What If Money Were No Object?

Crisis of Conscience

I haven't started a topic in quite a while. But today, someone sent me the video linked below.

I really enjoyed it so I decided to share it. And while it can be applied to many situations in life, I believe in particular it is of use to those still in the struggle. Those that are still striving to live for others and make those others happy at risk of remaining internally unhappy themselves for the rest of their lives.

Food for thought, even for me, who is mentally out, completely, but somewhat physically in, because of the relationships/guilts that bind us.

The best of luck, especially for the ones stuck in with no current forseeable escape. There is always a way out. But when and how can only be answered personally. No one else can do it for you. Advice is just that - advice.

As has been said rather often on this site, 'Get busy livin', or get busy dyin' '.

Check out What if money was no object?

CoC

FlyingHighNow

Thanks for sharing. I am finally on my own for the first time in my life and deciding what to do with the rest of it. I'm reading the book about Identity by Oprah's main squeeze Stedman. I wish I had done this when I was younger, but heck, who says I won't live 40 more years?

This guy poses a profound question for us. I think this will be my daydream as I wait for sleep: what if money were no object?

Heaven

Thanks for posting this CoC. If money were no object, I would not be working at the job I have today. This is why I am in the lottery pool at work. There is NO WAY they're winning and leaving me there with it all!

What makes me itch? Wool and nylon.

The other exercise is imagining you are at your 80th birthday party and you are looking back over your life. What do you want it to have been like? Did you do the things you wanted to do?

The advice I received from my parents as a teenager was "Get a good job at a good company." My parents grew up during the Great Depression.

One of my colleagues who is now retired told his children to do what they love to do because they were going to be doing it for a very long time.

I took my parent's advice. It got me away from home and the religion. It has been ok -- I work in a company where opportunities to do different jobs exist. Some jobs I have enjoyed, but on the whole it is not really what I'd like to be doing. I have spent a lot of my own personal time working for this company. At one point I used to be compensated for that extra time. Not anymore. This job is paying the bills. I am very close to retirement eligibility now so I won't be making any changes to lose that. But I would like to make changes once I have achieved RE.

I'm the person in that video that would have loved to be working with horses and be an artist. I hope I'm not too old to still do these things.

finally awake

I would like to spend my days lounging on the beach drinking margaritas, I just haven't found a way to finance that lifestyle.

Balaamsass

Thanks for the link. I like to ask myself that question from time to time.

Not everyone has that luxury for earning a living....but now that I have freed up 20+ hours a week by leaving Watchtower, I have been able to do some things I put off for years.

exwhyzee

I get what the video is saying but I do wonder who will grow the food, collect the trash, make sure the sewer system is working if we're all doing what we'd do if money were no object. I'm kinda thankful that we are forced by life to do what we'd rather not do and to get unpleasant things done a lot of the time because we have to.

d

I like the video but I am afraid life does not work that way.

blondie

But trite though it might be, "money doesn't buy everything." Solomon asked for wisdom and it still didn't keep him out of serious trouble because he didn't listen.

Crisis of Conscience

Thanks for the responses! I'll address them tomorrow from a computer. I'm on a smartphone right now and it's a little more involved posting from here while trying to consider what has been said by others.

Crisis of Conscience

FHN - You are quite welcome! It's never too late to be happy/happier!

Heaven - At one point, I had also joined a pool at work for the lottery. Alas, I didn't win. LOL Fortunately, I really like the job I have, maybe even love it. But honestly, it's not what I love to do.

I like the question you ask yourself at your future 80th birthday (and the nylon and wool answer ). Waking up to TTATT has made me feel like I have more opportunity in life to do what I want to do, what I enjoy. In the past, I only thought I was just supposed to live a self-sacrificing life, not look for a good job. But there is no guarantee that that will bring you joy, especially if it's not in your heart. Right now I am the happiest I have ever felt. I think I need to give more attention to the things I love doing though. That's why the video made me think.

Anyhow, I wish you the best in your future, especially retirement. Hang in there and keep your dreams/desires alive!

FA - How about PowerBall??

BA - Yes, exactly! I haven't quite abandoned all the meetings yet, but I have been able to enjoy some things I otherwise wouldn't have for fear of missing a meeting. Sometimes, I even miss a meeting to work overtime at my awesome job!

XYZ - Completely agree. There are plenty of things that need to be done and someone has to do them. But what I get from the video is not to let those things overtake you. Especially if you are no longer a JW, as BA brought out, some of that time can be used for you and what you enjoy. But really, it is a personal choice on how much time someone wants to devote to what makes them happy. Yet it is important, despite the other important things. Does that make sense? LOL

d - I agree that it is not easy or perhaps realistic. But the idea, at least to me, is not to give up on hapiness in hopes of one day achieving it. There is a positive message in it. Not everyone has the ability to do whatever they want, but there is a measure of control that they are responsible for.

blondie - Solomon was a dingleberry (if you believe his story ). I definitely don't believe money buys hapiness. But it is a factor in life of something that has to be acquired to live. So if getting it didn't matter or wasn't so important, I would love to do what I love to do. It doesn't take much to please me and I've never desired to be rich. But I would rather be with the ones I love and again, doing what I love, than at a job I love.

Thanks again for all for the comments!

CoC

What If Money Were No Object?

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