Finance, Life and Ketchup

I read an article on finance lessons from eating ketchup.  While I’m not going to use the finance side of it, I’d like to parallel those comments to lessons on life.  The first lesson focused on having a 'sweet spot.’ 

Ketchup is sweet.  I read another article that says about half of the bottle of ketchup is sugar!  That made me rethink how much ketchup I use!   The article suggested sticking to our ‘financial sweet spot’ if that works for us, as long as, we are meeting our financial goals.   

When we use this same advice for our lives, we often live our lives in our comfort zone--our 'sweet spot.'  We get in a rut and sometimes become afraid of coming out of our cozy place.  We don’t learn anything new, or challenge ourselves to be better because it’s easier to stay where we are.  We don’t want to ‘put ourselves out there’ because we are afraid of failure, or sometimes even of success!

The second thing the author of the ketchup article suggested financially, was to keep your finances simple.  I think this is amazing advice and not only from a financial perspective.  Keeping our lives simple is also a good idea.  We get so caught up in all our ‘to-do’s’ we can barely breathe!  We are so busy doing things, we are unable to even enjoy today.   

And certainly, the idea of minimizing our ‘stuff’ has been heralded as a must do!  We’ve become a people of accumulating as many material possessions as possible.  In fact, people work two jobs just to be able to afford the lifestyle they believe they must have, which in part includes living in the nicest and most expensive house on the block, driving the newest car currently available, wearing only brand name clothes and even visiting restaurants regularly even though it’s been shown time and again, eating in (at home) is not only cheaper, but healthier.  (That’s not to suggest a night out occasionally isn’t a wonderful thing- because it absolutely is!)

The last thing the article suggested was not taking everyone’s advice when it comes to your finances!  Let’s face it, everyone has an opinion about nearly everything—and sometimes even things they know nothing about! This is also true of our lives.

Our world is filled with those who feel educated enough about their given field, that they feel compelled to give you information and advice, as the best to follow.  And what they share may be true---or not.  Each of us live lives unique from everyone else from the sheer perspective of personalities, finances, upbringing, views on life and raising children, and yes, even religion and politics.

Our differences are what makes our world interesting and worth working through --and in!  The ideas we share with each other is what we build on.  Not everyone, all the time can possibly have all the answers.  We aren’t supposed to.  We are a people who need to work together to be strong, and continue to grow.  Ideas breed ideas.  And that’s a good thing!

Do you have a 'sweet spot' you might like to challenge?  Do you keep your life simple?   Do you take everyone's advice as truth without doing your own 'homework?'  Each of these offers it's own challenges and I encourage you to reflect on your own opinions about each of these elements!  Share if you'd care to, about your conclusions!

https://drbreatheeasyfinance.com/financial-lessons-from-eating-ketchup/

This Is Now

The phrase, “today is here and now” which I heard recently, kind of struck me! While that sounds a little simplistic and obvious, I can't help but think of the recent events that have changed our lives forever. There have been fires ravaging across the globe, deadly monsoons wreaked havoc in India, and other areas of the world just last year and now locust swarms three times the size of New York City are devouring East Africa, among other “natural disasters!”  

I remember last year, as I watched the hurricanes here in the United States, days before they hit land, feeling uneasy.  But our “new normal”  is an ‘uneasy’ I never expected!  It has us in a place we’ve never been before. Whenever there were fires, storms, blizzards or other natural disasters, we knew they were destructive and stole lives. But we are facing a tiny germ we can’t even see, -- know that it’s out there, and can’t run.  In fact, we are told the best option is to ‘shelter-in-place.’ 

As I reflect on my anxiety, no matter what the disaster, I am reminded that regardless of my emotions, there is not a single thing I can do about it! (Short of doing my part by observing social distancing!)  I need to leave the results in a Power much higher than mine.  As we face these new uncertain times, this is truth, regardless of our faith.  

I learned a neighbor of one of my daughters who lives out west, committed suicide this past week.  No one can know all the reasons for such a dramatic and unchangeable action, but it’s the sign of the times.  People are afraid; they don’t want to suffer from some invisible germ, or deal with the economic burst, also going on around us.   Yet, not one of us is promised a single breath past our last one.

The point is, must live for today--- like it could be our last one.   This is now...this is the moment we must embrace, focus on, and take the effort to move forward, even as we wait.  Worrying about tomorrow and over things we have no control is a futile attempt at being in control, that will always fail us.

We can hold onto our memories and even have dreams and goals to work toward.  But we do not own those moments.  When we rely on our memories, regardless how cherished, to move forward, we will find we are destroying the progress of today.  This is our moment---our gift, if you will.  This is now, our current center and the place we must choose to move from, ---forward – if we plan on living life to the fullest, and in the way, our Creator intended.

I encourage you to reach way down within you, dig out the remains of your faith, and be thankful for wherever you are and whatever blessings you can see--- and perhaps, even in your sadness, frustration and fear, those blessings that seem to be alluding you.  Good is all around and often more so when we are at our worst, in our distress.  It’s what we do.

Will our broken (and very ill) world see an immediate fix? Likely no, but with a positive attitude and belief in all that is good, we can change our moments so "now" is manageable regardless the situation.

Time To Do What Matters

A friend of mine has said more than once, she doesn’t feel like she matters; that she’s around to make sure domestic duties are done, meals prepared and to “fetch and serve.”  What a sad state!  How does a person deal with being nothing short of a “maid” in a relationship?  There are those who would say, “Leave!  Yesterday!”  And I suppose that’s an easy choice for some.  For others, there is a duty to staying, that unless you’re in their shoes, it’s impossible to understand.

When pressing for more depth into my friend’s emotions, she said, “I want to be appreciated, to be supported and know that he [her husband] has my back.”  

I watched a movie not long ago, a love story of course; and there was a line in it about two people who leaned on each other regardless of the circumstances so neither one would fall.  What creates this kind of relationship?  Love certainly, but “time.”  It takes time to know the other person; their likes and dislikes; their favorite color and flower; their philosophy on life; and what they expect or want from someone else, and life itself.

Time.  We all have the same amount of minutes in every day.  But it’s how we spend that time that makes the difference.  Our culture is engrossed in all things technological and digital!  We spend so much time on social media, checking our phone (glued to our hands) or our computers that even when we are working, we stop and check to see if there was an email, twitter or snapchat comment we missed!  We even have to check to see what the latest news headline is, so we can have something to chat about at the water cooler!

Is this how we were designed?  Technology is wonderful, but it has captured our identities!  It has stolen the people we were meant to be!  We now struggle with spending time one on one with another human being, whether it be someone from the workplace, our children and even our spouses!  

Time.  That single word has so many implications within a relationship. An older couple I once knew made the comment they could be in the same room for hours and never say a word to each other and they were comfortable with that.  This didn’t include while watching TV or being on social media.  They were each comfortable reading a book—or the newspaper, sewing, writing a letter or other personal interests that passed the time.  This is a ‘comfortable relationship!’

Recently my husband and I went into town.  The sun was shining, and the temperature warm.  Trees are budding, grass is turning green and at one point I even smelled the scent of a fresh mowed lawn.  I was totally enjoying it.  And I enjoyed the silence we shared.  It was amazing.  

Still, there are times when we must say what must be said, or pursue what must be chased!  Moments are precious!  That’s especially obvious in our changing world with the ‘germ’ that is stealing our loved ones.  They are our treasure!   Not a single person alive knows when they will breathe their last.

I encourage you during these difficult times, to use your ‘time’ wisely.  Spend moments with those closest to you, even though we are experiencing ‘social distancing.’  Death knows no gender, age, class or ethnic origin.  It steals without concern for those it hurts.  Spend precious moments in whatever way you can (and still remain safe) with those you love.