the pain in beginning (again)

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Derek Sisterhen
Remember reading the posts that I wrote about sit-ups and losing weight? They are some of the most popular articles on getnakedbook.com.
I was undergoing a huge psychological and physical transformation when I wrote them. The culmination – perhaps coronation is a better word – of the whole experience was running the Cooper River Bridge Run back in April.
I went the 10,000 kilometers (6.2 miles for we Americans) in just under an hour. It was an awesome experience that I got to share with my wife, sister, and parents.
And after it was over I did nothing.
Eight weeks of training runs. A full six months of workouts at the gym. All in anticipation of running from Mt. Pleasant to Charleston, South Carolina.
59 minutes and 12 seconds later I was done.
And I was done.

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Posted in get naked blog | Tagged comfort zone, crisis, debt, dreams & goals, fitness, money, purpose | Leave a comment

confessions from the face of the earth

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Derek Sisterhen
Contrary to what you may have suspected, I didn’t find the face of the earth and drop off of it back in June. I wasn’t even looking for the face of the earth; though I can bet Mt. Everest is involved – seems like a logical nose for the world to me.
I’ve been in a bit of a semi-self-imposed hiatus from all things social media. I say “semi” because I’ve still done some tweeting and Facebook updates. I’ve continued to produce a few episodes of my podcast, pastdueradio.com.
So, I guess that’s not really a hiatus. But, it feels hipper to say I was on a hiatus; like a band that sort of broke up because everyone got sick of each other, but then they all reconcile because they realize they’re better off together. And all their fans rejoice.
And then they go make their best music yet, and the world at large doesn’t recognize them for it because of the stranglehold the pop music machine has on American radio and television outlets.
But that’s an opinionated tangent.
About the not-quite-hiatus:

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Posted in get naked blog | Tagged boundaries, comfort zone, culture, past due radio, relationships, social life | 7 Comments

maybe you need to get over yourself

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Derek Sisterhen
I met with a young couple a few weeks ago who were struggling to see eye-to-eye on money-related issues. They had some significant financial decisions to make, decisions that would alter their current way of doing life drastically in order to produce amazing results, or, decisions to do nothing, which would allow them to continue reaping from what they’ve always sown.
From the language they were using in our conversation, I could tell that they were already beginning to explore life with their finances separated. I’m not a big fan of that at all – I’ve witnessed that to be one of the stepping stones on the path to divorce more than once. Needless to say, this young couple – only married for about eight months – was pitching and rolling in the turbulent waters of money and marriage.
Pretty ironic that this upheaval in their marriage started over whether they should buy a new washer and dryer.
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Posted in get naked blog, skinny dippers | Tagged bad decisions, dreams & goals, intimacy, newlyweds | 2 Comments

when financial problems are really boundary problems

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Derek Sisterhen
We’ve all probably heard about the importance of setting healthy boundaries.
Most financial issues aren’t the root problem, they’re the leaves at the end of a branch, at the end of a limb, attached to a trunk that shoots down below the surface of the ground.
Simply put: Financial problems are a symptom, not the cause.
So, what do boundaries have to do with this?
If you don’t have a healthy boundary between you and the advertising and marketing media, you’re susceptible to manipulation. The average family of four is hit with over 1,500 marketing impressions every day. Without a boundary that says, “We can say ‘no’ and stay content with what we have,” you just might find yourself buying new bunk beds, skinny jeans, Uggs, and a Disney vacation daily.
Okay, so that’s extreme, but think of how you currently regulate your purchases.
What if you have trouble saying no to your children? I recently spoke to a couple that has an adult son living out of state. He regularly calls and asks for financial support.
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Posted in get naked blog, skinny dippers | Tagged boundaries, parents, relationships | Leave a comment

i’m a-lookin’ & i’m a-likin’!

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Derek Sisterhen
One of my favorite parts of my position as the Stewardship Ministry Director at Hope Community Church is teaching the money lesson during the pre-marriage class. There’s something about the serene look in the eyes of those considering marriage that says, “We have no idea what we’re getting ourselves into, and we aren’t wise enough to know it yet!”
It’s a blast. They’re like deer mesmerized by the headlights of a rapidly approaching car and they don’t even remember how they got out onto the road.
I spend about 45 minutes walking them through a few dos and don’ts of prepping financially for a healthy marriage relationship – what amounts to a quick overview of everything in Get Naked – and then I open the floor for some Q&A.
Invariably someone asks the question about whether finances should be kept separate or combined after I do.
It’s a good question. It plucks the can-I-trust-you?-are-you-everything-you-said-you-were?-you-aren’t-into-the-home-shopping-network-are-you? heart string.
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Posted in get naked blog, skinny dippers | Tagged bad decisions, intimacy, marriage, newlyweds, weddings | Leave a comment