The Daily Meaning
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Wiping the Slate Clean
Has this ever happened to you? Life gets intense. Maybe it’s sickness, relational turmoil, job stress, or just being too busy. In the midst of life hitting so hard, you lose sight of your finances. You forget to do a few things, fail to track your spending, or perhaps don’t have a budget to begin with. Money is the last thing on your mind and it is what it is. Can you relate?
When One Chapter Ends
Ten years ago, I was playing a game a pick-up basketball at church when I was unceremoniously punched in the groin. Yes, no better way to start a blog post than with a good ol’ fashion groin punch story. As I was laying in the fetal position trying to gain my composure, the perpetrator of said inadvertent punch approached me to apologize. He introduced himself as Doug Applegate, our church’s youth group director. I’m not sure why, but he decided an injured stranger was the perfect candidate to solicit for a volunteer youth group leader position. Considering I really didn’t care for teenagers, it seemed like a bad idea. However, I was always available to serve, especially when someone “needed” me. I told him I would check it out, then make a decision.
Opportunity Cost: In the Wild
On the heels of yesterday’s post about opportunity cost, at least 10 people asked if I would provide a real-life example of how the exercise works in practice. At the same time, Cole (Meaning Over Money co-founder) has been encouraging me to be more transparent with my own numbers. I feel like I’m a very transparent person, but being open with my specific numbers does not come naturally. In fact, it’s quite uncomfortable. Therefore, let’s get me out of my comfort zone!
Through the Lens of Opportunity Cost
Let’s say you want to spend money on something. It could be a number of things. A new car, a fresh wardrobe, private school for your kids, or maybe a trip to Disney. Let’s also say this particular item is important to you. If it’s important to you, it’s important (other people’s opinions don’t count). Let’s assume this purchase is highly important to you.
The Grass Always Seems Greener
I’m not gonna lie. Pursuing meaning can be hard. A gut-wrenching, nail-biting, faith-testing, “why did I just do that?” kind of hard. Nowhere in the handbook does it tell us a life of meaning will be simple and stress-free. Whether it’s radical generosity, pouring yourself out for others, taking a counter-cultural path, doing something that’s never been done before, or facing a reality of reduced income, it can be brutally hard. Some of you are reading this and thinking this is the worst sales pitch for meaning you’ve ever heard. If all this is true, why would I still be such a champion for meaning? Because it’s worth it!
Celebration of Generosity Reflections
Wow, it was an amazing three days at the Celebration of Generosity Conference. I got home around midnight last night, exhausted, fulfilled, and content. It was my first time attending this event, and I had no idea what to expect. Between the wonderful talks, the powerful testimonies, and the discussions I shared with fellow attendees, I was deeply moved. I’ve spent a lot of time processing what I experienced. Knowing me, there’s a high likelihood that I could quickly get swept back into life in the hours or days to come. I don’t want to let this opportunity pass me by. Therefore, I’m going to share with you my top 10 takeaways and next steps for myself.
Generosity Capers
Ca-per (noun): an activity or escapade, typically one that is illicit or ridiculous.
One of the breakout sessions in the Celebration of Generosity Conference yesterday was titled, Generosity Capers. In it, they talked about the importance and impact of creating unique giving opportunities. Capers come in all shapes and sizes. Some capers are expensive, while others are cheap. Some capers are planned, while others are spontaneous. Some capers benefit friends, while others benefit strangers. Some capers are complex, while others are simple. Some capers are serious, while others are silly. Some capers involve cash, while others involve goods or services.
When You Take a Step Back
In all the craziness of life, do you ever take a step back and realize how far you’ve come? Or maybe you realize life looks a lot different than you anticipated it playing out? Or perhaps you just shake your head that you’ve been blessed in so many ways? As I’m writing this (late Wednesday night), I can’t help but think about all those things.
Retiring Your Kids?!?!?!
I’ve seen this topic pop up from time to time in the past, but it seems to be gaining steam these days. Perhaps it’s a natural byproduct of more and more people understanding the power of compound interest. Mix that with people’s desire to hoard and the common belief that money=happiness, and it’s a perfect recipe for “winning.
The Illusion of Security
It seems like every day I read or hear about a company laying people off. A handful of employees, a whole department, or even an entire division. It started with tech companies, then moved to mortgage companies, and now it seems to be spreading much more broadly. Just this week, a handful of the country’s most prominent journalists were unexpectedly fired from their respective networks. I’m not saying today’s environment feels like 2008/2009, but these headlines give me an eerie sense of deja vu (or maybe it’s just my GFC PTSD).
Why Not Both?
I recently found myself in a conversation with a friend when the topic navigated to work and careers. This is one of those friends that we get to be sincerely honest with, and vice versa. In the middle of the chat, he said, “I disagree with your advice to pursue work that matters.” Intrigued by this, I asked him to elaborate. In short, he thinks I put too much emphasis on work.
Life Advice Sunday
Let’s play a little game. I’m going to give you one brilliant little piece of life advice that’s changed my life, then I’d like you to return the favor. One of you may say something that will change my life. Maybe the advice I’m about to give will also move the needle for you. There’s only one way to find out, though. You have a few different options if you choose to accept my challenge:
"Never Again!!!!!"
One of my clients just paid off a ton of credit card debt. It’s a debt they’ve had off and on for the better part of two decades. Now, after about a year of intense work and dedication, it’s gone! When I asked them how it felt to have it finally paid off, they didn’t react with excitement or enthusiasm. Instead, they looked disgusted. “Never again!!!", exclaimed the wife. It was as if years of frustration were let loose in that moment.
The Cost of Status
Do you ever ask yourself why you spend money on x thing? We often buy something because we want it, but why do we want it? It’s the reason behind the reason. It’s not atypical to have multiple reasons to buy something, needs and wants alike. Regardless, it’s important to recognize our true motives. When we do, we make better choices for better reasons. Let’s use a recent real-life example I encountered. Someone wanted to buy a truck. Here’s the breakdown:
The Great Reset
15 years ago, my life was completely upended. As I walked into the office one morning, instead of walking to my desk, I was led into a conference room where all my colleagues were sitting. It was explained to us that our company was being shut down and everyone would be fired. In that moment, I watched my intentionally-created life dissolve before my eyes. I loved my job, my co-workers were like family, I was a newer homeowner, I found a wonderful church, and I had been engaged to Sarah for just a handful of days. Oh yeah, and I had a ton of debt. Normal debt. “Good” debt. Responsible debt. Affordable debt. Except now that I was facing possible unemployment, those debt payments didn’t seem so innocent and “good” anymore.
"I'll Get the Next One"
We Americans have a problem. It’s an epidemic of the non-medical sorts. On the whole, we struggle to accept generosity from one another. Many people are quick to show generosity to others (which is awesome!), but when it comes to being on the receiving end of generosity, we avoid it like the plague. We tend to defer, deflect, and re-direct. Guilt and pride are usually at the center of our generosity denials, but there can be many reasons for it.
Some Seeds Are Hard to Water
When it comes to work, ministry, and life, I often think about the idea of planting seeds. Whatever we’re doing, we have the opportunity, responsibility, and possibility to make an impact in someone’s life. This concept is the basis of my friend Gary Hoag’s book, The Sower. I highly recommend this one, by the way! When we water seeds, we never know how they will turn out. Some will sprout, while others won’t. Some will grow small, and some will grow big. But either way, they don’t sprout right when you water them…..it takes time. All we can do is diligently water, pray, water some more, and wait.
When "Skin in the Game" is Anything But
One of my favorite topics to engage in with teens and parents alike is the idea of getting through college debt-free. As you can imagine, this can be on the controversial side of the conversational spectrum. However, it’s something I believe in deeply, and I have countless examples of clients, friends, and youth group kids successfully navigating that journey. It’s one of my favorite wins to acknowledge and celebrate.
It's (Not) Just an Exercise
Today is one of my favorite days of the year. No, not because it’s NBA playoff time (though that helps!). It’s the final session of my high school money class. During our time together, we’re going to do one of my favorite exercises, which is meant to help them understand what young adult life looks like. Until now, they have very little income, very few bills, and very little need to be fully intentional with their finances. That will surely change within the next handful of years. In the exercise, I give them a theoretical young adult monthly income, a handful of known monthly expenses, and ask them to create a full monthly budget for the life they want to live. The energy is always high, they complete the exercise with optimism, and it ends up being a referendum on their values/interests.