A few months ago, I was teaching a class on Financial stability. The author of the book the class was based on made the argument that current generations see what their parents have and think that they have to have better than them RIGHT NOW. He makes the point that with credit, it is possible for young people to live in houses and cars, etc. that are beyond their means. This causes great stress and responsibility as we go deeper and deeper in debt.
He suggests as an alternative, that instead of fulfilling our dreams instantly, to be more modest and work hard and eventually live off the fruits of your hard work. (He also suggests that our parents didn't live the way they do now when they first started out either.)
It's interesting how I can connect to this during this time of healing. In the past two years, Ray and I have went from being on the go constantly to a life of quiet calmness. I don't go to work anymore, we aren't serving at the church for hours a week, we don't really have too many commitments outside of the house. We are just resting.
Some of you are reading this thinking how wonderful that sounds... but it is also a challenge. Each morning I get up and have the option of doing whatever I want with the day. I have no responsibilities or commitments. Literally, I can do whatever I want. While I believe this helped tremendously in my healing, it is also a new way of life. Gratifying your every whim does not develop character nor make you into a person to be proud of. It doesn't accomplish anything. Anyone can do it. And there is no work involved to produce those fruits of progress.
Now I'm not complaining. I have really valued this time, but it has taught me to appreciate the things in my life that I work hard to complete. My sisters work hard at raising their children to be moral and ethical and loved. My mom works hard at helping others. My friends work hard at supporting their families, serving their churches, encouraging others, etc. One of my friends has been working hard with me in developing good low sodium dishes to serve our families. The fruits of labor and hard work are extremely rewarding and teach us to be better people.
My new challenge: Find some new (not too physical) things to work for and achieve. :-)
He suggests as an alternative, that instead of fulfilling our dreams instantly, to be more modest and work hard and eventually live off the fruits of your hard work. (He also suggests that our parents didn't live the way they do now when they first started out either.)
It's interesting how I can connect to this during this time of healing. In the past two years, Ray and I have went from being on the go constantly to a life of quiet calmness. I don't go to work anymore, we aren't serving at the church for hours a week, we don't really have too many commitments outside of the house. We are just resting.
Some of you are reading this thinking how wonderful that sounds... but it is also a challenge. Each morning I get up and have the option of doing whatever I want with the day. I have no responsibilities or commitments. Literally, I can do whatever I want. While I believe this helped tremendously in my healing, it is also a new way of life. Gratifying your every whim does not develop character nor make you into a person to be proud of. It doesn't accomplish anything. Anyone can do it. And there is no work involved to produce those fruits of progress.
Now I'm not complaining. I have really valued this time, but it has taught me to appreciate the things in my life that I work hard to complete. My sisters work hard at raising their children to be moral and ethical and loved. My mom works hard at helping others. My friends work hard at supporting their families, serving their churches, encouraging others, etc. One of my friends has been working hard with me in developing good low sodium dishes to serve our families. The fruits of labor and hard work are extremely rewarding and teach us to be better people.
My new challenge: Find some new (not too physical) things to work for and achieve. :-)
Hi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you gave an update. I know exactly how you feel. After my heart transplant, even at 21 years old, it was so much easier to see what I wanted to make a priority in my life and how I wanted to live my life.
But now that I am almost a year out, it is somewhat scary that I am somewhat getting back to my old ways of trying to overload my life with too many things (one of the things I wanted to do in life was simplify it-like not work and and take as many units at school, if college took me a little longer than planned, that would be ok) and now I am trying to graduate as soon as possible. But I guess I am seeing it now before I stress myself out too much.
How is the heart doing?