Why Don’t We Sequester Ourselves?
- March 5, 2013
- Posted by: Stephen Johnson
- Category: Vistage
I forward the following thoughts from Boaz Rauchwerger, a Vistage Speaker
“The big news the past few days, in the U.S., was The Sequester. On Friday evening, mandatory federal budget cuts took place to reduce the deficit.
“Our elected officials did not come together to form a plan that would prevent this step. As a result, it’s unfortunate that some people across the country will either lose their jobs or have their hours cut back.
“I’m not here to make a political statement. Rather, I’d like to equate this to a life lesson.
“If we find ourselves living paycheck to paycheck, and unable to make ends meet or to save money, what if we sequestered ourselves?
“What if we pretended that we had to cut our personal expenses by 10%, just for the next 12 months?
“If this was you, and I guaranteed that you would benefit greatly from doing this, would you do it for one year?
“Would you eat out a little less? Would you make fewer stops at your local coffee shop? Would you cut down the number of channels you get on your cable TV? Would you bring lunch to work instead of eating out so often?
“I’ve been there when I had to do that. Once I got used to it, I really didn’t feel deprived.
“If you did this, and you get your family to understand how important this could be for all of you, what if you used that 10% to pay off your debts more quickly? Once that was done, what if you saved that 10% each month and built a stronger future?
“The verb of the word “sequester” is defined as “isolate or hide away”. I believe that people who are always short of money, or deeply in debt, emotionally isolate themselves or hide away.
“I suggest that a personal sequester, in the right direction, could be beneficial to all of us.