“Change your life today. Don’t Gamble on the future, act now without delay.” Simone de Beauvior
I can’t say I do this consistently, but one of the filters I use to make decisions is: which way of doing this will maximize the quality of the years I have remaining? I have a limited number of years left and I am trying to make sense of them. This all started after my last divorce (I’ve had two, so I am becoming a little of an authority on this) when I determined I need to get my expenses under control or I would be homeless in a few years, or at the least very unhappy. It took me over four years to create the metamorphosis of my financial life. I can now pay all my expenses out of current income and have money left over to do irrational things that make life fun. To be sure, the paradigm I live in is much different than it was 4 or 10 years ago. The fallout of this is now decisions and plans are made with the thought as to how to maximize the quality of my life. Notice I didn’t say happiness or fun. They are very important, but not what forms the foundation of a quality life. It’s about determining what the meaning of life is for oneself and then trying to be true to that. I don’t always follow the crowd. Sometimes, I take a certain pride in being “different”. Often, we have little latitude in being an individual and we need to take it where we can get it. If more people adapted this plan to their circumstances, I believe the world would be a happier more peaceful place with a much greater quality of life. For you, like me, this is a concept that can’t be “swallowed” in a day.
Pete's Wisdom 