Crazy with Gnarles Barkley

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that phase.
Even your emotions have an echo
in so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Possibly

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice
That's my only advice

Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are
Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you're in control

I heard this song every day while in Germany (a big hit out there and here in America too). It makes me want to scream the lyrics out loud.

Have you ever felt this way? Crazy that is ...
I think the women that I wrote about in my previous blog, who had financial situations out of control,would attest that they felt crazy with fear and paralyzed from taking the reigns and getting a handle on their financial world.

That is what fear does. And financial fear can be the absolute worst. Nothing will keep a person awake at night more than thinking they might end up homeless on the streets because their money flow as stopped. My advice would be to take a moment from "having the time of your life" and instead sit down and do a little dirty work weeding through your emotions about your finances and ook at how you are spending your money. This will allow you to put a financial plan together so you can embark safely on the waters of Financial Health and be protected from those unexpected storms.

Part of my need for financial security translates over to my quest for health security. However, it doesn't work as well because you have a harder time guaranteeing your health, as you can your financial future. (Hey - we all have our issues).

For me the Barkley song has some symbolism. The line "But it wasn't because I didn't know enough - I just knew too much" really resonates with me. I have been on such a quest for knowledge my whole life that I feel like I know too much about some things (especially related to my health). For example, every time I see food that comes from a package I worry - does that have high fructose corn syrup in it or preservatives, does that milk have hormones, is the meat full of antibiotics, what is that glass of wine doing to my health. I could be a nutritionist with all my knowledge. I sometimes wonder if I am worrying too much.

I think it is probably similar to the person who counts every single penny and is obsessive about their spending (not a good thing either.)

So the question is -- can too much knowledge be a bad thing?

When it comes to personal finance, I would say the answer has to be no. You need to know where you spend your money, spend less than you make, and have a clear plan to protect yourself from unexpected events in the future. This way you don't have to be overzealous managing every bit of cash that flows through you life. As long as you are mostly sticking to your plan you should be alright.

This is what I do with money. I don't even balance my checkbook (never have). You might think that is really strange, but it works for me. I never (well usually), spend more than I make and have a good solid plan for my financial future. I should start following my own advice when it comes to health and stop watching every single ingredient and instead enjoy food a little more. This should help stop be from going crazy!

As Buddha would say ... happiness comes from taking the middle path of the stream, not from swerving back and forth between the banks of life. The path to enlightenment comes from moderation.

Namaste,
Ms.Money