On 21 Apr 2003 at 6:28, AG Schnozz wrote:
> Great stuff there, Chris. You are absolutely right. It's amazing how
> complicated our lives become as we earn more and more money. Strange
> thing is that no matter how much you make, you always need just a
> little bit more.
Some folks get "needs" confused with "wants." There's a BIG
difference!
> I've got extra "baggage" that needs to be maintained, though. Good
> health insurance being the primary requirement. I've got another two
> years until my wife is officially declared "cured!" Young daughters
> needing all sorts of paraphenalia and a photographic habit to feed.
Just so we're clear, I *wasn't* suggesting that everyone should
become a vagabond, but was merely suggesting that one should be
clear about what one's priorities and goals in life are, and one should
NOT chase money and "things" for their own sake.
Many years ago, I had a wife and 4 kids to feed. Providing for them
as best as possible was an important "need" and, like AG, I did my
best to "take care of business."
Now, my kids are all grown-up and have their own lives to live. That
means that my "needs" are greatly reduced. So, I've rethought my
priorities and have decided that it's time to pursue another direction
down the road of life.
Many of us are from a generation that was taught that sticking with a
job, even though we might hate every minute of it, is the
"responsible" thing to do. The term "job satisfaction" simply wasn't in
our vocabulary.
All I'm advocating is that one strive toward LIFE satisfaction. Sure,
one must do what needs to be done in order to "take care of
business" (i.e. family responsibilities, etc.), but once that's done one
should be clear about what's a "need" and what's a "want" and NOT
kill oneself or ruin one's life over unimportant "wants."
> There *might* be an RV life in our future, but probably not for another
> couple of years.
The RV'ing lifestyle isn't necessarily for everyone. Sure, it sounds
really glamourous and romantic, but in many ways it's not. Cori and I
have done a lot of research and thinking/talking about the pros and
cons of full-time RV'ing before we made our decision. During that
process, we've talked to numerous people who tried it and didn't like
it for one reason or another.
My point is that one should think carefully about how one's spending
every precious moment of one's life, and make darned sure
whatever one's doing it's important. You only go through life once,
so time/energy wasted is lost forever.
> The interesting thing about top-dog jobs is that they don't get you
> closer to your "goals in life" but farther away as you become slaves to
> a lifestyle and get deeper in debt.
Depends on what your goals in life are. I merely submit that
amassing wealth and expensive possessions for their own sake isn't
necessarily a good thing.
> I would like a simpler life, but I don't want to starve getting it.
Starving isn't the point. Believe me, I *like* eating and I'm NOT
striving for that Ethiopian look. :-) I'm just substituting hamburger
for steak so that I can enjoy life a little more.
Btw, to everyone who's out of work and looking... good luck and
best wishes in your job search!
Regards,
Chris
-------------------------------------------------
Chris O'Neill (chris@xxxxxxxxx)
Joinco Enterprises Inc., Edmonton, AB Canada
Web: http://www.joinco.ca
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