This So-Called Abundant Life

There's a saying out there that "The world is full of abundance." Sure, there is plenty of air to breathe and water to swim in. But, what about time? Time is not abundant especially when it comes to our finances. How often have you told yourself, "If I had more time, I could do..."? How often do you look at the date in the calendar and go, "Wow...it's already March!" (That was me, just this morning!)

The unfortunate thing about a saying like "The world is full of abundance." is that nothing is 100% absolute when it comes to the way we occupy this world. Take the way, the financial system has completely screwed our economy. The policy makers in Congress, the CEOs of major banks, the brilliant Wall Street minds who created new "investment" vehicles, the sales managers at banks and broker shops and you and me...we all got it wrong. Home prices couldn't keep going up. There had to be a tipping point and right now, we're in the throes of a steep decline. There will be many books written about the greed and lack of COMMON SENSE oversight that has led the economy to this point. If only they had the time to have some foresight!

Then again, all we have 24 hours in a day. No one can change that. But, what we can change is our approach to the way we see ourselves in this economy. For instance, let's consider the main cog that makes our economy run.

Consumers. Just look at that word and ponder it for a second...Consumers. If your lawn was suddenly dying because the "consumers" were being poisoned by overfeeding, or if your car couldn't run without this ultra-sensitive device in your engine called "Consumers" how would you feel? Wouldn't you be extra careful to make sure that your lawn stayed healthy and your car ran smoothly?

For instance, do you remember this poor guy?



What about this sad, sad woman?


These commercials make sense to a lot of people. As they should, since the lesson is simple, "Be careful what you buy into." But, there is an inherent catch that those lending companies don't and can't let you know about: How you can use simple and sound concepts to accelerate the payoff of all your debts.

You see, banks would love it for you to refinance every time you rack up two Hummers, iPhones for you and the three kids, and that trip to Vegas where $10,000 grand was lost to some guy named Vinny. Their system is set up so that you go to them for a bailout anytime you make a bad decision. Wouldn't it be nice if they helped you figure out the best way to not get into that hole again? Sure, it would be nice. But, you and I both know that it's not going to happen.

So, what can we do about it? The fact that our place the economy cannot function without healthy consumers means that we need to stop consuming for consumptions sake and start managing our choices better so that what we consume makes a lasting and positive impact.

Identifying and understanding how to operate the tools that we already have to make those smart choices is paramount. If after reading my rant, I've convinced you to make a change, take a look at our main website: http://www.financialharmony123.com. There, you'll discover the best way(s) to truly have an abundant life without having to worry about the monkey on your back.

Welcome to Financial Harmony

Welcome to the Financial Harmony blog. The purpose of this blog is to keep our clients and the public informed about the issues that affect the financial building blocks of our personal finances. We are constantly scouring the internet for news on credit, budgets, and debt. We will be translating and offering our own unique take on anything that's posted. Of course, we also want you to comment on anything that you see here.

For our very first posting, we've decided to show a humorous take on the subprime crisis. These two chaps go into some detail, but their conversational style allows certain terms (i.e., SIVs) to be translated easily. Enjoy!

The Long Johns - The Last Laugh