I Knew I Had to Have It
Read Time / 3 Minutes
Theme / Behavioral Finance
At the age of ten, I was captivated by the trailer for Catch That Kid. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a movie about a twelve-year-old girl, Maddy, who’s dad has been recently paralyzed. The good news – there’s an experimental operation which may save him. The problem – the operation is exorbitant, and it can’t be borrowed against or covered by insurance. Maddy takes it upon herself to get the funds and concludes robbing a bank is the path of least resistance. She gets her friends together and develops a plan for this robbery including their mode of transportation – Go-karts.
The trailer left me mesmerized. I hardly knew about this speed contraption before. Now, I was hooked. Racing to the computer with my dad, we powered up our desktop, clicked dial, and the research process began.
We started by seeking to answer basic questions:
What are the different machines on the market?
How many CC’s were in each engine?
And, the biggest factor, how much did they cost?
My parents taught me the value of working for the things you want at a young age, and I knew the more expensive the go-kart the harder I’d have to work (or longer I’d have to wait) to make a purchase of this magnitude. Our research had concluded. We found the manufacturer, the proper power, and the cost. I went to work and started saving money.
To stay inspired, most nights, before I went to sleep, I would reach under my pillow and ogle over the picture I had printed of my future prize. This Go-kart became my obsession. I fanaticized the day I’d make its purchase believing it would bring my life to completion.
This is a humorous example of something many of us continue to experience. You may be like me and excitement for new things may consume you. Instead of a printed picture, stored under a pillow, it takes on new forms – for example, tracking the progress of paying off a mortgage (Baby Step 6). The anticipation of being truly debt free is electrifying and it’s easy for it to consume my thought life. As it wins my thought life, it wins my heart. All of a sudden, I’m existing to pay off a mortgage. Then things at home or at work cause discomfort and I conclude, “if only I had my mortgage paid off, I would… (you fill in the blank).” My striving has devalued my living.
The enemy is clever. More than my concern of his red robe, horns, or daunting demon posse, my frustration is the efficiency and secrecy in which he distorts the good things God created into something self-serving and destructive.
To strive to pay off our home is a great goal. In fact, it’s another step for us in our God given identity – to let no debt remain outstanding except our debt to love each other (Romans 13:8). The struggle I feel many of us face is elevating our goals above God. What wins our minds, wins our hearts. Goals are actually an avenue for us to experience the fullness of God. They help stretch us and keep us from complacency. When God is in His rightful place in our lives, we find contentment and true purpose.
Though there were plenty of moments I idolized my go-kart, God used the experience for His glory. It made room for a lot of fun memories – My dad and I heaving it into our family minivan, my cousin, Nico, tagging along, and driving around dad’s work parking lot enjoying each other’s company and laughing together. The greatest joy from the go-kart purchase was being able to share the experience with people I love and cherish.
Ryan De Amicis
Wealth Advisor
408.758.6413
ryan@christianwm.com
