Jamie Oliver
The BBC defined Jamie Oliver as one of the most influential chefs in the western world. The TED conference has also invited him to present a world changing wish to its membership. Jamie is a celebrity chef famous for bringing healthy food to schools both in Britain and parts of America. Again, much like Ellen White, Jamie believes that people's eating patterns define their quality of life. Also like Ellen White and most Adventists since, he has worked tirelessly to educate children and parents how to eat and develop healthy lifestyles. Although he is not known the world over, Jamie is widely recognized in Britain and America as someone who promotes healthy eating.
This demonstrates a third disappointment for Adventism. Since 1863 Adventists have been proclaiming that what humans eat connects body to spirituality. At a time when doctors recommended smoking to clear the lungs, Adventist hospitals prohibited tobacco and defended, even without solid evidence, that tobacco severally damaged users. Over a hundred years later there is now solid scientific evidence for most of Ellen White's claims about tobacco and heathly living. Beyond this, the western world is constantly emphasizing a holistic view to health that sounds remarkably Adventist. Meanwhile, there is a wave of Adventist youth who reject these principles whilst their parents stop reading Ellen White altogether!
Beyond this, the disappointment is that Jamie Oliver is a single chef who has captured the attention of governments and the media. The Adventist Church has multiple health institutions and nutrition degrees taught in various universities around the world. Despite this structure, Adventists have only been slightly influential due a National Geographic report on Loma Linda and the independent documentary The Adventists, by Martin Doblmeier. It is indeed disappointing that Seventh-day Adventists could have been the mainstream voice calling proclaiming health in the last few decades. Instead, we struggle to inspire our own membership to lead healthier lifestyles. To add insult to injury, when Jamie Oliver was called by ABC to produce a series of documentaries in the United States, he called for Christian pastors to join his cause for healthier living. This would have given a great voice to any Adventist who stepped forward. However, the main Christian to join him is a Baptist pastor from Virginia.
Last spring, Andy submitted a question he hoped readers could help him with. I promised I'd post it…and then went to Alaska for ten days and forgot. Well, Andy's a patient man. And persistent. Last week, he dropped me a line again because he's still wondering: How do you give advice about money to your family (and friends)?
Here's Andy's story:
My family had plenty of money when I was growing up, but we never talked about the subject.
My father was always very frugal (a trait I inherited, for better or for worse). I had an allowance, which I would sometimes spend on baseball cards, or other times save up for something big in the future. I guess I kind of followed my parents lead and never really bought overly expensive stuff, or much Stuff in general.
My brother is quite a bit different than me. Throughout college (and even post college) he made some common financial decisions for someone that age and ended up with a lot of debt. Even now that he's older and has a family, I still feel like he struggles with money. I really, really, REALLY want to approach him and offer him some advice, but I just don't know how. A similar situation exists with my wife's father and step-mom. Maybe my apprehension is because these family members are older than me? Maybe it's easier to talk to people about money who I know manage their money well versus people who don't?
I feel like I've done a damn good job at managing my money during my college and first few post-college years. I feel like I have a lot of good knowledge to share, and I could really help my family members, but money seems to be an awkward and touchy subject in our society. I'm not sure if it's a personal thing or if it's this way with everyone — talking about personal finance with (most) friends and family is kind of taboo.
What's a concerned family member to do? Become a professional financial planner? Bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns (insert your cliche of choice here) and just approach my family members honestly and directly?
In his most recent e-mail, Andy told me it's not just family members he wishes he could talk to, but friends, too.
"I've noticed it's a pretty big issue among friends as well," he wrote. "I feel like most of my peers lack financial skills and responsibility. (That said, the flip-side of that viewpoint is that I'm just being a cheapskate, saving too much, and people can spend their money however they want!)"
Outside Looking In
This is actually a situation I wrestle with from time to time. I think we all do. I see friends (and family members) who are struggling, and see some obvious things they could do, but I don't know how to help.
For instance, I have one friend who refuses to accept responsibility for her income. She's a smart woman, but she lives in squalor. She blames her state on everything and everybody else. She doesn't see that she could help herself by being willing to work two (or more) jobs, by avoiding the bars, by giving up cigarettes and pot. In her mind, her lousy income just shows how unlucky she is. It's not her fault. Any practical advice falls on deaf ears.
I have another friend for whom only the best will do. Though his family is pinched financially (they often complain about money), he constantly talks about the new things he wants — and they're always the most expensive possible examples. He buys (or wants to buy) the most expensive computers, clothes, and kitchen supplies. He eats at the most expensive restaurants. And so on. I've tried to offer casual advice — "Maybe you can find a good deal at a thrift store.", "Let's eat at the corner cafe." — but it's never well received. Instead, I just don't say anything.
I wonder if that's how people used to feel about me back when I struggled with debt? Most people never said anything. Maybe they didn't see the problem, or maybe they didn't feel it was their place to share.
Talking with Friends and Family About Money
Why is money a taboo topic? Why aren't more people willing to talk about their finances? I think it's because nobody likes to be judged. Everyone thinks they're doing the best they can possibly do — and even if they don't think that, they don't like to be called out.
Often, your friends don't actually think they're doing the wrong thing. As Andy suggests, they might think you're a cheapskate. Each person is in a different place. Though you may have friends and family members who could profit from what you've learned, if they're not ready to listen, you run the risk of doing more harm than good when you offer advice.
In the past, I've recommended the following as subtle ways you can help someone who's struggling:
I'm curious how other Get Rich Slowly readers have handled this kind of situation. How do you encourage your family and friends to make smart choices with money without making them defensive or angry? What mistakes have you made in the past? What techniques have you found that work? Does a person have to hit rock bottom before they're ready to listen?
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Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly - Personal Finance That Makes Sense.:
http://eater.com/archives/2011/03/13/saturday-night-live-high-fructose-corn-syrup-commercial.php
Original photo: estoril / CC Adopting a child that's in need of a home is one of the most selfless and loving decisions a person can make -- but in Greece, having a big heart means nothing if you don't eat meat. A vegetarian couple from the island of Crete recently had their adoption application rejected on the grounds that they might impose their diet on their adoptive child, because they say that a child's upbringing must include eating meat. There's just one problem though: that's <...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Photo: Gilles San Martin It seems that GMOs are again steamrolling their way through our legal system. Back in December it seemed there may be a light at the end of the tunnel when a federal judge ordered that 258 acres of genetically modified sugar beets be destroyed. But now we're back to square one, if not worse. A federal appeals court in San Francisco has overturned a previous ruling to destroy the genetically modified sugar beets, ruling in favor of Monsanto and the USDA, according to Read the full story on TreeHugger
A couple of years ago a popular book called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way was
released. The author, psychologist Robert Maurer, described the process he used to lose weight. He didn't count calories or carbs or get a personal trainer.
What he did was to throw away one French fry from his plate. Eventually, it became two, then three French fries, or portions of whatever he was eating. In this way, Maurer lost 45 pounds in 18 months – a living example of the premise in his book.
Taking tiny steps to achieve a seemingly impossible goal is the foundational premise of kaizen (pronounced "kay-zin"). This is a Japanese concept that means "continuous incremental improvement." Kaizen has become a catchword in American industry leading to terms like Total Quality Control.
What could you do in your personal life with this principle? Losing weight is an obvious application — but what if you wanted to read the Encyclopedia Americana? Learn a new language? Develop new career skills? Write a book? Eat an elephant? Build a new house? Double your income? How could you approach it as one French fry at a time?
If you read about 10 minutes a day, you'll read an average book a month. If you write one page a day, you'll have a book ready to print in six months. If you stop three negative comments a day from coming out of your mouth, in 90 days you will have saved the world from 270 negative blows. Start throwing away those French fries – you'll see a brand new you appear.
If developing that book one page at a time is part of your plan for success, join me for the most exciting live event this year – Write to the Bank – right here at the Sanctuary in beautiful Franklin, TN.
To review the process for getting the French fries out of your life, begin with the Goals section on page 61 of the new 48 Days To The Work You Love.
Just what is the change that you are going to make in your life this year?
Annie Leonard is a whiz at tackling tough topics (bottled water, the cosmetics industry) in viral video-sized spans of time. Her latest, The Story of Citizens United v. FEC, is no different. The video explores "the inordinate power that corporations exercise in our democracy," according to Leonard, and begins to explore some of the reasons why corporations can dodge the blame for mucking up the environment.
It's certainly a contentious video--one that is likely to peeve viewers who appreciate the major role that large companies play in democracy. It could be argued that some corporations even wield this outsized power for good (see this Treehugger post on how Walmart is becoming the new EPA). Check out Leonard's video below.
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Follow Fast Company on Twitter. Ariel Schwartz can be reached by email.
March 26, 27: Attend Vegfest 2011 open 10am to 6pm at the Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall—taste food samples, see chef's cooking demos, hear the latest nutrion information from physician speakers, and choose from the largest collection of vegetarian books in the world. Admission is $8 for adults (children 12 and under free). Details at www.vegfest2011.org.
