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Two American Dreams

Reprinted With Permission From The GreenMoney Journal
Copyright © 2007

Let's take a look at two typical Americans, Barry and Mary, from the same society but living in two completely different worlds. Stick with us; we promise the artistic license will be worth it.

Barry is heavily invested in the American Dream... physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually, Barry is bought in. For years he has worked arduously to climb his way up to material nirvana. Yet his ascent is slowed by mountainous credit card debt, first and second mortgages, impulse buys of things unneeded, irrational spending on status items, and bills, bills, bills.

Barry feels trapped by the possessions he now has to work so hard to pay for and has so little time to enjoy. Despite a decent salary, money is a constant concern. He sometimes wakes up sweating in the middle of the night, his heart pounding, as he wonders if he remembered to pay a particular credit card on time. Enticed and seduced by offers of 0% interest, Barry gambled on the balance transfer game. He was two days late on a payment once and his rate skyrocketed to 30.99% for the life of the balance. To compound difficulties, he recently saw his minimum payment due doubled thanks to the infamous 2005 Bankruptcy Act. Barry feels betrayed.

Yes, he made the bad decisions that got him into this mess. Yes, he believes in fulfilling his obligations. After he was drilled with late charges and a staggering interest rate, Barry went back and read the fine print on his contract. And what fine print it is: legalese in 3-point type, so complex Alan Greenspan would scratch his noggin in bafflement. Barry now realizes the deck was stacked against him. He's been had by the moneymen.

Remarkably, even though Barry is over his head in debt and racked with anxiety, he continues to live beyond his means. He continues to work the credit card offers. He and his family are in denial, preferring not to face their precarious financial circumstances. On those nights when Barry wakes up anxious, he usually pops an Ambien and drifts back to sleep. Problem solved.

During the day when he is not under the influence of mood-improving drugs, Barry frets over layoffs, budget cuts, and reduced benefits at work. His health care plan gets more expensive each year, irrespective of reductions in coverage and increases in deductibles and out of pocket expenses.

Barry sees his life spinning into chaos. But he dare not voice his anxiety. He is experiencing a quadruple whammy: increased health care costs, higher energy prices, out of control finance charges, and higher local taxes that far exceed his meager federal tax cut. Surprisingly, Barry cannot seem to stop himself from spending. Like an emotionally distressed person who overeats for comfort, Barry finds temporary pleasure in deluding himself that he is a man of means. He spends, his wife spends. They indulge their daughter's material desires. The more he has the more he wants -- and the more he needs to distract himself from the truth. At his core, however, Barry feels empty and he knows that his false "damn the torpedoes" bravado is fast accelerating his day of financial reckoning.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

On the flip side, let's take a look at Mary. Mary's identity comes from her soul. It is her spirit that guides her as she navigates back and forth between the Right Side Up and upside -- down worlds. While she likes and appreciates nice things, Mary finds joy in simple gifts-time spent with loved ones, handwritten note cards, homemade cookies given out of love. Yes, she occasionally splurges on things she likes, but only after careful consideration of her finances. She is not cheap or miserly, rather she simply has never bought into the concept that happiness comes from possessions.

When Mary thinks of her most treasured things, those items she values most, those things dearest to her, they are usually not expensive items. She does love her bicycle, which gives her both utility and pleasure. She loves her computer, which allows her to stay in touch with the world. And she loves the appliances and utensils in her kitchen, which allow her to make wholesome meals for herself and guests. But there is no flat screen TV in the living room, and no luxury car in the garage.

Mary enjoys earning money, but harbors no illusion of being a millionaire. What for? She has all that she wants in the here and now. Her gold standard is her relationships, and the moments shared. No amount of money will make those experiences any richer or any more meaningful.

For Mary, shopping is an exercise in social awareness. She loves sexy clothes and beautiful home furnishings and believes she has a right to enjoy these things. She shops mindfully, aware that each dollar she spends is a vote in the marketplace. Whenever possible she buys organic products. While not fanatical about it, Mary does make conscious choices to support companies that share her values.

Mary invests in a socially responsible mutual fund that only buys stock in companies with strong corporate stewardship and a stated purpose of economic sustainability. No oil companies, no defense manufacturers, no tobacco or alcohol, no sweatshop labor. Her friends think it's impossible to be that responsible, but Mary knows there are several dozen socially responsible investment (SRI) funds that fit the bill. It isn't hard at all to be a good citizen of the world. Mary is thrilled to align her actions with the wellbeing of the planet. It gives her a warm sense of belonging, of oneness.

She also deposits money in a savings account and donates to causes that she deems important. She pays her taxes on time and doesn't attempt to finagle the numbers to cheat the IRS. While not rich, she is comfortable -- and happy. She measures her wealth primarily by her inner peace.

While Barry's world appears centered on abundance it is actually based on scarcity -- he can never have enough -- therefore he is always emotionally poor. Mary on the other hand, seems to have less than Barry yet her life is full and she is abundantly content in her Right Side Up world.

A Fortuitous Flip Of Fortune

The flip from scarcity to abundance is happening all around you. The great news is that all it takes to participate is desire and discipline. Consumers in the Right Side Up world have an amazing array of choices. They've made the flip and are participating in a growing sector of the economy currently estimated at $226 billion annually. Those in the Right Side Up world buy natural and organic products at their local health food store or in the natural products section of their supermarket. They eat organic dairy and produce whenever possible. If they eat meat, they prefer naturally raised beef and free range poultry. In the flipped world people have insulated their homes and conserve energy and water resources as much as possible. They drive hybrid vehicles or cars with high MPG ratings and use mass transit where available. They read books and magazines and visit web sites that feed their soul and honor their spirit. They are selective about the media that feeds their head, mindful that they needn't overstimulate their brains with detrimental, chaotic information.

Yes, in the Right Side Up world, every dollar spent matters. Flipsters know that corporations consider every dollar spent as either approval or ignorance of their business practices. They have a practical understanding of the intimate connection between cause and effect. Flipsters know that investing in right living today keeps them from being buried by overwhelming problems tomorrow. And they do it quietly, without judgment of others. They live their lives, love their loves, enjoy their pleasure and have their health.

Try This At Home

There are amazing flips taking place in all aspects of money. From how we understand and use money, to the connection our purchases have in validating or repudiating business practices, to the rapidly changing role we all play in charting our own financial destinies, it all comes back to our own self worth. And how much we value, or devalue, our fellow human beings.

Changing your view of money is one of the most important things you can do to dramatically improve the quality of your life. Most of us know someone of meager means who enjoys their days with seemingly not a care in the world. Conversely, we also know someone affluent who is mean-spirited and miserable. Money and possessions only have the power we give them; scarcity exists in the mind.

Breaking our addiction to material worth is not all that challenging. All it requires is desire and discipline. You don't have to become a dour penny-pincher dining on cat food and soda crackers. You can enjoy a lifestyle that is more enriching, rewarding and empowering than your current one simply by honoring that which is dearest to you. Being honest about your habits and traits is an important first step. You must learn to be authentic. Begin avoiding anything that smacks of superficiality. Don't buy into the marketing hype. To borrow a trite phrase from the Reagan years, "just say no" to excess.

A great exercise is to look around your house -- at your clothes, your gadgets, your knick-knacks, the stuff you "had to have" that you never use-and take a mental inventory. Most of us have thousands of dollars worth of "stuff" that we wasted our money on. See the pattern of your behavior and keep it in mind during future shopping excursions.

Could someone else use what you cannot? Certainly. Donate your excess to a charity like Goodwill, the Salvation Army or the Disabled American Vets. Not in the mindset to donate? Hold a yard sale. The point is to immediately unburden yourself from possessions you don't need. Seek simplicity. Reduce your economic footprint.

Another great idea is to divest of all but one credit card. You heard us. Don't pretend you didn't. Reduce the temptation to spend money you don't have by eliminating the source of the seduction: those alluring pieces of plastic in your wallet or purse.

The move toward the flip can be rapidly attained if we stop distorting each individual's Hierarchy of Needs as defined by Maslow. If instead we honored and cultivated these needs during childhood development and on through the education process we would build a more enlightened society that fully acknowledges the value of each and every human being. Here are some universal ideas to instill in the hearts and minds of everyone:

If we learn to value ourselves and others, if we can accept people for who they are, if we summon the love and courage necessary to fully respect the needs of our fellow human beings, we will indeed all soon be living in a Right Side Up world where money is not the primary motivator and corruptor of human behavior, but a vehicle to higher human potential and genuine happiness.

About The Authors

Jared Rosen and David Rippe are coauthors of The Flip: Turn Your World Around, (Hampton Roads Publishing Company). They can be reached at www.theflip.net or (513) 253-4854.

The GreenMoney Journal encourages and promotes the awareness of socially & environmentally responsible business, investing and consumer resources in publications & online. The GreenMoney Journal can be found online at www.greenmoneyjournal.com/.