There’s always something to howl about.

Confessions of a Married Man

No, not that type of confessions, I’ve been happily married for 23 1/2 years and believe firmly in the “until death do us part” of my marriage vows.

But, after a conversation I had with Teri and after reading Sean’s post and the subsequent conversation in the comments by a number of people including a couple of friends who I respect and value their opinions, I felt I had a confession to make.   Much of this confession is based on what I’ve learned from my wife.

So here goes the confession:
1. There is a LOT to worry about right now.  Probably more to worry about now than any time in my adult life.
2. Listening to CNBC can increase the amount of worry that one has about the financial mess that’s happening.
3. There are a lot of people who make a living off of increasing the worry that other people have.  Many of them work in the main stream media, but many of them work in Washington too.
4. While I agree with people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh more than I disagree with them, I told Jeff Brown yesterday that I can’t listen to either one of them for very long.   Why?  The way that they play on the worry and discord over what’s happening in Washington is just too depressing.
5. While I have voted in every Presidential election I’ve been able to and all of the congressional elections (off years), I have missed a few school board and township elections.  I firmly believe in the power of people to make a difference by voting, but I’m also very jaded by pretty much everyone who is in Washington and the state capitals as well.

So what did I learn from my wife?   It’s pretty simple:

Don’t worry about things you can’t control.

I can’t control what happens in Washington – but I can learn and be informed about what’s happening so I can make wise decisions.

I can’t control what happens in the stock market – but I can learn and be informed so I can make knowledgeable decisions and help my clients and my referral sources make wise decisions.

I can’t control what happens to tax rates, but I can control how I structure my financial world.

I can’t control the ethics and morals of those who operate in Washington, but I can control the ethics, morals and integrity that run my life, my business and my writing.

I can’t control how much money the government spends on bailing out irresponsible behaviors, but I can control the financial decisions that I make and what I tell my clients and prospective clients.

I can’t control what happens to the unemployment rate in my home state (currently over 10% and climbiing higher on a daily basis) but I can control the advice and counsel that I give to people who are dealing with employment challenges.

I can’t control the way the media presents “the news” but I can attempt to interpret and explain the news in my writing so that people can accurately understand it.

Are there a lot of things that I can’t control in this world?  Absolutely.   Does it bother me?  Some times.   But I know that there is Someone who does control it all.

Am I saying that the entire Democrat/Republican/Progressive/Socialist discussion is a waste of time?  Absolutely not.   It was a fascinating discussion and I learned a lot and it helps me understand the different dimensions of the political/financial discussions and power shifts that are going on.   That knowledge is power.

But, tomorrow morning, I’m going to get up, go to work and control what I can control.  I’m going to talk and write about what I know and I’m going to help people navigate the financial mess we’re in.   It isn’t always pretty and a lot of it is pretty disturbing, but one of the things I control is how I react and deal with it.

So what can you control and what are you going to do tomorrow?

Tom Vanderwell