Why You Want to Be Grounded for Life
Every kid hates being grounded.
It means you did something really wrong.
But for adults, being grounded can mean you’re doing everything right!
As a matter of fact, remaining grounded should be one of your life objectives.
It’s all a question of keeping your feet on the ground.
Father Knows Best?
Marcus Aurelius praises the virtue of keeping your feet on the ground in his Meditations.
“From Sextus:
Kindness…
An example of fatherly authority in the home. What it means to live as nature requires…
Gravity without airs…
To show intuitive sympathy for friends, tolerance to amateurs and sloppy thinkers. His ability to get along with everyone: sharing his company was the highest of compliments, and the opportunity an honor for those around him…
To investigate and analyze, with understanding and logic, the principles we ought to live by…
Not to display anger or other emotions. To be free of passion and yet full of love…
To praise without bombast; to display expertise without pretension.” – Meditations, I.9
There you have it:
All the various benefits of living with your feet on the ground in one fell swoop!
All You Need is Love
That’s exactly right:
Self-love is the key.
Loving yourself means you don’t have to go crazy proving to people how great and wonderful you are. You know you’re okay.
It makes it easier to keep your feet on the ground.
Having your feet on the ground enables you to treat people equally, and allows them to treat you the same way.
And there’s more:
- Natural living requires us to be grounded. It is contrary to nature – including human nature – to put on airs and try to be other than who we are. Staying grounded allows us to connect with people, and thrive in this world of connections in which we live.
- Showing sympathy and consideration of others must become second nature. People sense when others are being pretentious, and resent it. But, we have to work at making such demonstrations second nature, so that they eventually are expressed naturally.
- Passions drive us, but love sustains us. Passions are good for short-term execution and engagement. Love is needed to serve as a foundation for our relationships.
This Definitely Applies to Financial Relationships
The sign of good financial advisors are their ability to connect with their clients.
They really should show authentic sympathy and understanding.
They should relate to your specific circumstances.
Their ability to solve your specific problems means they have a client-centered approach, and not a self-centered approach.
How to Stay Grounded
Find things to love about yourself. Hold on to them. Build upon them.
You’ll stay rooted in reality, and in a good way.
Being grounded will help you deal well with everything and everybody.
Especially money.
What do you think? What ways do you use to stay grounded?