I know of so many people that are having a really rough time right now. Our neighbors lost their home, friends are out of work, people are having to sell off their toys. Things are really bad for a lot of people.
So I felt the need to write this tonight...DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO, AND WHO CARES WHAT THEY'LL THINK!
I had a conversation with someone today and it made me realize that when people have money problems it's rough but I think what stresses people out even more than not having the money to pay their bills is wondering what friends, family, and neighbors will think if they find out you can't afford something.
We live in a world where money means SUCCESS. When that really isn't true at all. (Just look at how "Successful" some of the celebrities are. Rehab...arrests...overkill on the plastic surgery) I'm not saying that we don't need money to survive but we really don't need as much as we think. I think that a lot of people would love to not be slaves to their mortgages and bills and maybe live a more simple life but what would people think??
What would our friends think if we had to get rid of our cell phones or if we got rid of cable or satellite...what would people think when they came over? Or God forbid, what if we moved into a smaller house! There are a lot of people in major debt right now and could get rid of a good chunk of it but don't do it because they wonder what people will think...what will they tell their friends. Well just remember WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK! This is YOUR life your living and not theirs. Is it really worth stressing yourself out day after day because you are worried about what people will think? Is it worth working at a job you hate and possibly having a heart attack because if you quit to do something you really like you would have to scale down? Is it worth yelling at your kids all the time because your wondering how you are going to make ends meet? NO.
Now I realize that there are a lot of people that can't scale down anymore and are doing with the bare minimums but it is definitely not you all that I am speaking of on this post. I am talking about people that can scale down...would love to scale down...but won't for the simple fact of saving face. Take your power back. LIVE your life. A home really is wherever you make it, your car does not define you and yes you really can live without 200 TV channels and a cell phone for every member of the house. I'm not saying it would be easy but it could be done and there would probably be a lot happier people after doing so.
This is a true story... I was driving up 55 about a week ago heading to our bank. A pretty blonde lady in a gorgeous white Lincoln Navigator passed me up. Well when you pass someone driving something like that you know they have money right? WRONG! I went inside the bank and as I was standing there doing my transaction the lady in the Navigator pulls up to the drive thru window to do her transaction! Well, while I was waiting I hear the drive thru teller tell the lady that they can't cash her check because she was 700 and something dollars overdrawn! Then my teller tells me "She's always overdrawn." The reason I even mentioned this story is not knock anyone that's ever been overdrawn (been there done that!). I mentioned it because I think that now days a lot of us look at people and think well if they can afford that then I need to get one too or wow...that person really has it all together...I can't possibly let anyone know my financial struggles. WHEN THEY MAY BE STRUGGLING JUST AS MUCH AS YOU! If everyone would just live for themselves, be REAL, and not want for what the world tells us we must have, then I think this would be a much happier world.
In my humble opinion if you make it a habit to count your blessings daily and thank God for everything you do have the more rich you will feel.
If you have the time everyone should watch this movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=achUBX71Fj0
It's supposed to be a parody but sadly enough it seemed more like reality.
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have..." (Hebrews 13:5)
I have posted a short story that goes with this blog in the POEMS tab. I hope you will read that as well.
Your friend ~ Libby
God gives us HOPE when their seems to be none.
Thanks so much for posting this one tonight. It took my husband losing his job to finally realize that we don't need to buy everything and to really realize how little money we can truly live on and you know what, we do really good. We realize that we don't need to keep up with the neighbors or our friends and that buying everything isn't going to make us any better friends or neighbors but it is simply going to make us more in debt. Spending less and having less debt has taken the stress off our entire family.
ReplyDeleteI look so forward to reading your posts every night. You are such an amazing person and truly a gift from God! Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom with each of us! Until tomorrow night!
Im so glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThat is why we stay in our too small tiny house. It makes me sad sometimes because I would like to have holidays and parties but I am happy that we have a home..I think this song said it best..
ReplyDelete"Love grows best in little houses, fewer walls to seperate, when you eat and sleep so close together you can not help but communicate."
I enjoyed reading all of your posts as usual Libby and just signed up as a follower :) You are such an inspirational person and you never know how many people you actually touch with your words and advice..everyone is fighting some type of battle and can use the extra encouragement!!
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