The Five F’s

In 2017 I overheard a conversation between two gentlemen at a coffee shop. I know what you’re thinking, and I must let you know that I don’t eavesdrop on a regular basis. However, I was studying at the time for my Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Certification class and they sat next to me, sooo, I take it that their conversation wasn’t the top secret kind.

One of the gentlemen was already seated adjacent from me when the second gentleman arrived. Apparently they’ve had conversation previously but was meeting in person for the the very first time (back when that was still allowed).

The former gentleman, had a very distinctive tone to his voice. He spoke clearly and in an educated way. He was pitching a book he was working on to the other man, a younger man, dressed more casual. It was obvious he was on to something as I listened in even more intently than before.

This gentleman was about to talk about the Five F’s. The Five F’s? What could that possibly be? In order to be successful in life you have to first have Faith. Secondly, you have to focus on Family. Thirdly, you have to focus on Fitness. Fourthly, is putting priority on Finance. And last but not least, you need to have Fun. You will be successful in life if you prioritize these Five things, preferably in that order.

Sadly, early on in his life he didn’t do this and he lived his life tossed about wherever the wind took him. He had no specific bearings to anchor him and to steer his path in a forward direction. Then, he started doing the Five F’s and has since made a change in his life a hundred times over.

If you look at the Five F’s a little more closely it makes a lot of sense. When he was younger his priority was in making money and having fun. This led to a lot of destructible behavior that needed to be remedied. Now he uses the Five F’s to have a bearing in life.

Faith is the most important, acknowledging God, the creator of all things and of which all blessings derive from. This will be your source of grounding, shall we say. Once God has taken priority in your life, in which you start your day and end your day with God then you can add family to the mix as the next priority. Faith before family? Even the bible says love God with all your heart, soul and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. Honor your parents comes later in God’s ten commandments but the greatest of these is the first commandment, which infers that you believe in God and that takes FAITH (For All I Trust Him). Read Matthew 22:37-40

When it comes to family, make sure you are in good terms with your household or put another way make sure your family affairs are in order. The bible reading in Matthew 5:23-24 reminds me of one of the requirements to giving an acceptable offering before God. If you have a grievance with your brother go and reconcile with your brother first and then offer up your gifts to Him. So, families, be in good terms with one another because if not, it will start to affect your anchor, which is your Faith.

What of Fitness? This one can be interchanged with health. Be in good health. How do you achieve that?Through exercise, good nutrition, ample rest habits), just to name a few. Once, you are in the habit of taking good self-care then you can start to focus on finance. This makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? How can you be successful financially if you are not in good health? What would you pay to be healthy? Have you ever contemplated on that question? Can you see now how each foundation supports the next. If you have solid Faith then you will have a good Family structure, remember also, that when it comes to Fitness, it doesn’t only pertain to physical health but also your spiritual fitness/health. How can you get spiritually fit? Exercise your knowledge, feed on the Word of God and you will discover ample rest. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Let’s now talk about Finance. Recent events have magnified this particular component of the Five F’s. If this component was your main priority then it may very well be that you are going through a whirlwind at this very moment. Many are experiencing layoffs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is time to reassess and get back to basics; starting with a close look at your faith, family, fitness and then your current financial state. Covid-19 will eventually flatten out and it is evident that we all will be going back to a new normal. Consider having a new mindset when it comes to finance, don’t let it be your all in all, that’s a reservation for God and God alone. Read the story of Job. He lost everything he owned, but sustained his faith and was rewarded back all he had lost two times over.

Considering that we accomplish a dynamic balance of these four priorities, we can then can start having some or a lot of Fun. Don’t take life too seriously. How do you do that? Allow yourself to have some fun, whatever that may entail for you. Just a word of caution here though, beware what you enter in to. There is a safe way to have fun as well as a reckless way. I trust you can make the proper discernment when it comes to your choice of fun. Just choose wisely.

When we look at the Five F’s, I believe it is Finance that is given priority. Finance and having Fun. None of these two are bad in itself’ however, if too much priority is put here, you can start losing sight of the bigger picture of good health, good family relations, and most importantly your faith in God. Right now, take a look back on your life and see where, who, or what you’ve been putting your priorities at. Are you living the Five F’s? You can start living it today or continue to living it. There you have it the Five F’s. Now that you’ve come to know about them, I wonder, how will you prioritize them? I guess it will be evident to all in how you live your life going forward.