THE FEAR OF GETTING OLD

Why afraid getting old? We can’t question the changes occurred in the body. It occurred as the cells started to deteriorate slowly as time passes by. Generally, we can’t stop aging because it is part of body’s mechanism. It is beyond our control to hold what is surely coming in the end time of our living.

A beautiful day as we are born seeing the first light of day. It was a day of blessing that we have given the opportunity to live once, the day of too much happiness of our parents as if worries can’t stand a chance to interrupt the day of their joy.

Our growth and development started to take place slowly and patiently from being an infant until we become a small boy ready to walk. It doesn’t end there, as we reached adolescent stage, the body showed its healthiness. The human cells are intact, fresh and robust.

As if the word “aging” doesn’t ring a bell in our ears. We did not give much attention the implication it brings the later years in our life. Our mind was occupied with the kind of enjoyment we choose.  We spend our time away from worries, socialize, adding friends into our list. We don’t have any preparation ahead what is sure to come because it is still in the future. 

Our mind was occupied to something else. We prepared ourselves to handle the effect of life difficulties of our own making. We are happy when we are in abundance as if saving something is not in our vocabulary, whatever there is it should be spend as if there is no tomorrow. We spent it all in leisure to have the satisfaction and contentment we are craving and the excitement of being young, beautiful and healthy.

We did not understand the effect of financial preparedness to the time when we become old and incapacitated. It is hard to admit the truth that we surely age.  If that time will come, there’s no more turning back. We may be empty, lost and penniless. There’s uncertainty ahead, the future is bleak and frightening of which we don’t want to know.

Getting old is natural breakdown from modern lifestyle. There was weakness and tiredness in the body. There is deterioration in the condition of our general wellness. There is sadness in the contour of our face as if there’s no life in it. Diminishing eyesight was common and out-of-focus.  Poor eyesight restraints our movement as we can’t see certainty what’s ahead. 

There is pain in the muscles and joints. There is emptiness in living alone, hopeless, helpless and penniless. There’s fast change in body chemistry and mental power. Mental sharpness and compatibility to reason are deteriorating, forgetfulness is the price. The collapse of mental ability is costly. Better frame of mind is lacking. Self-confidence is lost. We can’t trust ourselves anymore. We can’t communicate easily because of the difficulty in remembering.

We can’t effectively analyze situation because we are poor in interpreting what to do and how to act. Our hearing falter, the gaze has no focus. There’s lack of interest to live. Depression comes in, unhappiness in the making. We are prone to annoyance and sensitive on everything we disliked.

We can’t hear our own voice because of the difficulty in our hearing. Our physical handicap is bothering us too much to the senses. Our physical condition deteriorate, our health conditions aggravate and worsen.

During the younger years of our lives, we celebrated our birthdays without fail. We spent enough to make the celebration with deeper meaning. We celebrated it with too much fanfare every year until the time we don’t want to celebrate anymore. We don’t want to remember that we are started aging. We feared that the time has now come leading the path nearing the end of the road. The life we lead before no longer be the life we are in.

As we aged, we wanted a life as simple as it is. We don’t want to expect more. Less in life is more than enough to be happy and contented. As our physical activity wanes due to health reason, the pain in the body increases and unbearable. There’s no more flexibility in the contraction of our muscles.

It was common to see a scene of an old man or woman sitting in the chair with no focus, unmoved with blank expression. He slightly moved, grimacing due to the pain of arthritis. He felt it quite a long time since mid-fifties. He refrained doing physical activity as it only aggravates his muscles and joint pains.

Loneliness makes his life unbearable but nothing he can do to ease the boredom. Entering into the final chapters of his life kept bouncing in his mind. He wanted to hold the time to pass but the time don’t want to embrace him. His life, his time is now coming to an end.

A good lifestyle may lengthen life for several years more. Too much abuse to the body will cut it short. Following the modern lifestyle is pleasing but also an everlasting pain. Aging makes the skin to wrinkle so fast. The change in body chemistry from being young to become an aged is part of life history of living and dying. It is a fact worth remembering and forgetting but the sure thing is we can’t live forever.

THE DEADLY EFFECT OF OVERSPENDING

Obsession to certain things makes anyone happy but sad. He is happy because he abled to buy one that fascinated him. At the same time, he was sad because it added another credit to his account. His impulsiveness hurt his pocket. He had not given his family they comfort they deserved as he lived in his own extravagance.

He bought something not so important due to his addiction to it. He yearned for sudden gratification to satisfy his cravings to own one. He has no control over his obsession. He got what he wanted. He allowed too much spending to rule and ruin his life. He has no idea the long-term effect it caused to his family as if he has no concern for them. What it concern him is on how to get money from somewhere to respond to his selfish need. It seemed he was not contented in one buy. More buys makes a joy inside him.

This was the problem in modern civilization wherein new technology created many things that fancied us. We wanted to follow the lifestyle of other people with leaving a little for the family. It becomes habitual acts the hardest to control.

Compulsive buying is only good for rich people. They can afford whatever they wanted what their heart desires. They can buy almost everything to satisfy their materialistic behavior.  If those people living in middle of poverty line who insist they can afford, its craziness.  Why allow to be in the verge of hardship when they have the ability to prevent it to happen. It’s just a matter of common sense. 

We should not let our mind to go beyond good reason. There should be openness to measure what is right and not to have a wrong turn. If we don’t have outstanding credit, it might be possible. We are confident and have sense of peace. It will not give us stress to look another meal of the day for the family. It is great relief if everything is in order.

Spending unreasonably is the sum total of deep-rooted uncontrollable emotion that causes us on impulsive buying. It was the source of our trouble. Surrendering to the claw of our wants and needs makes life miserable. There is uncertainty for survival due to overspending. It does more harm than good.

There were other reasons that triggered overspending. In the time of our distress and period of grief we tend to buy unnecessarily to calm down the feeling of loss even for the brief period of time. It also happened if we are on the verge of our outburst to someone in conflict seeking interruption through compulsive buying.

Most often the problem started when you spend more than you able to pay.  Your credit card tempted you to spend more. Your headache starts when it is time to pay especially if you don’t have enough cash in your hands to pay for the purchases not including other outstanding accounts that worry you. You are on the edge of frustration where to go and the person that will save you in your helplessness. You can’t talk straight because of your confusion and anger without realizing you are the one that causes it.

Conflict among husband and wife begins when one of them lied to the condition of their savings. There were disbursements that were not agreed by both. One of them already hooked being a compulsive buyer. Their savings was dwindling without the knowledge of one of them until almost all had been consumed when it was known. The hell broke loose, someone is to blame. Marriage is on the rock, separation is imminent.

If you intend to be one of them, don’t be too shortsighted. You can make your own prevention if you intend to do what is right and honest to yourself. If you follow this tips, you will not regret it instead it give you peace of mind without worries about financial matters:

-Determine the possible triggers that will tempt you to buy unreasonably.

-Share portion of your salary every month as your savings helpful during emergency situation.

-Never rely the use of credit card in all your bigger purchases. You will surely overshoot to your credit limit or your capacity to pay.

-Avoid passing or entering to your favorite store department that will make you wild to make haste buying.

-If you feel the uncontrollable impulse upon seeing your favorite object, stay away from it immediately.

-Bring only cash needed for purchases of the basic commodity items. You can estimate the amount you will bring during shopping based on your grocery list.

-Request someone (child/husband) to accompany you while shopping. This is to disrupt you from deciding by yourself.

-Make grocery list before going to store. Buy only what you listed to prevent picking items not on the list.

-Keep in mind that you have to prioritize your expenses on basic commodities needed at home. The not-so important items should be decided later and should be given much thought of its usefulness before purchasing it.

-If you are heavy stress or angry, calm yourself down slowly in several minutes but not take the option of buying just to ebb away the feeling.

There are still many ways how to control your pleasure of compulsive buying. The only important thing to bear in mind is strict control. If you pass the test then you’ll never be in despair of having no money in your purse.

A WAY OUT TO DEBT

The call of modern lifestyle is the reason why paying the monthly bills becomes a burden to our limited resources and the incapacity to pay. We will be caught in a trap of overspending if we allow it to enslave us. We are very fond of having material things and spending unnecessary expenses because it was our habit to show to the world that we can manage even if it is not. This is the result of irrational spending that put us in misery. The difficulty that we have now is of our own making. We are shortsighted to govern our decision without thinking repeatedly how to tackle the burden of debt.

We are in the hardship of looking for money to pay the stacks of liabilities from the bank, pawn shops, lending institution and from friends. This is the time we asked ourselves, "What had I done?" and how to escape from the bondage of debt that started crippling the core of our very lives.

Debt becomes the source of trouble in the family. Parents were in conflict how to handle the management of overspending and how to control it. It destroys the happiness and comfort instead of not having to worry something too much. The kind of character we have put pressure to our destructive habit that leads us to the hardship our family is now facing.

Overspending can crippled our lives for being careless in making a sound financial decision and become the root cause of emotional problem destroying the fabric of a happy family.

There is still chances to escape from being a slave to debt:

Start facing the realities that spending should be done less than what you have earn.

Avoid your many wonderful fantasies when you knew you don't have the capacity to pay.

Make a habit to be reasonable. Don't start making a problem by putting in debt. By doing it, it will be a hard time to be out it.

Make a complete mental make-over and strive to have a good financial stability for your peace of mind.

Challenge your destructive habit. Equip your mind with enough knowledge of wise-spending.

Be strong and avoid any temptation to go to the other side.

Have a good insight and put the welfare of your family first in your heart and material things later.

Do proper budgeting. Prioritize the most basic needs for your family. Find ways how you can save. Make a goal on how you can eliminate debt. Be firm to your decision. Do a little sacrifice, it is of your advantage.

Change your own kind of extravagant lifestyle. It will only bring you difficulties to pay your debt.

Overcoming debt is your best choice. Resist the temptation. Widen your sense of understanding for your comfort. Learn this secret and you will be assured it will not fail you.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE

We lived because of the choices we make, when we experience our own failure, when we embrace our own right values, choosing what is right and wrong. We have given the gift of choosing what kind of path we want to lead, what kind of life we have to follow. And along the way, there's so many challenge we have to take, to face the crisis and hurdle the hardship. It is great challenge to be strong, to stand alone and live.

We have the ability to weigh the option by rejecting or accepting an opportunity offered into our hands. We felt satisfied if we make the right choice. This will be our greatest accomplishment, a healthy and wholesome decision.

Any failure of our choice is costly. It may be deadly to our very lives. Many of us decided without knowing the outcome, without realizing the consequences of such action. We choose blindly until the disaster hit us hard then we realized that we choose the wrong one. Learning to choose wisely prepares us to a very rewarding future, improving our lives, avoiding the same mistakes twice.

We choose because we believed it is important to us. If we have to value time, then we have to accomplish something lasting. Know first where we are going to avoid ending somewhere. By spending the right values is one of the most useful moments in using time. This precious moment will be our inspiration to lead us to a life in the direction of our conscience.

No matter what strong is our choice, any failure will test our own kind of character and become our greatest challenge that we have to take. We have to cope to any tragic moment that come into us, head high, with greatest confidence that this crisis will last forever in its own time.

Sometimes, we can't make a choice if we already suffered in our own failure in the past. This experience will motivate us to make a better one.

The fulfillment of a good and exciting life will depend on how we develop our mind to a greatest advantage and dispensing fully our own potential to reach our dream of achieving something we are proud to do. Accomplishment can only be realize if we have the strength, dedication, intention and determination to do more, show more, achieve more pushing to the limit with good result. The way the mind acted is instrumental to the fulfillment of our own success. We live in a time of so many opportunities with the desire to grow.

Accepting challenge is a test of faith, courage and responsibility. Whatever the result at the end of it, it is our choice and no one is to blame. It is our own action then it is our own success or failure. The challenge is up to us. Take it or leave it. It depend us.