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Finances
Dealing With Stress And Keeping Up With The Jones'
By Shannon Munford M.A.
Mohammed was a husband and father of three
children, children he rarely saw anymore. Mohammed owned and
operated three small businesses. To say he was ambitious would have
been an understatement. Through the course of a week, Mohammed would
manage a restaurant, operate a parking lot business near a local
convention center and maintain a small in-home accounting service.
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Communication Problems
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It was not a surprise, when he told me he and his
wife were having a few communication problems. My question to him
was when are you home enough to communicate anything to her at all?”
Mohammed would come home drained and exhausted most days.
On one occasion, his wife urged him to take some
time for them to talk about the family finances. Frustrated and
stressed from a full day of work, Mohammed threw a shoe through the
living room television.
This explosion not only frightened his children
and his wife, but it earned him a month’s stay at a local hotel.
Mohammed’s wife insisted that he could not return home until he
received some help for his anger.
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How Are The Jones' Anyway?
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We are bombarded with media images of million
dollar houses, luxury cars and extravagant living. Often, we begin
to think the lifestyle of the rich and famous is the norm. Marriages
are destroyed, children are ignored and lives are ruined as we
feverishly attempt to keep up with "The Jones’". Who the heck are
the Jones’ anyway and who made them the prototypical family?
The truth is, everyone cannot be rich; but
everyone can enjoy and appreciate what he or she does have. I have
learned the hard way that my family, health and happiness are not
worth a few extra dollars in my bank account. Think about it; are
you letting the stress of getting ahead ruin your life?
Shannon Munford is the owner of Daybreak
Counseling Service, an anger management education center in Los
Angeles, Calfiornia. www.daybreakservices.com |
