Do you save and plan for family holidays? Perhaps you are planning a family trip for your next vacation days. Has your life become so busy that meaningful time with your family has become an annual event?
After college, I was a single worker bee with no dependents. Often potential employers would inquire if I was married or had children. At the time I thought nothing of this question. But after starting a family I come to realize the true reason employers ask this question.
Many potential employers value employees who are not hindered by the trappings of a family over those who are. Often in the struggle to make ends meet the needs of our family takes a back seat to the requirements of our jobs.
While working two jobs I would often spend more time at work than I did at home. I often found myself in conflict with my family. In my frustration, I tried to make my family understand our financial situation and the circumstances which relied upon my income. Like many husbands and fathers, I could not grasp the difference in the values of the family from the values of a provider.
My family understood my role as a provider but valued me more as a husband and father. I had to take a moment to reassess the situation. What value were all the things I provided for my family if I could not provide them happiness? Often situations in our lives that remain difficult, seemingly having no solution, indicate a change is called for.
In frustration I would often toss my hands in the air and ask how are we supposed to pay for all the things we have come to enjoy? It is often said the things we own take possession of us. How valuable were things when compared to the value of time with my family? After sitting down in discussion with my family I guess I was surprised to learn they valued me more.
As a provider there are certain things that require prioritization. What I failed to realize was how much lower priority expense I had incorporated into my budget. It then occurred to me time spent with family was a valid investment. All nonessential expenses had to be compared to the value of time spent with my family.
The changes did not occur right away. I continued to work both my jobs. But as a family, we took an accounting of all the things we could do without. This was not as dramatic as I had originally thought it would be. Much of our low priority expenses simply required changing service providers, shopping more economically and becoming more cost conscious. We did not make these changes for the purpose of having more money or purchasing more things. We were evaluating how much time we could reasonably invest in our family.
In time I was able to leave one of my jobs and use the free time in search of a better job opportunity. The changes we made were not easy and they did not occur overnight. But as a result of making an investment in our family we became happier for having done so.
Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com
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