I wanted to wish you a very happy Independence Day. I pray that you have a very special time with family and friends and that you take time to reflect on the blessing that it is to live in America and to be an American.
As many of you know I often lament about how being an American is changing and that we are losing the key traits that have made us a great nation. Despite these fundamental losses we are still a wonderful nation comprised of amazing people. We are still a nation that largely recognizes that Jesus is our sovereign king and we have a history that can only be explained by understanding that a supernatural being had a hand in making things work out "just right". Without that direction, there is no way that the United States could have formed.
Having recognized these things, I want to challenge you to make this year a year of freedom and independence. Freedom and independence from what you may ask? Plainly, we must declare freedom from financial bondage. I don't write this as one that has claimed victory over these things although I do a solid job most of the time. I challenge you to look at the compulsions that drive your purchases of many items and identify your real needs and the motivations behind the outlay of hard earned cash.
I live in an area of absolute affluence. When I take my children to school, they are surrounded by homes that cost in excess of $1.5M per house. My children play with kids that have parents that are CEOs and executives of large oil and technology companies. In other words, my family lives in a fantasy land. No matter who you are, when you live in this environment, it is difficult to have a realistic view of life and not have your point of view shifted to this alternate reality. I admit although I love my home and believe it is perfect for my family, I often see these mansions and think, "we could live there, why don't we make it work". Well, the reason we don't make it work is that in my state, property taxes for homes like this would be at least $30,000 a year! That is a deal killer for me, but more importantly I need to examine the feelings and desires in me that make me contemplate such a drastic move given how wonderful my situation is currently.
Presently, we live in an incredibly small neighborhood where everyone knows each other. We love all of our neighbors. My kids have kids their age right behind our house and we have a connecting gate where they can play at any time. We can easily pay all over our utilities, mortgage, and taxes with half a month's salary from my spouse. Our home was completely renovated several years ago, so we have no maintenance issues. In other words, we are really blessed.
So, we come back to questions about why we would even consider moving, and the answer is simply that we have been programmed to want more and believe we need more when all of our needs have been completely met. The next step in this path of deception would be to believe that I deserve more and therefore should act to change my circumstances. Unfortunately, if I followed this path to completion, there would be terrible consequences including stress, resentment, and fear. We would be signing up for debt bondage that could be terrible for our family. It is so important to recognize the destruction this kind of move would make and quell these desires that might jeopardize my family's financial position and happiness. In my opinion, we need to combat the noise of society and the internal justifications to make wise choices.
To wrap up, please think about the areas in your life where you make financial decisions that don't make sense and are based on thoughts that you deserve possessions and are really not necessary. Think through experiences of regret and damaged relationships because you had to have a car or home and acted to meet those desires. One of my favorite authors, Patrick Morely wrote, "We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like".
Today on the 4th of July I declare independence from thoughts that I don't have enough and that I need something better or bigger to make me happy. I declare that I will breakout of the thought process that says I deserve things and that once I have them they will somehow complete me. I declare that I will use my excess resources to bless others and work to enlighten them about the trap of financial bondage so they too can experience freedom.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
GOATMUG
Goatmug is an investor that cares about you and your family. Goatmug's Blog - Financial Perspectives From The Mountain Top is a collection of thoughts on our economy and how it impacts the lives of investors and average people. While several specific investments are named in many of his posts, these articles are simply invitations for you to do your own research and reference to these securities does not constitute financial advice. Your situation is complex and unique and you should seek professional assistance with your trading and investing. Please visit Goatmug and share your comments at http://www.goatmug.blogspot.com/
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