Louis Barajas tells Latino men that paychecks aren't enough. A husband in East Los Angeles rated his marriage a 10 for providing money; his wife said 4 because he was never home. Families need time and presence, not just income.
Everyone, it's Fair Game here in my content. So my Latino men, this one is for you. I'm going to say with much respect, but I know I'm going to upset a few of you. And wives, um, pay attention here. I heard something the other day from Danny Morel, who's on a podcast circuit talking about his new book. He said something that really hit me. He said that a lot of men use providing to avoid connecting. And I want to speak to my Latino men for a second. Let me tell you a true story. When I was coaching a family in East Los Angeles, I always ask couples this question. On a scale of 1 to 10, how's your marriage? And I had one husband look at me and say, "I'm a 10." I was doing this in Spanish and he told me, "Soy un 10." He said, "I work hard all week. I get paid every Friday. I come home and give my wife my entire paycheck." And in his mind, well, that made him a great husband. Then I asked the wife the same question. She said, "Well, Jose's a great dad. He's a great provider, but our marriage is a 4." And I paused and I said, "Why?" She said, "Because he's never here. He works all week." and on the weekends he's out drinking with his buddies. And in that moment, you could feel it— two people in the same marriage, living in the same house, living two completely different lives. And it hit me, a lot of men think that providing makes them a 10, but their family is sitting there feeling like it's a 4, because providing is not the same thing as connecting. And you can hand over every dollar you make and still not give your family what they need, which is time, your presence and your attention. And I'm not judging you because a lot of us were taught this: just work hard, take care of your family, and be a good provider. But nobody taught us how to connect. Nobody taught us how to sit down, have a conversation, be present with the people we say we love. So we become great providers but disconnected partners. And that's the shift we have to make, guys. Keep providing, yes, but start connecting because your family doesn't just need what you earn. They need who you are. And if you're a man watching this, be honest with yourself. On a scale of 1 to 10, where is your relationship with your family right now? Please help our Finanzas con Corazón community grow by following my page, liking, and engaging, and be part of creating a movement rooted in financial dignity.
