We've been looking at 3 kinds of goals that people are most likely to set their minds on in terms of financial decision-making. The first 2 that we looked at: how much does it take to be successful? And how much does it take to be significant? This week I'd like to look at how much does it take to be secure? What do we need to do to be secure? How important is security in the light of all that we are doing?
Thinking about security made me delve a little deeper and see what it is that security really means. Is there a sense of importance in terms of security and how does that play out in our own lives? Working this out – for us to have a sense of security, that things are stable and not in a volatile condition, or that things will not suddenly get upset – a lot of countries and organizations have, what they call, a 'social safety net' which allows a little wiggle room in case of insecurity. That has either proved to be helpful or not, more in terms of how people respond, right from Medicare that is available to Canadian citizens. A lot of people feel that, while it's a good safety net, it also creates a population that is not really incentivized. They buy it, but may even take advantage of it. The jury is kind of out on how much of a safety net can be afforded to us in terms of security.
I thought we should move away from the things that are around us and look at ourselves and ask the question: How important is security for us in terms of our own being, our own mental makeup? How does security sit with each one of us?
There are various psychological profiles of needs and hierarchies, beginning with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which starts with:
· Physiological (health, food, sleep)
· Safety (shelter, removal from danger). Security would fit right in here.
· Belonging (love, affection, being a part of groups)
· Esteem (self-esteem and esteem from others)
· Self-actualization (achieving individual potential). That is the top of the pyramid.
Security seems to be way down on that list.
Tony Robbins also put together 6 human needs starting with certainty. He says,
1. Certainty moves into the whole idea of prediction. You can predict that certain things will happen because of 'xyz' in your life.
2. There must be an area of uncertainty because this creates stimulation and novelty.
3. Significance
4. Connection
5. Growth
6. Contribution – which matches Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs of self-actualization.
This got me thinking. As we look at security, is that a reasonable goal to have? As we looked at the hierarchy of needs, it seemed that it was way down on the totem pole. The CIA Needs Model, which is of Control, Identity, and Arousal, also looks at security in terms of the first level, which is control. Then there is a greater need for us to find out who we are, or why we are. Then, the excitement of being able to do and fulfill our raison d'être.
I spent a little time this past week watching 'M.S. Dhoni – The Untold Story.' I'm a fan of Dhoni, so I enjoyed the movie and loved learning tidbits that I didn't know about him. One of them was that his father pushed him towards taking a steady job like getting into the railways, and having some amount of security so that he wouldn't have to go through the hardships that his father was going through. But as Dhoni started working as a ticket collector, there was a sense that he was not fulfilling his destiny. There seemed to be something greater that had to be done. One day, he just walked away from there.
I think that's the point where security of being in a place where everything is in control or certain, gives way to wanting to move beyond to something more than security. Somebody said, "A ship may be safe in harbor, but that's not why it was made." So true! We may be safe in our secure areas but truly, that's not why we were really made. We may do the right things like saving our money, put away some savings for a rainy day, study so that we stay relevant with the things that we are doing in our corporate areas, invest wisely so that we are good stewards of the money that we have, nurture deep relationships, have friendships that will not only enhance other people but ourselves as well. That's all good!
But I think it was Helen Keller who said, "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men, as a whole, experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." Life must be more than just feathering a safe nest for us to be in. We must go beyond that. We must find out the reason for our existence, find out how we can be significant and actualize all our potential. That is what life is about and that's where we need to go.
But, in a world that we call a VUCA world, where everything is uncertain, volatile, complex and ambiguous, how do we have some semblance of stability? It can't be found in us or in the things that are around us, because everything is so fluid. That then points us to one person – if we are anchored into Him (and I'm speaking of the Almighty God), then He allows us the freedom to become all that we were intended to be, to do all that He wants us to do, to be able to reach for the heights, climb mountains and be an inspiration to the world, to be significant in the things that we do. That is the most important thing that we need to understand. God allows us the freedom to be who He made us to be.
These words that come from our Holy Scriptures are so good, reminding us that when we trust Him, He takes care of us. In Isaiah, a book in the Bible, it says, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name. You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord, your God."
Isn't that a beautiful place to rest, to know that, if we are anchored in Him, then He gives us that freedom, that latitude, that power to be able to explore all the wonderful uncertainties of life while being on stable ground with Him? My prayer is that you will be able to find that position in life, connected into Him, that allows you to be all that God wants you to be.
May I pray with you? Almighty God, I pray that we will be able to understand who we are and why we are here and the potential that we have. I pray that You would unleash that potential, even as we are stable and steady in You, anchored in You. Inspire us by Your spirit, to be all that we need to be and become, so that we may be a tremendous blessing, not only to ourselves, but also to our families and the community that we live in. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.
• "Job Security" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_security
• "Social Safety Net," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_safety_net
• "Robbins' Six Needs," http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/robbins_needs.htm
• "The CIA Needs Model," http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/cia.htm
• "Maslows Hierarchy," http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/maslow.htm
• Brad Hewitt & James Moline, "Your New Money Mindset," https://www.newmoneymindset.com
• M S Dhoni--The Untold Story
• Scripture reference: Bible--Isaiah 43:1-3a
No comments:
Post a Comment