Prosperity knoweth not the worth of patience

If you have plenty of ready money you get into the habit of wanting instant gratification.

Why slave over a hot stove when you can order up a pizza? Why put up with the hassle of repairing your shoes when you can buy a new pair? Marriage going through a sticky patch? Hang the cost - get a divorce and start again.

To previous generations these easy options were not available - most people had to shift for themselves or go without. Patience is something you develop when you have to postpone satisfaction until you can afford it. There was a time when you had to save up for things - credit was a rarity.

Have now, pay later is a good idea if it is something really needed and you can afford the payments. Using credit for stuff you can well do without is daft - period.



If you can't be rich at least you can have a laugh with these videos:

How to write a Limerick Edward Lear improved Part 1

How to write Limericks Edward Lear improved Part 2

Reason lies between the spur and bridle

For car drivers this can be updated to the accelerator and the brake. The means of travel has changed but the underlying concept of this saying remains the same. We have natural impulses: hunger, love, security, power, and these act as a spur to action. But we all know the trouble they can get you into.

Students of history will be aware of how people in the past had a different mindset, especially those in positions of extreme power such as early kings. Their emotional impulses were immediately transformed into actions with severe results for the recipients. Modern systems of government include a great deal of the bridle or brake to curb excesses and moderate conduct.

It is, however, in the nature of things that those in power will seek consciously or unconsciously to circumvent the controls. The saying: The price of democracy is eternal vigilance is very apt here. Reason is the means by which we seek to understand the truth of a situation and apply balance and good sense betwixt the spur of emotional desire and the counterbalancing, inhibiting bridle of fear of consequences.

Enjoy a humorous break with these funny videos.

How to write a Limerick Edward Lear improved Part 1

How to write Limericks Edward Lear improved Part 2

Remove an old tree and it will wither to death

Digging up an old tree will sever many of its roots and without the supply of nutrients it will perish. A young tree might have the vitality to push out new roots and replenish its strength; time is on its side but the older tree has a bigger bulk to service and can't take the strain.

You are not reading this for advice on gardening, and as always with sayings there is a deeper meaning. If you are getting on in years and are made redundant you will find the pressures more severe than the younger person with fewer commitments.

If a large tree must be shifted the only safe way is to take as much of the root as possible and to trim back surplus branches to reduce demand on the available nutrient supply. Plenty of watering is essential. If you are losing your job, try to retain as many contacts as you can and quickly re-establish union with the "commercial soil" The equivalent of water here is cash, so try to build up savings to tide you over.

These videos will give you a laugh, and that is a good stress buster.

How to write a Limerick Edward Lear improved Part 1

How to write Limericks Edward Lear improved Part 2

Poor folks are glad of porridge

Porridge is a tasty, cheap nutritious meal but many people turn their noses up at it, preferring fancy packaged cereals. If you are having a problem with a tight budget it is well worth considering.

The moral here is the importance of recognising your realities and adjusting to them. Cut your coat according to your cloth is the same idea of living within your means and making the best of things.

Learning to budget, buying second-hand, using thrift shops and adjusting expectations to what is feasible will help you to cope with a downturn. It is not possible for everyone to be a super hero and cope with difficulties in a positive and constructive manner - snatching victory from the jaws of defeat to the sound of trumpets, etc., etc.. Ordinary folks sometimes have to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.

Survival means you live to continue the struggle another day.

These videos will make you laugh, and that is a good way of coping with stress.


How to write a Limerick Edward Lear improved Part 1

How to write Limericks Edward Lear improved Part 2