions to repay and all this stuff, things could happen. Life happens. So you have to ask yourself, dude, can I afford to lend? Can I afford to do this? Because if I do it and they don't, am I gonna be okay? And I know for myself and my husband, we said that we went we would not quite um co-sign for people. And we made that decision. And although it hurt sometimes when we had a few, you know, come to us, we're just like, no, we both said we're not gonna do that. And it was for the better, because you know, sometimes you see things unfold and you're like, Oh, we glad we didn't do that. So, anyway, not gonna get off on that tangent. Just know that freedom should always be the goal, all right? That creates obligation, but freedom should always be your goal. So, understand what your freedom number is, know what it means to be free, know what it looks like to be free. You remember a few weeks ago? I mentioned that freedom number. So, what does that look like to you? What can you do comfortably? Live with every month, you know. How much do you need to make to live to make it? What can you do? Like, what's your freedom number? What do you want to do? In real estate, I hear people say, and we're hearing it right now, and you're still saying you're still hearing it, and people are still saying, I'm waiting on interest rates to drop. Maybe that's wise, but maybe it isn't. But here's my question to you have you actually done the math, or are you repeating what everyone is saying, looking at social media, looking at the news, because sometimes waiting saves you money, and sometimes waiting costs you money. So when I talk to my clients when they say they're ready to buy a home, but they're on the fence because of X, Y, and Z, I get several scenarios and I sit down and I go over with them, and I have the lender, and we we go over what that looks like for them, and then I let them make that decision because every situation is different, and that's why education matters more than assumptions. Put a check mark. See, let's go into relationships. What if you're wrong about forgiveness? And I know a lot of people struggle with this because I struggle with it, and I'm not ashamed to let you know that I struggle, struggle, and had been struggling um with it. And I had to tell myself, I said, Lord, I'm gonna need you to work on this heart of mine because a lot of times we carry offense and we carry things that people do to us, and you're trying to understand or make sense of why or how because you expect you from everybody else, and you're not it, you're not gonna get that. You can't expect you from everybody else, and it took a while to learn that. But what if you've been carrying offense for years, thinking you're hurting someone else when you're actually hurting yourself? See, forgiveness doesn't excuse what happened, sometimes it frees you to move forward. When you can forgive, you can move forward, let it go. Now, I didn't say forget, but don't dwell on it, don't let it keep you stuck from building and doing what you need to do because you're so focused on what that person did or trying to figure out why they do it, and you're just stuck. Now, let's talk about your purpose. Let's talk about purpose. What if you're wrong about your purpose? Maybe you've been waiting for the confidence before taking action, but confidence usually comes, y'all, after you're obedient. See, David, if you think about David in the Bible, David didn't become confident after defeating Goliath. He became confident because he already trusted God with the lion and the bear. And sometimes your next steps create confidence, not the other way around. You can't be so stuck on trying to have everything perfect or just being scared. You gotta take that leap. You gotta take that leap. My sister, Dr. Reed, um, was asked a question and she said, leap. Like they were like, I can't remember the whole question, but the guy asked her, you know, how did you make that choice and decide to do it? And she said, I just had to leap. So I'm telling you right now, leap. Now, the Bible also tells us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by what the renewing of our mind. And I want you to just think about this transformation starts with changing how we think. Oftentimes, I'm told it's what you be careful what how you're thinking or what you're saying, because if you change how we think, you can change how you live. And I also am reminded of a quote it says, If you change the way you see things, then the things you see will change. So remember, transformation starts with changing how we think, and changing how we think changes how we live. All right, so let's test your beliefs here. So we've talked about life, we've talked about money, we talked about death, um, debt, D E B T, we talked about real estate, we talked about relationships, and we talked about purpose. But before I ask you to count your check marks, I want to test your beliefs. Not because I want to prove you wrong, but because I want you to discover whether the thing you've believed all these years are actually true. Okay, so family, can I ask you something? For the next few minutes, okay? I don't want you to become upset or offensive or defending yourself or trying to justify your decision or comparing yourself to anyone else. The good thing about this is there's nothing on Facebook for you to be looking at. You're not looking at anybody across the room. We're all over the air and you're listening, you're taking notes, you're writing check marks. But just be honest because today isn't about proving you're right, it's about one simple question. What if I'm wrong? If what you believe is true, it should stand up to these questions. But if it falls apart when you examine it, maybe it's time to replace that belief with something better. So let's test a few beliefs together, okay? Belief number one I don't make enough money. Now, I hear this all the time. Kirby, if I just made more money, everything would be okay. Will it? Maybe. But what if you're wrong? Let's think about it. Two people make exactly $60,000 a year. One retires comfortably, the other retires with almost nothing. Same income, different decisions. One of them learned to save, the other one learned to invest. One learned delay gratification, one spent everything they earn. So maybe income isn't always the biggest problem. Sometimes it's what we do with the income we've already been given. Lord have mercy. Sometimes it's what we do with the income we've already been given. Jesus said in Luke 16, whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Y'all, sometimes we're paying for more while God is simply asking, What are you doing with what you already have? Listen, I have to tell y'all something. There was a tenant one time, I think she had rent. I was in the home, the sellers were looking at selling and they were saying she she wasn't paying a rent. And I was like, lady, how much rent? Oh, they only charged me a hundred dollars. I'm like, oh my gosh, a hundred dollars? Yeah, and it was an older home. But guess what she wasn't doing? She wasn't keeping it up. You walked in there, it was nasty. It didn't look like a home. The outside was, you know, they had an agreement that she was to keep it up as if it was her house, and she wasn't keeping it up. Do you know what God was thinking? I gave her, it was little, but I wanted to see how she would steward that little. Y'all, I watched my father and my mother growing up, and we didn't have a lot, but they may do with very little. And people really thought we were rich. But they took things, they painted it, they sanded it, they made it look nice, and it felt so good. And it taught me that you don't have to have the finest of all to look rich. We are rich in God, but at the same time, you have to take care of what God gives you. And when you can show God that you're faithful and that you appreciate what He's giving you, He will continue to bless. Your cup will run over. And one more story. I remember wanting a certain vehicle, and my daddy gave me a putt-putt car, y'all. Every time I drove that car, it went. But I my dad is one that he would um, he gave me the car. I knew that he was watching to see how I was gonna take care of it, if I was gonna keep it clean, keep good ass in it, or if I was gonna have an attitude and be upset. But guess what? This old girl was smart, and I knew that he was watching. So I took care of my car and I was and I always remember that like take care of things because when you take care of the small thing, God would bless you. But enough of that. Believe too, I'll start with when I have more money. Have you ever said that? I'll invest later, I'll save later, I'll buy a home later, I'll start my business later. But can I ask you something? If someone handed you a hundred thousand dollars today, would you automatically know how to manage that money? Or would you simply make bigger versions of the same financial decisions you're making today? Because I want you to know something. Having money doesn't change habits, it magnifies your habits, it will reveal who you really are. If you're not faithful with little, why would you suddenly become faithful with much? Belief three home ownership isn't for me. Who told you that? Did your cousin say it? Did Facebook say it? The news someone who has never owned a home? Or did you actually talk to a lender or a realtor? Have you experienced? Explore the different loan types and options, first-time home buyer programs, and read about the down payment assistance. Y'all, when you have knowledge or something, knowledge removes fear, education creates opportunities, and sometimes that one conversation will change everything. Believe for that is just a part of life. Is it? Maybe. But what if you're wrong? Debt isn't always bad. See, there's debt that builds wealth, right? But there's also debt that steals wealth. Imagine carrying a credit card balance for month after month. Every payment, part of your money goes to interest. Now imagine taking that same amount of money and investing it every month. One direction pays interest, and the other direction earns interest. Same dollars, different destinations. There's a um scripture in the Bible that talks about barring. Um, the servant is the lender, or the bar is servant to the lender. Now, when you read that scripture, God isn't trying to limit us, he's trying to protect us because freedom should always be the goal. Okay? Another check mark. Believe five. I don't have time. We hear that a lot. And I'm guilty of it too, because even right now, in my current life, when I'm doing certain things, I'm like, I just ain't got time for it. I ain't got the capacity, I ain't got time. But most of us don't find time. We make time. We make time to do what we want to do. I'll never forget I got my feelings so hurt a few years back, and I don't know if it was my mentor, my financial advisor, one of them, but I was just complaining about something, and I said, I ain't got time for that. Like, I ain't, I do this, I do that, and I and they were just like, Miss, Miss Harrell, um, I see you on Facebook, guilty, you know, at this event, um, doing this community service, doing this, doing that. So that tells me you make time for what you want to make time for. Ooh. Mm-hmm. Yep, we make time. How much time did you spend scrolling social media this week? Your phone tells you. If you have an iPhone, it tells you how much time did you spend watching TV, watching Netflix, reading comments. Now compare that to the time you spent learning about finances. Compare that to the time you spent learning a new trade or or learning about investing or learning about stock, reading your retirement statement that you invest in every month and don't quite understand it, creating the budget. Compare that to praying, reading God's word, working on your marriage or yourself. Maybe time is not the problem. Maybe it's a priority problem. Check mark. Six I'm just not good with money. Can I tell you something? Nobody was born with understanding a mortgage, compound interest, mutual funds, investing, credit scores, insurance, taxes. Nobody. People learned, and because they learned, they made better decisions, and you can too. So stop calling yourself bad with money. Start calling yourself a student because guess what? A student grows, a student learns, a student listens, a student is teachable. Belief number seven, it's too late. Really? Is it really too late? Can we talk about Moses at the age of 80 years old when God used him to lead Israel out of Egypt? Abraham was 75 when God called him. Many people buy their first home later in life. Y'all, and it brings such a big smile on my heart. It makes my heart smile. Many people begin investing later than they plan. Many people start businesses after 50. The question is, am I late? Or the question isn't, am I late? The question is, what am I going to do now? What are you going to do now? Because later is still better than never. Belief number eight. Everybody else has it figured out. Can I free somebody today? Can I free you today? They don't. We don't. People look wealthy. People look wealthy. Facebook will fool you. Cars will fool you. What people wearing and driving and living in will fool you. Some people drive luxury cars and ain't even got an emergency fund. Me, I've been there. Some people live in beautiful homes and they can't sleep because they're too stressed out. Guess what? I've been there. Don't compare the behind your behind the scenes to someone else's highlighted real on Facebook. The goal isn't to impress people, y'all. The goal is to build a life that gives you peace. Say that with me. My goal isn't to impress people, the goal is to live a life that gives you peace. Check mark. The cost of being wrong. Before we move on, can I ask you one more question? What has one wrong belief already cost you? Maybe it costs you buying a home, starting a business, 10 years of investing, repairing a relationship, walking in your purpose, your confidence. Maybe it costs you opportunities you never pursue because your confidence was so your confidence about yourself. You weren't qualified. Or maybe it cost you peace, y'all. Being wrong isn't the problem. Staying wrong because you're unwilling to learn. Now that's the problem. But the beautiful thing about today is you can't change yesterday. And I was reminded of that today. I was asked a personal question by a loved one, and they asked me this question, and I was having a conversation. It was like, we're not gonna focus on what we didn't do, we're gonna focus on the now, what we can do, what we can do to change it, what we're gonna do going forward. Because you can absolutely change tomorrow by making a different decision today. One new piece of information, one conversation, one decision can literally change the trajectory of an entire family. Think about that. One conversation could change your child's future. One financial decision could change your retirement. One act of obedience could change your purpose. One phone call can change your life. And that's why I do this show. Not just so you can own a house, but so you can own your future. Because ownership starts where? In the mind first. When you're wrong, when you're wrong about life, you lose time. When you're wrong about money, you lose wealth. When you're wrong about real estate, you lose opportunities. But when you're willing to learn, you gain wisdom. And wisdom, y'all, wisdom has the power to change every area of your life. Now, look at your paper, count your check marks. How many did you make? Five, eight, ten, twelve, two, two. Don't be discouraged. That's good. It doesn't mean you've been failing, it means you have been growing. Every check mark represents an opportunity for growth. Every check mark, y'all, is an invitation to ask more questions. Every check mark is proof that you're willing to learn. Because guess what? The strongest people aren't the ones who know everything, they're the ones who are humble enough to ask. What if I've been wrong? What if I've been wrong? If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who gives generous to all without finding fault. Notice God never criticizes us for asking, He invites us to ask. God isn't offended by your questions, He welcomes them. So this week, I want you to choose one check mark. Not all of them, just one. If it's money, learn one new financial concept. If it's investing, schedule a conversation with a trusted financial professional. If it's home ownership, talk to a lender. If it's debt, write down every debt you owe. If it's purpose, spend time, y'all. Spend time in prayer and ask God to reveal your next step. If it's forgiveness, ask God to help you release what you've been carrying. If it's fear, ask yourself what decision has been making, what decision has fear been making for me? Because growth doesn't happen because you know more. Growth happens because you do something with what you know. So listen, don't be afraid to ask questions about your finances. Don't be afraid about asking about buying a house or investing. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If today made you realize I don't understand money, I don't understand my finances, I don't have a financial plan, I've been putting off buying a house, I've been letting fear make my decisions. I've never talked to a lender. I've been believing things may not even be true. I've been making decisions based on fear. I want to build well, but I don't know where to start. I want my family to have a different future. Listen, let's talk. I want you to call me 601-543-3226 or email me at KirbyTheRealtor at gmail.com. And not because I believe I have all the answers, because I don't, but because I know where I know I'm here to help you find them. I know I'm here to help you find the answers. So whether you're thinking about buying a home, selling a home, building wealth, or simply getting your financial life headed in the right direction, let's have a conversation. I don't have a sales pitch for you. I just want to educate you because information changes situations, y'all. Sometimes one conversation changes an entire family's future. Family, I want to leave you with one final question. What if you're wrong about how God can or about how much God can do through you? What if you're wrong about what God can do through your life? What if you your one decision, one conversation, one act of obedience away from changing your family legacy? What if one decision away from one conversation away, one obedience away from changing your family legacy forever? Because guess what? Homeownership doesn't begin with a deed, it begins with a decision. Y'all, I am Kirby the Realtor, and this is Life Finance and Real Estate where we educate, empower, and elevate because I don't teach you how to earn it, I teach you how to sustain it. It's all about success, purpose, and growth. Own your life so you can own a piece of America. Bye for now. See you soon.

SPEAKER_03 32:45

Thank you for tuning in to Life, Finance, and Real Estate with Kirby the Realtor. You can catch us every Thursday at 12 p.m. on 92.1 WJMG, 93.1 WGDQ. And also you can listen live at 921 WJMG.com or 931 WGDQ.com. If you happen to miss the live recording, don't fret. We'll replay it at 6 p.m. tonight. Thank you once again for listening to Life, Finance, and Realtor.