by Bill Blalock on February 1, 2012
I am perplexed with all of the political rhetoric we hear. Especially during an election cycle where we are constantly bombarded by the media during the political primaries; only to realize that it will not be over until the November elections. What I find deficient in a particular political party – The Republican Party – is a sever lack of integrity on the part of those individuals seeking to be the party’s choice candidate to run against President Obama.
Integrity is a life principal to be cherished and practiced in our daily living. Politicians have set a poor example! Surely these individuals are not reflective of the caring American citizens who labor daily to make a living, provide for their families, have a faith and strong since of community and values!
In an article titled “Standing for Something” by Cheshire Calhoun in the 1995 Journal of Philosophy, Ms. Calhoun argues that integrity is primarily a social virtue, one that is defined by a person’s relationship to others…they stand for something: they stand up for their best judgment within a community of people trying to discover what in life is worth doing. As she puts it:
“Persons of integrity treat their own endorsements as ones that matter; or ought to matter, to fellow deliberators. Absent a special sort of story, lying about one’s views, concealing them, recanting them under pressure, selling them out for rewards or to avoid penalties, and pandering to what one regards as the bad views of others, all indicate a failure to regard one’s own judgment as one that should matter to others”
Having integrity also demands that while we stand firm on the mantel of integrity – what we truly believe in –we must have proper respect for the judgment of others!
As Americans we deserve better in our political process. Integrity must not be compromised. Having said that, individually we need to live a life that has meaning and purpose for ourselves and others –we must have Integrity!
by Bill Blalock on January 5, 2012
Ever had the ongoing frustrating experience of something going wrong in your life? Maybe you are now or have recently had a problem with your vehicle. You take it in for service and find out from the service technician that additional work is needed as a result of their inspection. You need new brakes, transmission is leaking and you need to make some major repairs, car out of alignment, etc. All of a sudden a small leak turns into a $1,200 bill. Here is a pattern of dialogue for the unexpected events that will happen at some point in our lives, with solutions:
- We always ask “Why” in a moment of anger and unbelief. Why did this have to happen now? The last thing I need is this expense. But I need the car in order to work. I have no choice but to accept this event and work within my means to resolve it! It’s not about you; it’s about how you are reacting to the event.
- We second guess ourselves. “Why did I buy this in the first place? It cost so much to maintain!” Fact: Car’s do not last forever, and they do need some work, especially as they approach 80,000 miles plus! It’s part of the “cost” of owning a vehicle. Only problem, with labor cost and inflation impacting the cost of parts, it is an expensive reality. Maintaining a home is just as expensive, if not more!
- We ask the “How” question. How am I going to pay for this? Here is where “the rubber meets the road.” Do you have an emergency fund? If not, you need to start one NOW! I cannot overemphasize this fact. Consistently put money aside specifically for emergencies. [NOTE: This provision is to be separate from a health savings account if you have one] DO NOT; pull money out of an IRA—tax implications plus potential early withdrawal penalties may apply. If you borrow from you 401K and find yourself being out placed by your employer, the loan will be paid from proceeds from your 401K –so there goes a portion of your retirement!
- We begin the process of working through it. The unexpected is never pleasant. It demands that we plan and make provision for events that will occur in our lives that will cost us over and above our immediate availability of cash. I would discourage charging the expense on a credit card or getting a loan. That just increases your debt and impacts your ongoing cash flow. Our “new normal” economy demands that we plan and develop a pay as you go mentality; foregoing the previous use –and in some cases abuse – of credit.
- We take additional action as needed. If you absolutely have to charge your credit card or get a loan for a portion of the expense – after you have used your emergency fund -, make sure you pay it off promptly –the sooner the better. Make adjustments in some of your discretionary expenditures so that it is paid off sooner than later. Begin replenishing the emergency fund immediately on a monthly basis as you did previously.
- Accept the fact that things are just going to happen in our lives that are out of our control and make provision for them.
Planning for the unexpected is a REQUIRED discipline in the “new normal” economy! Make sure you are making provision financially for those events!
