Last week we talked about how we each have corner stones on which our core sits. These corner stones are: 1. Mental Corner Stone, 2. Physical Corner Stone, 3. Relational Corner Stone, and 4. Spiritual Corner Stone.
We also discussed that we each have several areas in our lives which are important. I laid these out as: 1. Career, 2. Family/Parenting, 3. Finance, 4. Fun, 5. Health, 6. Home/Personal Space, 7. Personal Growth and 8. Professional Growth. You may have more or less areas which are important to you.
Today we will look at our mental corner stone as it relates to our vital area of “Finances.”
Whose leadership and wisdom do you follow when it comes to your own finances?
Perhaps you follow a financial advisor of some kind. Perhaps you follow the rule that: if there’s money in the check book, I am free to spend it any way I wish. Perhaps you have a very detailed financial plan towards several specific goals and you delight in the stepping toward those goals each day, each week or each month.
As parents we know that it is vital that we teach and model financial responsibility to our children. Where else are they going to learn this? Yes, school can teach how to balance a checkbook and so can an online banking system. But it can not teach “value” , “wise money choices” nor “responsibility”.
We know that this topic of “Money/Finances” is the number one reason that marriage partners fight about and that it is the number one reason for divorce. This is not a new fact.
If it is so important, why don’t we spend more time discussing it, working out the details, and our differences?
Because it is very hard work. It brings up conflict.
The discussion alone and the mere idea of it causes us to reach for an antacid or headache pills. What would happen if you approached this difficult subject in a manner that you approach a “pleasant” interaction with your spouse or yourself?
How are the two activities different? I mean really. Be detailed. Start with your “attitude” about the pleasant topic. How can you get that attitude adjustment to come into play around finances? It is just one very small step at a time. What about making a specific time and place that is neutral to discuss this topic? What would happen if your children were right there watching and learning instead of hearing the yelling from another room?
The amount of heavy stress that this one topic puts upon us is enormous.
As with everything we will be discussing over the next few weeks, it all comes down to Y-O-U. You have to want to evaluate this corner stone and take it out and examine it and see where you will make adjustments, maybe even a change.
Then decide to keep it in the forefront of your day and really be aware that you want to keep a focus on finances.
Once you are satisfied with your cornerstone, then you can set it back in place knowing that it is a firm foundation from which to live your life.
