I have a friend who is financially inter-dependent, which is very different than financially dependent or even independent.
Last year, seeking personal growth and new opportunities, she quit her job to find something else. As a young professional, she knows her decisions now will shape her future career path, and she wanted to make a solid transition in order to learn as much as possible and offer more to the world. It took almost a year to find something. She was able to the time to interview with various companies without anxiety or urgency. She was able to do this because she planned well with side jobs, savings, and careful budgeting. All of this takes more than a day. She landed a great position in an organization that is making a difference in the world. This would not have been possible if she was living paycheck-to-paycheck like 77% of Americans. My friend is financially interdependent.
The balance between “dependence” and “independence” may be captured with the word “inter-dependence.” Interdependence offers a healthy, balanced, and collaborative set of relationships with things and people to solve problems, as they inevitably arise.
Stephen Covey says,
“Our most important work, the problems we hope to solve or the opportunities we hope to realize, require working and collaborating with other people in a high-trust, synergistic way.”
Independence says, I can do it alone, don’t help me. Dependence retorts, I need you or else I can’t make it. The balance between the extremes is found with interdependence. Solving problems, then, is not about a chronic sense of anxiety, rather, it is consistent collaboration to solve interesting problems in a way that is fun and builds relationships.
Money will not buy you happiness, its been said. Money will, however, pay for gas in the lawnmower so you can play with your kids on a freshly mowed lawn. You won't have to worry about stubbing your big toe on the garden hoe you left in the tall grass last night because it got a little too dark to finish weeding the garden. You still have to play with your kids- money can’t do that for you.
A financially interdependent person recognizes money is only good at one thing.
Money is very good at solving problems that are created by not having money.
In other words, not having any money will create problems (housing, food, and transportation come to mind) that can only be solved with money. We depend on others and they depend on us, but my world is not shaken if one thing or one person fails me. I can be hurt, but I recover. I can fall and get back up again. I can ask for help and others can ask me for help.
We call this insurance – a community of people who protect one another in the case of a catastrophe.
How will you become more financially interdependent?
Written by Tim Schuster
This blog post is from the Author's perspective and doesn't speak for brightpeak financial. Contact brightpeak if you want to know more about brightpeak products, and keep in mind that they are not available in all states and there are some limitations (some exclusions and restrictions may apply).
