WE NEED FAMILY WELLNESS - FOR OUR KIDS SAKE


Is there anything more important than the nurturing of our children?
Then is there anything more important than family wellness?

Most of us agree that wellness is vital. Few of us agree what it is. Some say fitness; others say education; others say faith. Who is right? Are we all right? Are we all wrong?

Or, maybe wellness doesn’t come from one thing. Maybe wellness is a number of things including fitness education and faith – blended together.

If that is so, then each family needs to decide its own wellness mix. The trick for each family is to find a good balance and not miss anything essential.

Our Western way of life discourages holistic wellness. There are too many folks with their single brand of wellness from which they make their livelihood. Companies sell their brand of health food. Schools promote their own views of learning. Clergy sell their own type of faith.

So, our families face a barrage of different wellness brands, they are left to decide themselves. Families need a new wellness vision: Our job is to make sure our families have well-rounded wellness.

All this makes the family vision of wellness priority number ONE. Health care, education, religion now are part of something much bigger. Health, education and religion are not ends in themselves but vital dimensions in the new family wellness vision.

Until families get a new wellness vision, they will continue to be victims of all the forces selling their own selfish, brands of “wellness”.

How's your family's wellness vision?

OUR MONEY MADNESS PANDEMIC II: THE SOLUTION

For the safekeeping of our money, why would we turn money over to those who keep half for themselves?

This is what the big banks, governments and businesses do. They call it by the seductive name “Credit”. These big boys keep track of their own welfare by a game called the “stock market” - which has little to do with the welfare of us ordinary folks.

Our answer to our money madness is savings - the opposite of credit. Credit makes us slaves to big system pressures, dragging down our family wellness. Saving puts our families in the driver’s seat, giving us control and well-being.

It is going to take guts for families to shake credit and do savings. We have all dug ourselves into big holes. The big guys want us there and will give us no help out.

Here is a sensible, though tough, prescription and revamp for family financial well-being: (from www.familycybermall.org):

• Separate fixed from optional costs
  
• Make savings a fixed cost
  
• To do this be prepared to redo house and car debt
  
• A saving rate of 25% provides for education, retirement and insurance
  
• Get rid of online banking, debit cards and unused credit cards
  
• Limit internet purposes to solid sources only
  
• Pay down monthly credit card balances
  
• Invest only in sure fire, well known plans
  

A Family Balance Sheet that Balances Leads to Balanced Wellness