A discussion is a conversation to determine what is right. An argument is an attempt to prove who is right. Which one you tend to engage in will tell you much about what your future will hold.
Posted by Paul Gernhardt on Jan 21, 2009
From the blog at PaulOnLife.com
One of my favorite comedy routines is Bill Cosby’s “Noah” (you can hear it on YouTube). In this routine Mr. Cosby acts out some of the possible discussions that Noah has with God as he goes about building and populating the ark. Towards the end, as Noah loads two hippos into the ark, God’s voice calls down and informs him he has to take one back as he has two males and he needs to get a female. Noah, somewhat exasperated, tells God to change one of them. He then proceeds to complain about everything he has been through with the ark. As Noah goes on complaining God’s voice calls out and asks Noah; “How long can you tread water”. That one statement, and a little rain, brings great clarity to Noah’s thought process.
“How long can you tread water?” What an excellent question. What a great first measure on one’s financial position. How long can YOU tread water? How long can you go without an income before you begin to drown. How long can you absorb additional expenses associated with a life event, without using debt, before you are under water?
Posted by Paul Gernhardt on Jan 18, 2009
When considering life planning many counselors start with the big goals people have. I personal prefer to start with the individual’s most important principles and values. I like to get people thinking about what is really important to them, not what the culture, or friends, or family thing they should accomplish. From there we can then determine how well their goals and decisions fit into the values.
Posted by Paul Gernhardt on Jan 18, 2009
I have started writing this article so many times I’ve lost count. I never quite know how to start or develop the concept I want to present. There are so many different aspect of this I keep going off on tangents and never quite get to the point I really want to make. So perhaps I’ll just keep it short and sweet.
People almost always measure their success or failures based on financially related measures. The size of their house, the amount of money they have or owe, the cars they drive, the social class they see themselves a part of. When I mentor people who feel they are failing they virtually always reference financial metrics. They chase the financial measures with much thought and vigor. It is from these which much of life’s stress is about.
Oddly enough when I ask what is most important to them the never quote any of those measure. Instead of finances they will always point to family, love, hope, charity, honesty, integrity, and the such as being the most important things in their lives.
Why do we insist that one set of things is important in our lives but measure ourselves based on things which we state are so much less important.
Are we measuring the things that are important, or are the things we measuring becoming important?
Posted by Paul Gernhardt on Jan 18, 2009
I find it interesting that people seem to use “faith” as a convenient way to get away with not addressing those things in their life they simply don’t want to deal with. They will use budget planning to assure they can pay the mortgage, but they use faith as an excuse not to plan for retirement. They will plan and save for years to for a special family vacation but use faith to avoid planning for car repairs and medical expenses. They will quote the Bible to say that one should not worry about tomorrow for it will take care of itself when addressing one situation, but then turn around use the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” for those other things. Does faith apply or not?
Posted by Paul Gernhardt on Jan 18, 2009