Outta Control

How well did you manage the Thanksgiving abundance? A friend told me he has become determined to not overeat. Too many of his holidays ended with him feeling sick instead of joyous. His comment made me wonder how many other people had come to this same conclusion. It reminded me of an article I have held onto since November 8. It was written by Kara McGuire for the Star Tribune “Obeisty of our spending and our bodies” http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/yourmoney/69404587.html


John Hanselman, a financial planner, is the metaphor for the story. At the age of 37 he found himself severely overweight and on major medications to offset the negative health effects of obesity. A wake up call from his doctor sounded the alarm about poor behavioral choices and risk of premature death. It made him think about the negative effects of allowing convenience and complacency to override self control. In his own life he saw the effects of too many fast food meals, lack of exercise, and stress. He likened it to the consumers he knows or those he reads about that make irrational decisions about purchasing on credit, buying homes they can’t afford, or investing without due diligence. All around us is an epidemic of obesity and overspending. John’s new attitude became one of sustainability – making informed decisions that will allow him to lose weight in a manner that will promote long-term health.

Reading about John made me want to ask Kara to retitle her article to read “Obesity of our spending and our bodies and environmental consumption.” Just because we have an abundance of resources in this country does not mean we should abandon self control and consume them all until we are sick. It doesn’t feel good and it doesn’t model good behavior for future generations that are counting on us to be good leaders. We already know what happens when you eat too much and over spend without regard for the consequences. Why should over indulgence in environmental consumption lead to any different end result?

Make this holiday season joyful. Indulge in self-control while spending, eating, and leaving footprints on this planet.