Build a Shelter Against a Rainy Day

The sixth point on John Wooden's father's rules for living is to build a shelter against a rainy day.

As an accountant by trade, I look at this from a financial point of view. For many people, money is a huge stressor in life. There are many reasons for this, most notably (in my mind) because there is a warped sense of wants and needs. People want things, but they think they need them, and so they buy them even if they cannot afford them. This generally causes them to get into financial trouble, as suddenly they don't have money to pay the regular bills, they put things on credit cards, and payments become higher and higher. This stresses them out.

I could probably talk all day about this stuff, but I won't. Instead, I will focus on what I believe this rule is talking about. It is very important for your financial well-being to set money aside just in case of an emergency, or if anything else happens. It is no fun to save money or set money aside "just in case" something happens, but you will thank yourself for it if you need it. The best way to do this to recognize the things that you truly need as opposed to what you merely want, and limit those things.

You might find it funny that I would talk about money on a site like this, but it's not really. For most people, if they are worried about money or how they are going to pay their bills, they are not going to be able to live happy, fulfilling lives. Keeping your financial house in order is very important to living a happy life, but it allows you to take your mind higher and focus on the things that are truly important.