I recently came accross a this great little note on Signals vs. Noise about dropping out. The article summarizes three different stories where professionals in various careers simply dropped out to lead a less complicated life. The stories spoke bounds to me. I can’t express enough how much I question what it is I do and why. I look around me and wonder the same about others sometimes. So many of us aren’t doing what we want. There tends to be a lot of focus on getting by and making more. Often it won’t be out of the norm for me to hear one of my friends say, “I want to be making X amount of dollars by the time im X years old.”
Why? Why so focused on money? Who gives a shit really. Why not say things you’d like to be doing in the future. Why don’t we set more passionate goals than financial goals. Finance in general is just a shallow cold boring and crude aspect of life. Money is a means to an end at times but it never is that ‘end’ you are so desparately looking for. If you’ve ever watched television shows such as the Sopranos or Nip/Tuck you can see a fictitious example of people who seem to have it all but lead remarkably unhappy lives. It is my belief that money is nothing more than a tool. A tool that will get you straight to nowhere, no matter how much you have, if you are not pursuing the things that truly matter to you.
It is just merely a matter of your perception really. Who is the more ambitious of the two? Is it the poor cabbie who simply drives around the same streets, reflects on his life, has time to see his family, and leads a simple yet enrichening life? Or is it the professional athlete under constant demand for physical performances and social appearances, driving an expensive luxury car, wearing some of the finest clothing, rolling around with more money than they know what do with? I leave it up to you to decide. Maybe you’ll have to find your way to the top to find out it might not be what you wanted afterall. Heck even I don’t really know, but I do think about these things if you can’t tell.
Jason Says:
8:40 amMay 28Sounds like someone needs a raise.
ptamaro Says:
10:04 pmDec 07I’m not selling out, but I see so many others lining-up to take their daily dose of Soma. They talk about how “Americans are stupid and wasteful, and ostentatious” etc. — and then they get in their Porsche and speed off into the sunset. Pathetic.
That said, I do need to pay the bills and feed the mouths — I just try to keep family first and “enjoy the ride”. I actually like to be frugal, and resourceful and even figure out ways to “go without” when necessary. I FINALLY got a new pair of shoes two weeks ago, and after such a long time (They’re Dr. Martins so they really last) it seems like such an improvement in my life. I’ve been driving my car on regular gas for months even though I’m supposed to give it premium grade. When the engine light comes on, I put the right stuff in until it goes out again.