Finance Roll

As a teacher once told us, we are all connected in one way or another. Money is no different. Money changes hands and flows through our global societies like water. Money or things of value, in its many forms, may be the physical "blood" we all need to survive. Knowing we need food, shelter, and safety above actual money is a no brainer, you can't eat money. However, money is the human game. Life would be so boring if we had everything we wanted.

Could you imagine having everything? Where's the fun in that? I know, some people would like to at least try it out for a while, but not working toward a goal in life and having everything given to us, is well... no fun at all. I wouldn't feel the need to live as much. I would be lonely. Not sharing in the struggles of life with my fellow man. Making this bill or having to juggle to pay this or that.

Now, that's where the real fun is. It may not seem like a stomping good time right now, but looking back on life I used to tell friends I was fighting for food under the bridge. Of course, I would get the desired laughs, but it just illustrated a mental picture of the hard times I was going through. The old saying, "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Hey, I'm proudly the example of a steel anvil.

Teaching Personal Finance - it's your financial universe, not mine is built based on the principles of water. I know we think we can live without money, and maybe some can, but the real deal is we can't. Who would want to? It has all the fun of your favorite board game or novel; life, death, jealousy, misery, saga, adventure, love, hate, happiness ... (the list goes on and on and on). Money connects all of us in a living breathing manifestation of a cruel and unusual, pulsating, vibrant, and fortunately mysterious rolled-up ball of matter which we call human life. How exciting is that?

Now that we know money is a game that we all play, i.e. Monopoly or the game of Life, and the cloud has been lifted, let's have some fun. Of course, there are rules the governments makes us play by as do the players of Scrabble.

This might be over simplified, but nothing is too big if you break it down into smaller manageable parts. The key to making it in the money game is becoming knowledgeable. I have personally had forty-two jobs from the age of fifteen to twenty-six.

I wasn't out to retire from any one job; I wanted to learn what I called an Environment Education. I wanted to learn how to sell for starters. You can learn only so much from a classroom and selling or asking people to part with their money for this or that product or service is a major step in the game.

I've now taught my five year old how to sell. When our subdivision has a sale, he's out there with the family selling cold drinks on hot days. "You want some lemonade!, Lemonade for sale!"

He makes more money selling drinks than we do peddling our warn-out goods. Now the youngest is selling too. The other day, we purchased a five pound bag of bananas, because it was cheaper than the one pound.

Back in my day we froze the bananas then put them in the blender with peanut butter and milk for a special treat. I did the same with these bananas and the boy had a stroke of genius.

"Dad", he says with the greatest enthusiasm.
"We could sell these!"
"Yes, we could son." I replied.
Not stopping there he made the plan. "Mom, you can make the recipe cards; little brother can sell them for $1.00. I would be the waiter and make the shakes for a $1.00."
"What about dad", mom asks.
"Dad can put up the signs."

It's amazing what kids learn if they play a game and focus on having fun. We too as adults have the ability to rediscover playtime.

We need to simply ignore those people that don't know how to enjoy life for what it is - a game. Focusing on your own financial universe and enjoying what you do will make all the difference on many levels.

Educating and remembering to smell the roses will enhance the experience of life. Your fullest potential is yours, if you can sell it to that person in the mirror simply by asking.