Here we are in such changing times currently. Current events have rocked many to their core. Some have rose above the chaos and have remained calm, others have begun to crumble in it. There has been no better time than the present to look deep into what we value in life. From a sustainability and thriving standpoint, faith and money are the two constants in our life.
Faith Forms Foundational Fortitude
We are in the middle of the month right now. Fitting to talk about matters of faith in my opinion. The middle… Center… Equilibrium. Level. All of these words represent elements of faith. Faith is what grounds up. Faith is the foundation in which everything else we do in life stands upon. If our faith is unleveled or off center, we are susceptible to stumble or fall. When our faith is rocked, we don’t think clearly.
Standing Firm
Faith produces a solid foundation. That foundation allows us to stand firm when storms come. I like to think of faith as a palm tree. Beautiful to look at. Wonderful to watch grow… Growth is slow, but steady. The root system may not look like a lot however it is one of the strongest root systems. When storms come watch what happens. The tree will bend, sometimes in half and then like magic rises up tall again as if nothing happened to it. You may see some weathering of the palm fronds, yet the tree is still standing. Our faith should be similar. We should be so rooted in faith that when storms come, they may bend us and push us, but as the storm subsides, we emerge standing tall.
A firm foundation is what allows for this to happen. No matter what situation or season we may need to navigate or that gets thrown upon us, our faith is the glue that allows us to stand firm. And in today’s economy, the one constant change that continues to test that foundation of faith is money.
Money in The Playground
No other element in human existence tests our faith or our foundation as money. In my previous article I discussed how money is a tool that we use to leverage practically everything in life. Like any tool, our outlook on money needs to be continually sharpened. The way we utilize money, the way we think about money, the way we respond to having money or not having money is a direct reflection to our belief (faith) about money. Life is the playground that we use money in.
A fun perspective about money is to think of it like a literal playground. There is almost always someone in the playground. There are different structures to play on and you don’t have to just stay on one. You get to decide which one to play on and for how long (well until mom or dad tells you its time to go). Just like the playground of life, there are different options to choose from and the one commodity that we have to use is money. How we utilize it is up to us and we learn everyday how to do it better.
The Reaping… And The Sowing
One interesting thought about money is that other people are always looking at how to take it from you. Similarly, we look at how o gain money from other people. The teeter-totter of goods and services for monetary exchange continually remind us that money is always flowing.
When we have money or use money, we are essentially sowing it into others. Here is where our faith intersects money at its core. How we understand our foundations, how we implement our faith, how we spend or save money, and how we interact with others is revolutionary to how we navigate our daily lives.
Showing up today… in the midst of what is going on around us with faith, with understanding money will position us maximum leveraging of our skills, knowledge, and resources. Stay prepared. Remain diligent. Be present.