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Financial Security A quest for security occupies much of how we look at life today. Most people think of security as a constant variable that can provide peace of mind. But how can this be achieved? Security, as defined this way, can never be achieved because life is not constant. It is only when we learn to ride the waves of life instead of fighting them that we can land on shore, safe and sound. If we fight the waves, then we exhaust ourselves, we become restless and unhappy because we just can’t figure out what’s wrong. Life is a sea of change with varying currents. The only trees that break in a storm are those that are not able to bend. Studies tell us that at a very deep level any change may trigger the fight or flight response. We get scared, fearful and we choose inertia. If we can get beyond our fears, we can learn to accept a higher degree of uncertainty and risk. Furthermore, by accepting uncertainty in a given situation, we open ourselves to the belief system that life is in constant change and the only certainty in that things are going to change. Instead of focusing on developing a nest egg for future retirement and working furiously to achieve it, we should try to live at 80% of our capacity and allocate the remaining 20% of disposable income for R&D. In my own life I have allocated time for my writing and reading, by living below my means I have been able to work fewer hours and take sabbaticals when needed. Just as a company typically allocates a portion of its revenues to new product development to insure its survival, you should allocate resources for retraining and possible career adjustments. If you do so you will never be imprisoned in a situation that is harmful to your health. You will begin to own your own power in relation to your employer and other institutions. So instead of throwing your hands up in the air and turning on the TV, which is involves giving up your power, sit down at your desk and begin to develop an action plan for the life you want. Set an action plan of short term (1month), medium term (1 year) and long term (5 years). Draw an outline of the skills you believe will be necessary to accomplish your goal and then take concrete action to acquire them. If you stay focused on how you will serve society with your gift and skills you will be successful. We all have been designed with a number of talents. A midlife crises, or retirement may be an opportune time to make a change to discover those hidden talents. For those of you who view retirement as lying on a beach or lumbering on a golf course, this may not be the best thing for your health. Studies have shown that long life is associated with mental activity and learning. In my volunteer work as a Yoga Instructor with cancer patients, I have found that longevity in survivors was linked with their willingness to change. So starting today you may want to change your financial goals to reflect a more modest budget with a larger allocation to your own R&D. If you can find your purpose, then the universe will reward your contribution. You will be using your talents to their maximum potential. This is the level where true financial freedom and personal happiness is attained. Therefore to reach financial security you must be willing to venture into insecurity first. However once you have achieved financial freedom, you will never feel a longing for security. You will have evolved beyond that concept. There is a perfect accounting system in the universe and the flow of money is proportional to the service provided. By restricting the flow of money as in the case of Annie, who is a miser, we end up with stagnation and entropy. The money in and of itself has no value and must continue to circulate. If we overspend, as does Manny, a spendthrift, then we have a debt to the universe and the debt may imprison and rob us of our freedom.
© 2007, Bruce Eric Van Horn If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. - Hippocrates
Author, CPA, MBA and
yoga instructor Bruce Van Horn founded Yoga for Business,
Inc., a company devoted to organizational and individual
wellness. He presents a daily Yoga Workout routine that
provides a complete physical, mental and spiritual workout.
He is the author of Yoga
for Prostate Health and
Yoga
for Men, designed for all
levels of experience with yoga.. He has renamed (Asanas)
positions in Yoga using terms from business to help you
identify with the movement and focus your attention. He is
the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Center for
Complimentary Medicine at the Cancer Institute of New
Jersey. Bruce also leads a volunteer yoga program designed
for cancer patients and healthcare workers at Beth Israel
Medical Center. He lives outside New York with his wife
Michelle who is a Reiki Master. Bruce has two daughters who
have asked that he refrain from headstands at the town pool.
His website is www.yogaforbusiness.com
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