I was excited but not too excited. I had done my due diligence, researched prices, read reviews, I thought I was ready, and that’s when I got too excited. I overlooked fine print, focused on the end result instead of the present cost, and rushed through the piles of paperwork.

My dad had warned me. I never understood why he despised dealerships but it suddenly became clear. I was shocked. They had pulled me in and sucked me dry. Was I ignorant? Yep. Should I have read the fine print more thoroughly? Yes. I did what you should never do, I trusted a salesman.

My initial reaction was anger, I was blinded by rage, but I quickly switched gears to try and understand what message God was trying to send me. Trust him? Seek his counsel more thoroughly? Or maybe, pride comes before a fall?

I realize now that I had outsmarted myself, I accepted a loan with a bad interest rate thinking I could outsmart the system by refinancing later on. It worked, but it came with a price. Much to my dismay refinancing meant canceling my warranties, and without any warning I was left with a small refund check, and zero warranties. The price I had paid for the warranties didn’t equate to the time that I had the car.  Just like that I found myself like so many others taken advantage of by car dealerships. I don’t resent the dealership or my salesman, but I do know that I will never buy from them again.

I never thought God would use a situation like this to tell me to check my pride, but I’ve realized that it is the lesson he is trying to teach me. I’ve taken a lot of pride in being 22 and financially independent. In many ways I’ve tried my hardest to advance my financial responsibility through investments, retirement, and savings. My focus has always been being prepared for the future, but I became so focused on the future that I forgot how to enjoy the present.

I’m not much of an in the moment kind of guy. I’m always afraid I am going to miss something, so I end up sitting back and waiting. I don’t really know what I’m waiting or saving for but I keep telling myself it’s going to be good. Saving is a discipline that can easily become an obsession. My parents started me at a young age, and while I’ve been responsible in my saving, I haven’t been responsible in giving.

Some lessons have to be learned the hard way and that is just life. It doesn’t mean you failed, it just means you have to learn and move on. Michelangelo’s approach to learning is one that we should all apply to our lives, he said, “I am still learning.” Whether old or young, experienced or inexperienced we are still learning, and if we take that approach until our last breath we might just discover a world we never knew existed.