Deposits and Withdrawals

The world of finances has been at the forefront of my mind lately for two reasons: 1. I’ve been knee-deep in QuickBooks trying to learn facets of the accounting software; 2. My oldest son opened his first checking account this week.  Both scenarios were eye-opening to me.  With QuickBooks, I soon discovered that certain pieces of information don’t readily communicate between the bank statement and the accounting software.  With my son, I realized that my personal checking history was so long engrained in my mind that I had forgotten what it is like to be a banking novice.  In both cases, my perspective blinded me to the end goals.  For instance, I was so entrenched with my understanding of my accounting practices that I failed to remember that the bank statement and software don’t glean information through osmosis.  And my years of checking account experience didn’t work in my favor when I assumed my son automatically knew all aspects of holding a personal checking account.  When I discovered he didn’t know what “SSN” meant when he was filling out the paperwork (“social security number” for those who despise the routine use of acronyms in the financial world), I realized I needed to take a step back.  I was so entrenched with my mindset that I was missing a teachable moment.

After explaining that he did indeed have an SSN used by the government, I decided to teach him quickly about deposits and withdrawals.  I told him that some deposits and withdrawals physically happen, while others might occur behind the scenes through electronic platforms.  The difference between these tangible and intangible transactions also helped shed light on my current QuickBooks woes.  Thankfully, a new procedure was established and now both sources of information are captured.  And with my son, he now understands how to track the various ways in which debits and credits are created in his account.

The learning lessons for me surrounding these recent finance experiences have been vast.  First, I need to try to take a non-assumptive view when I am exploring something.  I should also take the same mindset when I am trying to teach.  Secondly, using unnecessary technical terms or acronyms can be inadvertently confusing and isolating for the person on the receiving end.  But most importantly, the great reminder for me was this: Not all transactions in life can be readily seen by others, and yet it doesn’t make the impact any less.  Metaphorically, the behind-the-scenes debits and credits that people experience are very real even if they aren’t outwardly demonstrated.  On the upside, this means that many different things can help contribute to the credits and deposits we offer people.  Sometimes these smaller, quieter, and softer components will add more to their account than anything else could.  Conversely, the debits and withdrawals we take from people can leave them with a negative balance.  Their emotional, physical, or mental funds might be so depleted that they have insufficient funds.  Worse yet, we might not even know this is the unfortunate status they are facing.  Therefore, let’s use intentionality in how we practice our “spending and saving.”  We only have one account we are given in this life so let’s budget wisely.

Changepoints:

Think about the tangible and intangible aspects of life’s deposits and withdrawals:

·        Remember a time when you were given much needed deposits that added to your bucket.  Think about the variables surrounding that person or event.  How does it feel to recall that positive memory today?

·        Recount a specific situation or individual who debited from your account.  What is the memory surrounding this?  How does it still impact you today?

·        In what ways do our individual perspectives shape the way we view the intent and impact of the transactions we experience in life?  Could you shift your view about the intention of others to experience the impact differently?

·        How can you intentionally work on the deposits and credits you give to your world and those who are in it?

o   How can you stretch your metaphoric budget to be more generous to others?

o   What specific things can you do to be more mindful of your transactions (interactions) with others?

Give generously and receive with a gracious heart that attempts to assume good intentions of the world. 

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.