The Hard Questions

This week, the study materials and assignments were focused on creating a balanced life. The part that certainly had the most impact on me were some mini case studies we had to respond to.

It was one question in particular that really made me think. The situation went something like this:

Your 7-year old daughter’s first dance recital is tonight, and you promised you “wouldn’t miss it for the world”. Right before the show, you get a call from your biggest client, telling you that their plant is on fire (I assume they meant a plant as in a factory), and they want YOU specifically to be there, or else you will lose their business forever.

First of all, I felt that this scenario is lacking in detail about what exactly is going on. What kind of company am I supposed to be running, exactly? If my crew is supposed to be there putting out the fire, that is a vastly different scenario than if I’m a financial advisor or something.

I suppose in the end, it doesn’t matter, though. My first instinct, though, was to do what I could for the customer—within reason. If my presence there would do nothing, I am not sure I could justify breaking a promise to my daughter. I would do what I could to reason with them, and assure them that a second-in-command would be sufficient. Because if my customer cannot trust my second-in-command, then I have bigger issues than the customer in question. One thing I have understood about myself is that a lot of my decisions would likely be influenced by the example of my own parents and others whose example I’ve observed. They, of course, might make different decisions than the one I’ve described here—I might also, depending on the exact circumstances.  My feelings at the time I was giving my answer were that having a plant on fire is a very serious situation, and it would be irresponsible to ignore such a thing.

But again, if I were something like a financial advisor or something, I’m certain that having me be present would not have any sort of benefit. Although the scenario described the client as ceasing to do business with us if I did not personally come, I think that on the whole, people are more reasonable than that—sure they might make demands like that fairly frequently, but I believe most people would accept the service of a second-in-command that they themselves trusted in such a situation.  

These are certainly difficult questions, and often they are ones that we cannot answer for certain until we are in the situation.

One part of this week’s assignments we were asked to respond to was an article entitled “Attitude on Money” by Stephen W. Gibson. He describes how in life, everyone has “filters” when it comes to the way we see things. In the case of money, his sister viewed money as something to avoid discussing or even thinking about. Gibson, on the other hand views money as something to be understood, because “No matter who we are or what we are doing in life, money is a necessary part of it.” I am inclined to agree with Gibson—money is a necessary part of life, but in practice, I dread looking at my bank account because it is such a stressful subject for me.

This is likely to be (and in a lot of ways already is) a problem for me, because lately I haven’t been as mindful of what I spend. Seeing that number that represents the limit of my resources causes me to be more careful in how I spend. And although I haven’t been very good at laying out a budget, if I am aware of what I have, I am much more likely to be cautious in what I buy.

Some interesting rules are laid out in the article about how to prosper in life. They go as follows:

“Rule 1. Seek the Lord and have hope in him

Rule 2. Keep the commandments, that includes the temporal ones, tithing and fast offerings.

Rule 3. Think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant.

Rule 4. Take advantage of chances for learning so you will not be ignorant of these matters. 

Education, as President Hinckley has taught us, is the Key to Opportunity.

Rule 5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are predicated.

Rule 6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty or the sick or those who are held captive.”

I think that these largely boil down to this: Act and plan responsibly for your financial future (both in the short term and in the long-term), and love and trust the Lord in all that you do. I have been better about doing some of these things at certain times of my life than others, but I hope to become better about all of them in the near future.