by Roxanne -

Secret of Wealth From Ancient Babylon

Photo USMint.gov

What does it mean to “live within your means”? A SNL skit with Steve Martin, Don’t Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford, is based on this idea.

This skit takes a new look at ancient wisdom. In ancient Babylon people had already learned how to steward resources. And we do steward them. The resources we have are not ours. We don’t take anything with us when we leave this earth.

Here’s the secret Babylonian wisdom that will provide you with wealth and prosperity as long as you live:

1. Give 10% away

2. Save 10% for emergencies and retirement

3. Live on the remainder

Give first. Give back in gratefulness some of what the universe has generously given to you. You will care for others. This is necessary for the benefit of living within a society or living with others. Our society creates systemic poverty because we haven’t yet figured out how to meet every one’s basic needs equitably. Situational poverty will continue to exist because accidents happen, people get sick and people are born with health problems and disabilities. Those who can earn need to contribute to the social safety net for those who struggle.

Next, pay yourself. You will be providing for yourself in old age and you will have resources should you encounter hard times. It is enough to save 10%. Notice that it isn’t even necessary to invest in real estate or the stock or bond markets. It is enough that you simply and consistently save 10% of what you earn.

Finally, live on the remainder. You will be living comfortably within your means. Being an adult means learning that we can’t have everything we want. Being an adult means having the maturity to plan for the future and the discipline to deal with what actually is, today.

Foster a sense of contentment within yourself. How best to do this? When we stop comparing we are more likely to be content. Turn off the TV. TV is junk food for the mind. Without TV you will have less opportunities to make comparisons.

Learn to use what you have in unexpected ways.

Don’t purchase something if you can borrow it or substitute it with something else that will work just as well.

Learn to not cling to material things. After all we are not our homes, cars, clothes, jobs or successful children. Develop a sense of detachment. This is not indifference – but rather, it is not allowing external things or circumstances to determine our self worth and happiness in life.

In the end, what we have is all we need.

You may also like Happiness is a Choice, The Richness of Simplicity, A Year Without Buying Clothes and Do You Need a High Approval Rating?

by Roxanne -

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo! While not Mexico’s Day of Independance, it is a day to celebrate Mexican heritage.

Food, of course, comes into play here. Do you like spicy food? We most definitely do. Here’s a picture of the grilled, stuffed, chili rellenos we made.

Take a little time today and explore Mexican culture. Try a Mexican restaurant. Read about Mexican history. Volunteer to teach English as a second language in a Spanish speaking community. Learn Spanish at the same time. Watch a film to learn more about conditions immigrants face, such as Amexicano (play instantly on Netflix). Read my post on Juarez. Visit Ciudad Juarez, Mexico just across the border from El Paso, Texas and stretch out of your comfort zone.

Become aware of the severe poverty in which most of the world lives. Become aware of our role in creating or maintaining that poverty.

Take time to learn about another culture. Remember, to know only one culture is to know no culture at all. We need another culture to compare and contrast our own. That’s how we begin to have enough information to critique our own culture.

This is the reason schools actively promote study abroad programs. Getting students immersed (not just a visit or vacation) in another culture gives them a basis from which to view their own culture. By being present to another way of viewing the world we are transformed. In fact, this is the reason the ability to speak another language is a requirement for most masters and doctoral programs in theology.

Go deeper. Entering into another culture is a way to learn more about others and also more about who we are, why we think the way we do and what impact our own culture has on us. For Catholics this is “mission.”

Go deeper still. Learn about immigration reform. Consider how U.S. farm subsidy policies bankrupt farmers in Mexico and elsewhere, causing them to come north looking for work.

For authentic Chili Rellenos here’s what we did. Roast poblano peppers.

Peel the roasted peppers.

Stuff roasted and peeled peppers with strips of queso cheese.

Dip into egg whites whipped stiff with a bit of flour and fry until golden.

Into 1 cup simmering water whisk 1/2 cup of chili powder until red sauce thickens.

Into cooked rice stir chopped cilantro.

Into cooked black beans add green onion, celery or greens of your choice.

Serve chili rellenos smothered in red sauce along with rice and bean mixture. Add a cold beer with lime if you like.

Enjoy.

Mmmmm

Adios!

You may also like Question the Culture, From Dublin to Juarez and Irish Heritage.

by Roxanne -

Question the Culture

Photo gscnc.org

Here’s a reflection while we wait through Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Perhaps you noticed that I recently added the category Question the Culture. Why? Because as thinking Catholics, we are called to question the culture we live in.

Our Judeo-Christian history is all about questioning the culture. The Israelites, in the story of Exodus, questioned the dominant Egyptian culture and its institution of slavery. Jesus certainly questioned the religious authorities of his day. Early Christians questioned the dominant culture of Rome – and resisted Roman culture by living in a very counter-cultural way (Acts 4:32-35).

To follow our culture or our nation unquestioningly is the heresy of fideism. Fideism is quite simply, blind obedience to any external authority, be it governmental, religious or cultural.

Nationalism, for example, is a problem – or at least it should be. As Christians we believe that God is for all people. Therefore, we shouldn’t care more for those of our own family, community or nation. We care for all, just as God does.

You may observe other things in our culture are problematic too. As we know, every culture has both desirable and undesirable qualities. Because of this, Christians are called to question. It is helpful to know other cultures. The saying, “to know only one culture is to know no culture” is true. This is why Catholic colleges promote study abroad programs.

In the end, it is about questioning. This is the foundation of education. To be Catholic is to question everything.

Humor pokes fun at absurdities in our culture that we overlook. Check out Gary and Elaine, the couple who lives in our catalogs over at Catalog Living.

And here’s another on YouTube with British humor, “Women: Know Your Limits!”

You may also like other posts that question the culture such as A Bar At Home-Really?, Truth or Consequences and American Catholicism – How’s it Working?


by Roxanne -

Truth or Consequences

Image NextLevelExecutiveCoaching.com

We seek truth in our lives. As human beings we innately know that our search for God includes a search for truth. In this search, our ability to think and speak truthfully says a lot about who we are as persons and how we value integrity.

Truthfulness is important. It is the foundation of embarking on the spiritual journey. We begin with a willingness to confront the truth of our lives, our families, our culture and our world.

A refusal to acknowledge, in ourselves or others, the destruction of addiction, the inability to confront controlling, self-centered behavior or the desire to keep family secrets can all have tragic consequences. A consistent refusal to look at the truth inevitably results in unnecessary pain and suffering.

I have noticed that, as a culture, we are not very truthful. We speak about things in ways that are not true, are not clear or are meant to give the impression of something else.

As the work of Paul Ricoeur demonstrated, language forms how we think and view the world. To be able to see reality clearly, it is critical that we speak about what we experience truthfully and honestly. This means we must take care in how we speak about things.

One of the things we do so frequently that we don’t even notice it anymore, is not using gender inclusive language. Although this is slowly changing. We use “men” when we really mean “women and men,” “human beings” or “humanity.” To insist on using “men” only implies that most humans are men (which is incorrect and untruthful) or that “men” is normative – also incorrect.

Similarly, as last month’s Mary’s Pence letter reminded me, “women’s rights” are actually “human rights.”

Another common occurrence in our culture is the use of violent language. I am often guilty of this. Violent language gives the impression that violence is OK, when it is not. Why not use peaceful language instead? So “bullet points” could easily be “main points” or “key points.” “Target marketing” could be “focused marketing.” You can think of many more examples.

Here’s another example. We shouldn’t speak about “health care reform” when what we are really discussing is “health insurance reform.”  The focus should be on health insurance companies, not health care providers. But our untruthful way of speaking clouds this issue.

There are many other ways that we speak untruthfully about things and this makes it difficult for us to see clearly, or to respond in appropriate ways. My husband has an article about this called “The Great Language Barrier Beef” you can read Part 1 here. If you like you can continue reading Part 2 here.

In his classic book, The Four Agreements, Miguel Ruiz maintains that one of the highest virtues we can work toward is to “use impeccable speech” or always speak clearly and truthfully.

“Say what you mean and mean what you say” is wise advice – or as Jesus said, “Let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes’, and your ‘no’ mean ‘no'” (Matt 5:37). This doesn’t mean that we should speak about things in a way that will intentionally hurt or offend. Rather, we should convey the truth with honesty, love and integrity. We can be truth tellers and truthful speakers.

“Then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).

You may also like Ugly Truth About School Funding, White Privilege, Violent Language, Violent Thinking, Violent Actions.

by Roxanne -

Women’s Apparel Industry is Asleep

By now you’ve noticed some big quality and price differences in men’s and women’s clothing. Especially for casual clothing, men’s clothing is typically less expensive for the quality level, better made in general and fits better. Men usually have a two-size option for their clothing which means a nicer fit and therefore it looks and wears better.

Women’s clothes, on the other hand, cost more, are not made very well and have minimal size options. Although women have more body dimensions, manufacturers usually make only one-size option for women’s apparel (misses sizes 4-18). On occasion sometimes pants or tops will come petite, average and tall, but not often.

So what to do? So far I’ve been pretty good about adhering to my challenge of buying no new clothes this year. So I’m not going to be looking for casual clothes anytime soon. But if you are, I strongly recommend resale clothing stores that carry men’s clothing.

In resale shops you will find that men’s used shirts come in a rainbow of colors to wear in place of a sweater. In fact, the colors in resale stores are likely to be the colors women prefer – pastels and brights. They are super soft for sleeping in. The 2-way size option (neck, sleeve length) means you can find a size that fits better – unless you have a larger bust. But even then, just leave the shirt casually unbuttoned with a bright tank top underneath.

Men’s khakis and jeans may actually fit you better because you have both the waist and length size options. Again the construction is usually excellent. Already washed and worn means the fabric is softer. The new “boyfriend jeans” look is made for hijacking men’s pants. At resale store prices you can afford more than one pair.

Finally, for new clothing, men’s sport socks (gray and white) and dress socks look nicer, shrink to fit women who wear shoe sizes 8-10 and cost less. Men’s sleep pants are a better option for the same reasons.

Like my post on the furniture industry, the women’s apparel industry is not only patriarchal but deeply asleep. But you don’t have to be!

You may also like Where Do Our Clothes Come From? and Non Profit Economy.