"The things you own end up owning you."
Tyler Durden, Fight Club
I'll simply put this example straightforward, who you would rather be?
CASE A:
This guy works in a transnational company and is pointed as a "role model" inside the company. Has a high income due to the promotions obtained by giving away years of his life for the company. Has a very nice house and a beautiful Mercedes Benz that he uses to impress the girls inside the company (and believe me, he does). Nonetheless, by spending so much time working 10 -12 hours per day + commuting, the place where he spends less time is his beautiful house, and this beautiful car that symbolizes his success is parked 12 hours a day receiving sun. Also, he owns everything to the bank, so he will have to keep this 12-hour workday lifestyle for the next 30 years. Occasionally on weekends (when he is not working) he takes his car and goes for a date with a new girl from the job (obviously, he only can meet girls there), the girl is impressed about how "successful" is this guy and they spend a brief relationship together until the guy repeats the process with some other girl.
CASE A:
This guy works in a transnational company and is pointed as a "role model" inside the company. Has a high income due to the promotions obtained by giving away years of his life for the company. Has a very nice house and a beautiful Mercedes Benz that he uses to impress the girls inside the company (and believe me, he does). Nonetheless, by spending so much time working 10 -12 hours per day + commuting, the place where he spends less time is his beautiful house, and this beautiful car that symbolizes his success is parked 12 hours a day receiving sun. Also, he owns everything to the bank, so he will have to keep this 12-hour workday lifestyle for the next 30 years. Occasionally on weekends (when he is not working) he takes his car and goes for a date with a new girl from the job (obviously, he only can meet girls there), the girl is impressed about how "successful" is this guy and they spend a brief relationship together until the guy repeats the process with some other girl.
I'm not lying, the car is really amazing
CASE B:
This guy has a small internet business that sells merchandise imported from China. It does not provide much income, but it is enough to pay the rent, to pay the food and be able to do the stuff that he likes like biking, reading, drink wine, etc. He does not have a beautiful car, he does not even have a car, he has a scooter, but due to the fact that his internet business is almost self-attended, he can spend the whole week traveling to a new beach when he likes. He does not produce the amount of money that the other guy does, but he has 90% more time to do the stuff he likes, and he is able to spend more time with his family, close friends, and his beloved girlfriend.
This is the scooter that he uses through the week to discover new places
Now comes the question, between A and B, which one is the rich guy?
As you guess, for me B is the answer. Your time (apart from health) is the most valuable asset that you have, your existence in this world is limited and it will end someday, and every second that you spend doing something unfulfilling will not come back. I know, the luxury car and the house can be tempting, but studies have shown that what really makes people happy are the experiences, not the possessions.
Think it in this way, if you spend your whole day in a company working, and you only use your house for the sleeping hours, what is the difference between a small apartment to a big mansion??? is none because you will not be spending time there, it is like if you own and paradise island with a mansion on the other side of the world, but you can never go there because you need to spend your time working. I know the car is impressive, but if it's going to be parked 12 hours a day receiving sun, and will be only used occasionally, what is the difference between owning a Mercedes Benz or a Scooter if you are no using it? Again... the difference is none.
Having a rich life is defined by three factors:
- Wealth: have the money to the stuff you like.
- Time: have the time to the stuff you like.
- Mobility: Being able to go to the places that you like to do the stuff you like.
CASE A has a lot of wealth, but he does not have any time or mobility because he needs to spend his time working. CASE B has a better balance between the three factors and he is enjoying more out of his life.
I have adopted minimalism as a way of life and all my possessions can fit in a car's trunk, I will come back to this topic later, but for now, give it a thought of who is the rich person, and how you can improve your life by having a better wealth, health and mobility balance.
Until next time.
Bye.
