MAX Mindfulness: A New Year!

by David Wine, President & CEO

A new year! Millions of people begin this day with new year resolutions. And even more so this year. After all, we are no longer in the “dawning of the Age of Aquarius” as the old song said. This is the Age of Aquarius. We are now Aquarians! And we survived the solstice – the world continued – so back to our resolutions! An article in the news today said more people were doing resolutions this year than ever before. Not sure how they know but surveys never lie, do they?!!

One of my resolutions this year is to remember that whatever I teach, I learn. So, for example, if I want peace in my life, I need to teach peace. If I want more love in my life, I need to teach love. If I want more patience, I need to teach patience. You get the picture. A very simple resolution, and oh so hard to really do in all aspects of my life. I would invite you to ‘try it on’ with me this year. Think about it. You can use this phrase –whatever I teach, I learn – on any subject area. It applies equally to the more negative as well as all the positive attributes we want in our human nature. If I want to learn about envy, for example, teach envy. People who teach conflict, learn conflict. My resolution, though, is to teach and learn the good attributes.

By teach I mean practice it, share it, apply it to your life. So for example, let’s say I want to learn to be more hopeful. The only way to ‘get there’ is to teach it. I could begin by teaching myself to practice daily gratitude for the things I have, not for what I don’t have. I could teach myself by more positive self-talk– that I am a wonderful, creation of God/Divine with many gifts and talents. I could teach myself by speaking positively around and to others of the possibilities of life and creation. I could teach myself (and others) through sharing my gifts and love with them. I could teach myself that things have worked out in the past and there are wonderful possibilities for the future.

Why is this statement, whatever I teach, I learn, so key? Because we learn something by doing it and being it. My own personal mission statement is to be totally loving and totally loveable. The way to reaching that resolution is not by memorizing words or reading about it, although those things can be helpful tools. The way to learn it is to teach it (do acts of love, share love, affirm love, be love). Too often in my life I have waited for things like love, joy, peace, patience, etc. to come to me. This statement reminds me that the way these things come to me is through proactively doing them/practicing them/giving them first. As I teach (give), I learn (receive). The gift comes from the action. If I want to feel (learn) joy, I must first give (teach) joy.

Happy New Year!

Fall Driving Tip: Watch for Leaves on the Road

We all love the colors that fall brings – the changing of leaves is quite beautiful. But, what happens to those leaves once they drop? Well, they end up on our roads and when the leaves are wet, they can be such a hazard while you’re driving. Wet leaves are slippery and thus make the road slick, similar to when you’re driving on ice. Take caution when you see wet leaves on the road because your vehicle could lose traction and increase the possibility of losing control.

Now those piles of dry leaves can also present a challenge while driving. Children love playing in large piles of leaves. Never drive through a leaf pile and use caution going around turns where children may be playing. Leaves can also make it difficult to see potholes and bumps in the road. Lastly, never park your vehicle over a pile of leaves. You don’t want to spark a fire from your exhaust system.

We hope you enjoy the fall colors this year and keep these safety tips in mind when you’re driving on the roads.

Sources: www.safety.lovetoknow.com/fall_driving_safety_tips and www.wheesl.ca/news/keep-safe-on-the-road-this-fall/ retrieved 9/28/2012.

MAX’s Roots in the Anabaptist Community

“Do you have to be Mennonite to get insurance with MAX?” is a frequent question we receive.

The simple answer to this question is “no”.

MAX does have its roots in the Anabaptist, i.e. Mennonite and Brethren communities.  Our heritage definitely stems out from these Anabaptist communities that practice a deep sense of kinship and care for one another.  When MAX was formed in 2000, it was created by ten different mutual aid organizations that were closely tied to the Mennonite/Brethren/Amish communities.  In fact, until 2010, members of MAX also had to be part of these Anabaptist communities.  In 2010, we opened our doors to all people of faith who share our values.  These values are written in our Statement of Shared Values and new members must agree to them before they have a policy issued through MAX.

These values include the following:

  • Applying love and wholeness towards others and responding to the needs of those around us
  • Nurturing an attitude of creating and sustaining wholeness in the use and application of all of God’s gifts including money, time, talents, health, and life
  • Promoting wholeness by embracing peaceful arbitration and mediation as the best way to settle disputes and conflicts
  • Practicing wholeness in our own lives by sharing our gifts and talents with others to build community and promote cooperation

We welcome Mennonites and anyone else who shares our values.  Contact us today for more information.  We’d be happy to help you be a part of MAX!

Photo by WaywardShinobi

Students Heading Off to College

August is that one month out of the year with three famous words – Back to School.  In this post we are going to focus on children who are heading off to College this fall.  Aside from coming to terms with the fact that our little ones aren’t so little anymore and that they are more than ready to move out of the nest, parents should also think about their insurance needs for their college bound children.  You should check with your MAX agent to see if your homeowners policy covers the personal items your children take with them to college of if renter’s insurance is needed.

Here are some other helpful tips:

  • A personal renter’s policy is a convenient way to help protect your valuable personal property while renting or away at school. Your personal belongings are not covered by most dormitories or under a landlord’s policy.
  • Take an inventory of all personal belongings to help determine the amount of renter’s insurance needed and for future reference in case of a loss.
  • Several optional coverages can be purchased at an additional cost and should be considered when purchasing renter’s insurance.  Computer coverage, Identity Theft, and Replacement Cost coverage are just a few.

We hope you have the best coverage possible for you and your college student this fall.  Don’t hesitate to contact your MAX agent for any assistance in making the right choices for your family.

Photo by Sean MacEntee

Eligibility and our Shared Values

MAX is a reciprocal, which means we are member owned—by you! As a reciprocal, our members have to meet our eligibility guidelines. Those guidelines are defined in our Statement of Shared Values. Since January 2010, all new members have been required to sign this document. MAX members before January 2010 are automatically eligible.

This means that all of our MAX members have joined MAX as a faith-based organization and have agreed to share these values. This commonality means a lot to our members giving them the assurance that they are helping to support persons who share these same values. Even if you never experience an insurance loss at MAX, your premiums are supporting others who share your values in this faith-based community.

These values are important to all of us at MAX and we want to take this opportunity to share them with you again:

Our shared values:

  • Applying love and wholeness towards others and responding to the needs of those around us.
  • Nurturing an attitude of creating and sustaining wholeness in the use and application of all of God’s gifts including money, time, talents, health and life.
  • Promoting wholeness by embracing peaceful arbitration and mediation as the best way to settle disputes and conflicts.
  • Practicing wholeness in our own lives by sharing our gifts and talents with others to build community and promote cooperation.

Photo by Broo_am (Andy B)