August 2014 - Robin Williams dead by suicide.

Many are sad today at the news of Mr. Williams committing suicide. On the outside he was seen as the funny man who made everyone laugh.

It brings into sharp focus that all of us are two people...

1. The outside person that all the world can see and engage with. In Mr. Williams, it was the funny man - engaging, and compelling...

2. The inside person is the man in all of us who can be secretly living in torment, fear, and totally out of control. This is the "hidden man of the heart" we do not want others to see. And when we see ourselves for who we really are on the inside it can become ugly. We quickly learn how to hide our true self from others. The pain inside cannot be subdued by drinking, drugs, - although we try to mask our true condition.

Hopelessness comes to so many when they become deeply aware of inward weakness and imperfections. Large or small events can trigger ugly episodes of depression. The inside person doesn't know, or have the skills to handle the truth of who we are out of the sight of others. If we are honest, all of us can be so troubled.

Mr. Williams was no different than all of us...we have to come to grips with what we are on the inside, not what we display on the outside.

We all wear a mask...trying to hide from the world who we really are. Facing our inner weaknesses and failures can be devastating, but we all have to. That is why faith in Jesus Christ and dependency on the power of the Holy Spirit is the true solution...

Don't be afraid to make a commitment to GOD today! Herein lies the answer to true inner freedom of any man or woman. Let's take the mask off today...

Mr. Williams couldn't. You can!

Are we nothing more than a ATM machine for everyone else to get money out of?

It seems like it, doesn't it...as every 1st of the month rolls along, everyone wants a part of our paycheck.

Let me ask you a question?

How much do you pay "yourself" each week?

After all, you are the one who gets out of bed, goes to work, works and then at the end of the week - gets paid.

We get paid for who?

Taxes are taken out before we see the money, then we faithfully pay health care, rent, the mortgage, car payment, day care. phone, cable, food, newspaper, shoes, dry cleaning, credit cards, student loans...need I go on?

You get the picture?

I have heard all my adult life - "Live within your means" as the guideline to financial responsibility. Pay your bills. Be happy!

The problem is - if I live within my means - it leaves me with nothing. I earn, then give it all away to those who "have a stake on every penny I earn"... taxes, rent, etc.

I want to introduce you to a new theme... not to live within your means, rather I want you to consider with me -

"Live below your means"... in order to finally have money to spare! 

Let's start today by changing the song. Throw out the "live within" your means and change it to "live below" your income... which, in simple terms, means "spend less than you earn"...

How do we do that?

Well, we need to revisit our income and spending habits - but, if you pay for the garbage collection every month - are you and I not worth more than they are? They make money off us each month - we end up - at the end of the month - with nothing!!!

So, we have gone to work each day - worked hard, just to keep paying others - just like an ATM machine - and we end up with "zero" for ourselves...

I am sorry. That is no longer good enough for us. We work over 40 hours a week. We need to pay ourselves... first. Just like the taxes come out - pay yourself every week at least what the garbage collectors get...

Why should you and I work for nothing?

We do. Month after month, year after year - because we believe in that stupid, self-defeating idea of "living within" your means...

What are you "worth" a day - for your labor?

1. zero dollars a day?
   
2. one dollar a day?
3. two dollars a day?
4. more than that?

How much are you "paying yourself" a day?

Let's change that this week.

I need your help on this.

Some of us do set aside money every week - we put it into our "savings" account. But, there's a problem with that.

It is easy to put money into the "savings" account online - and it is far too easy to take it out - whenever we "need" it to pay someone else - impulse withdrawing...

Remember the old days of the "Christmas Club" accounts at the bank? The beauty of putting money in the Christmas Club each week was - we could not touch it until November...

What I am asking from you is - what is out there in the community, that would allow us to open an account individually, and add to it each week, or every pay day - and have it secure to the point that we cannot go in and "raid it" whenever we think we need the money?

If you think this is a good idea - and you have any suggestions of what is available for small amounts each week or pay period, so we can start to pay "ourselves" with the other obligations we have - then please contact me this week and let me have your ideas and suggestions.

I promise to look into each one diligently and will publish each one that would be helpful...

We need some platform more than a "savings" account that we can instantly raid, and get something in the lines of the old Christmas Club program - however, this would not be set up for Christmas spending - but a long term "untouchable" except in an emergency account.

We work. Let's start paying ourselves each pay day! Contact me with your ideas!

Kenneth