In my recent teleseminar(Click here to listen...), those who were on the call and I talked about the situation with the economy. My theme for the call was "Don't let the economy push you around."
I frequently hear the economy cited as the reason not to do something lately. As in, 'I would start that project, but the economy is such a mess..."
I have been delighted to see people who have been taking the road less traveled by on this issue. This weekend, I attended a benefit party and silent auction for the Mutineer Theatre Company. That's right, they are starting a theater company right now. And people showed up and bid on silent auction items -including a session from Remabulous-, watched live music, and had a great time.
We need these dreams to watch now. I have been hearing about this theater dream for over a year now and it was such a delight to watch it unfold and get the support it deserves. And there wasn't a word spoken about the economy during the party that I could hear. Other inspiring things I have heard about: people ready to jump into writing screenplays, novels, spending all day Saturday acting, and spending this past Sunday afternoon knitting with my awesome monthly group.
Now don't get me wrong, there are realistic measures that need to be taken now when times are tight, but in making those steps we can't lose sight of other things in life that really do matter. Here are my thoughts on how to strike that balance:
image: Caroline Donahue for Remabulous.
Striking a balance in matters that kick up a lot of emotion is tricky. Money is probably the biggest hot button there is, and we've been listening to some very upsetting press on the matter for months. This takes its toll.
However, the best thing to do to hold onto perspective in these times is to set the emotion aside and look at the issue from as logical and deliberate a perspective as we can.
I am a big fan of spreadsheets for this purpose. Tracking how much money is coming in and where it is going is a good way to start out assessing the situation. If you are one of those who avoid the bank statements and shove them in a drawer, I know what that's like. It is scary to look at money, especially right now. but I promise you, that when i started paying attention, I spent more wisely and my money now goes much further than it did before.
Get yourself a copy of Quicken or some other money management software and track where things go. I took an amazing series of classes from the people at Conscious Bookkeeping last year and learned the piece that was missing for me: spending my money in alignment with my values.
If you take some time and think about what is important to you, regardless of the economic circumstances swirling around us, you have taken just a little bit of power back, and have put yourself in a position to claim even more.
I value the arts, both because of my work as well as what I believe they contribute to a society. Art brings needed commentary as well as hope and room for open discussion. I want that to be happening, so as part of my values, I keep my membership at LACMA going and I set money aside as I can each month to be able to give at events like the Mutineer auction. I now have an amazing Natalie Young photograph in my bedroom thanks to this bit of planning.
Here's how you can do the same: open up an extra savings account at your bank. Make it your Better World fund. When you can, add money to it. This might be $5 a month or just twenty five cents. But it adds up, I promise, and then when something speaks to you out there, whether it's giving to a children's shelter or buying tickets to a play to support that work, you'll have the money waiting. Having it in advance really helps to take the panic and fear out of spending.
I have done this with great success for the last year or so. I have a number of accounts- for travel, for gifts for friends and family, and I now have a Better World fund.
We don't have to be Bill Gates to make a difference, and by planning and saving a bit in advance, we're sure to get things back on track. Let's keep the world beautiful and inspired. That's worth saving for.
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