Our Own Personal Economy

Last week I offered one of my employees a promotion to a new position. This new job will enable him to potentially make a lot more money, which is a good thing because he is engaged and just now starting his own family. It felt good to reward his hard work and in a lot of ways he reminded me of myself when I was young. But it also got me thinking about how different things are now for young people who are just starting out and families in general.

 

This is a time when our nation’s poor economy is causing major problems for everyone. Businesses all over the country are failing and it’s the same for millions of households as well. Short sales, foreclosures and bankruptcies are commonplace and families struggle to afford the bare necessities. It’s been going on for years and has truly taken a toll on the backbone of our country, which is small business, and therefore it’s tearing at the basic fabric of the American family.

 

Our business has struggled at times as well, but fortunately our employees are awesome. Bonding together during tough times we have put in so much extra effort that our company grew 15% last year despite a flat economy. However, our typical employee (myself included) starts before 7:00am and doesn’t leave until long after the sun sets. The results have been excellent, but is that due to hard work or simply God’s blessings? Honestly, I believe it’s both because I don’t believe we were put on this earth to sit on our hands. We have to get up, get out there and honor God daily with hard work and honest effort. If we do, we will reap great rewards over time!

 

But there’s something else I think we need to do. We need to pay attention to our own “Personal Economy”.  I didn’t understand this concept when I was younger. I wanted to own a big house, fancy cars and all kinds of material things but I paid a price for those shallow desires, I went into major debt. That personal debt was like a huge barbell sitting squarely on my shoulders and believe me, it was a huge pain in the neck! Fortunately I worked hard and made all the payments on time, but at what cost? Sleepless nights, an overbearing work load and acid indigestion were the norm.

 

Last year however, with our four kids grown and doing well, we decided to make a radical life style change. We sold our big house, gave away most of our possessions, scaled down to one vehicle and rented a very small beach house. We got rid of the material things that had weighed us down for so long and discovered something wonderful, freedom from debt! With the lightening of our load, we enlightened our outlook and discovered a new level of happiness we had never known before, one where money was not the focus and stress was not the norm!

 

After a visit to the beach, it's hard to believe

  that we live in a material world. ~Pam Shaw

 

 

Obviously, everyone wants to have nice things and to be able to provide the best possible life for their children. And there’s definitely nothing wrong with that. But one thing I hope I can provide for my children (and my employees) before I’m gone… is the lesson that you don’t need material things to be happy. A poor national economy doesn’t mean you have to have a poor “personal economy”.  To live well… all you have to do is live within your means!

 

It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook

often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

                     ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt