The current financial crises is forcing many people to become more aware financially than ever before. Financial vagueness and poor financial management skills have caused serious problems on various levels and many are moving toward greater financial responsibility in order to recover–or survive–financially.

Difficult times such as we are in now, act as the catalyst for deep introspection and an examination of values. In order to move into financial stability, what matters has to be defined individually and used as a basis for future behaviors.

Clearly the uber-focus on money and it’s potential as a stimulus for personal happiness and stability has proven to be inadequate to keep society glued together. Money is necessary for our economic survival, but when money becomes the primary focus and goal of our lives, something is lost.

When asked about the financial crisis during a recent airing of Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary said, “It’s a crisis of value. We have misplaced, in deep ways, the ruler that we use to measure what matters most in life. And it has become completely exhausted by monetary value.” Continue reading →