RANT: Selfishness Leads To Poverty
Selfishness leads to poverty.
But not necessarily in a financial sense. It is much deeper. I believe that selfishness leads to poverty of the spirit and soul.
Are we not all born with a drive toward selfishness?
It is proven to me every time I am standing in a line at Wal-Mart for thirty minutes. I want to cut in line to avoid waiting. Let's say that I did cut in line. I would have the immediate gratification of getting out of the line and not having to wait anymore, but there would be a moment later that evening when I would have to wrestle with the fact that I was out-of-line – literally and figuratively.
It is proven to me when my wife is suffering from morning sickness which has turned into all-day sickness. The magic fairy that somehow transformed dirty clothes and dishes into clean clothes and dishes has ceased to exist. The magic fairy that managed the household – mail, laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, library trips, activities with the daughter, shipping IWBNIN resources, managing the financial affairs … It all stopped. Now I realize that it was my bride all along. Now I have to clean, wash, shop, etc. Poor me.
You know what drives the pity party, right? Selfishness. You know what selfishness leads to? Poverty of the spirit.
No one wants to hang out with a selfish person. No one wants to hear the pity party.
If you want to lose friends and ruin relationships, be selfish.
Everyone wrestles with it. If you do not believe me, watch your children when they are little. "MINE!", is one of the most uttered words.
My friend, Jake Beaty, once asked another friend, Jamie Salmon, this question: "Why do you give?"
Jamie's answer rocked Jake's world. When I heard it, it rocked my world.
Jamie said, "I give to keep from being selfish."
Well said, Jamie. Well said.
The Go-Giver
Recently, Casey Graham (Founder of The Change Group) sent a book to me and told me that it had a major impact on his life.
It is a book called "The Go-Giver". It is authored by John David Mann.
It took me a couple of months to sit down and read it, but I wish I would have read it sooner.
Seriously, it is a fictional story the relays POWERFUL business (and personal) concepts related to giving. It could even be called a framework for how one can have an amazing life.
I LOVED this book. Here are some of the reasons why:
- It focuses on giving. I love giving. My wife loves giving. I believe that everyone loves to give.
- It is highly focused on a few principles. This book does not attempt to share too much. I read this book one chapter at a time over a period of several days.
- It has caused me to reflect on how this applies to my crusade. And I am making changes as a result of this book.
- It was short and to the point. For some reason, I have difficulty developing the willpower to pick up a four-inch-thick book.
- I have seen it at work in my friend's life. Casey (you should follow him on Twitter) has been applying this stuff as well. He is FIRED UP about it! So am I!
Have you read this book?
Parent’s Poor Money Choices Impact Children
Don't believe me? Go read Lazy Man and Money's post HERE.
This type of article is why I get up FIRED UP and PUMPED UP to do what I do. I am passionate about helping people make GREAT decisions with their financial resources so that their children can be PROUD of how their parents managed their "stuff".
Health Insurance
Health insurance is a pit that makes money disappear. I have seen that proven over and over.
However, I have seen that the LACK of health insurance is an even larger pit that not only makes money disappear, but many times it leads to bankruptcy or worse – a failure to diagnose a major health issue.
Health insurance is costly, but I wanted to share some tips that might help you save money as you acquire insurance or evaluate your current coverage.
- Consider a High Deductible Health Plan. An HDHP usually has a deductible of $2,500 or greater. The insurance will not pay a dime for most items until the policy holder has paid an amount equal to the deductible. After the deductible is reached, some plans pay 100% of the rest, other plans might require the policy holder to continue to pay a certain percentage. Why is a HDHP good? Because it is much cheaper because the policy holder has assumed more risk. If you have a healthy family, a higher deductible can be a good risk to take because the deductible is not guaranteed to happen. The premium is guaranteed to happen!
- Purchase insurance with a Health Savings Account. Health savings accounts allow one to save money on their health care expenses because the money can be used tax-free for healthcare-related expenses. Think about it for a minute. If a doctors appointment costs you $70 and you have to pay for it, it actually costs MORE than $70. Why? Because the $70 is AFTER you have paid payroll and income taxes. You had to earn about $100 to net home $70. If you have a HSA, you are able to use BEFORE TAX money which stretches your money about 30%!
- Shop around. There are a myriad of insurance plans available. I personally shopped mine around on eHealthInsurance and with a local independent insurance agent. I got a pretty good deal on a $5,000 Deductible Major Medical plan with a HSA. After I spend $5,000 in the year, my insurance plan will pay 100% of the rest.
- Compare GUARANTEED costs and MAXIMUM costs. The premiums are guaranteed to happen. Take the monthly cost and multiply it by 12 to obtain an annual cost. Let's say a plan has a monthly cost of $250 and a deductible of $5,000 and the insurance will pay 100% after the deductible is met. The guaranteed cost is $3,000 ($250 x 12 months). The maximum cost would be $8,000 ($3,000 premiums PLUS $5,000 deductible). I personally make it an objective to fund my HSA with an amount equal to the maximum cost so that when a major medical event occurs (baby!), I will have the funds ready to roll.
How To NOT Save Money
There are so many "How To" manuals, lists, books, and articles. I have written many myself, but today I want to write a "How To Not" list about saving money.
How To NOT Save Money
- Take all of your spending money with you to the store
- Fail to prepare a spending plan BEFORE the money is actually spent
- Always pay retail price
- Buy it as soon as you see it – always give in to impulsive decision-making
- Always buy things brand new
- Buy expensive items that depreciate in value (cars, boats, Ty Beanie Babies, etc)
- Buy more items than one can possibly use "because they were cheap"
- Eat at restaurants for at least two meals every day
- Never ask for a better deal on insurance or have insurance policies at multiple companies
Any that you want to add?