Thursday, March 24, 2005

Somewhere Something Went Wrong

The separation between good and bad is tiny compared to the separation between good and best.

I don’t want to live a good life. I want to live the best life! Somewhere in the past, I started accepting that ‘good’ was good enough. Think about the term ‘good enough’, it inherently says there is something better. I went and bought the nice car, nice toys and house. I have a good job. I, like most consumers buried myself in debt and all the ‘good’ things. But, it is like what Rockefeller said when asked how much money would be enough, “A little bit more” he said. Why do we think a little bit more will make us happy? We have almost all believed it at some point in our lives. The car was fun and fast but not fast enough to make me not want something more.

Here I find myself a slave to my job because I have to support my debt. I am striving and striving and all just for good enough. Simplicity seems a lost art. The ability to live simply so you can enjoy life. How did I miss it… it is… so… simple.

Once you have gone down this road, it can seem so impossible to get out. You can either accept the burden you have placed on yourself and continue the current course. The course of keeping up with the Jones’, the course of a little bit more, or you can fight! You can decide to simplify your life, live well inside of your means, get out of debt, work to support your life rather then have work be your life. I want Best, I have put another roadblock in the way of living Best but at least it has woken me up and put me back in the fight for Best.

By the time I have a wife and kids I want to have time to be a Father and a Husband. I want to have the Best life. I have noticed the Best life is not always the easiest, but why settle for less? You only live once, so why not live.

10 comments:

Aimee said...

To live simply is a lost art and most people forget that money is just money.

Yes, i've said it, and i believe it.

Nice things are wonderful to have, but it's not necessary to live. God tells us not to worry about tomorrow because it will take care of itself, and not to worry about our daily needs. He's got them under control.

Remember, money is the most fluid thing you'll ever own. Money comes, money goes. You'll always get more, and it will never fully provide what we all need.

The Cure said...

I think Money is like Dry Ice it will quickly evaporate into thin air without leaving a trace if you don't keep it locked away in a cold dark place.

Unknown said...

I love this post...

We seem to be programmed to want more. It appears to be an affliction that many members of the human race seems to suffer. If we actually only bought the things we truly needed our might hang around longer, but on the other side of it...what was money created for...to buy goods and services...

We can save but eventually the money is going to get spent, whether by us or the person/government/corporation who claims it after we die.

I think the trick to living the best life is to learn to live in the moment and to find all the good that is happening in that second.

GregS said...

Probably off topic but you have a knack for stating your point well. This was one of the best written posts I've read recently.

The Cure said...

Spiritdancer,

I absolutly agree, and how are we ever going to be able to live in the moment if we are working 60 hours a week and stressing out about meeting more and more bills?

Midnight Star said...

As shepgc pointed out, I, as well like reading your posts because they are always so insightful. After reading them, it calls for a little reflection and it's great that you continue to deliver us such entertaining posts. Thanks.

The Cure said...

Sara,

I don't know your situation Sara... You guys may have found a way to make it work. But...

Statistics show that most couples that fight, fight about money issues.

Plus a lot of people I know think that being a stable person and becoming responsible means haveing tons of bills and working too much...

Lastly, a lot of people I know won't freely admit it, but if you catch them on the right day they will admit they are lonely, stressed, or just plain wore out. They have spouses they feel like they have lost an intamate connection with and their kids are growing up with one or sometimes two parents that are just a little to out of the picture.

Two new cars and a house you can barley pay for and he is not done yet... Do you ever worry about the not done yet, part?

We start out working 40 hours and it is that "not done yet" that gets us enslaved to working or stressing out 50, 60, even 70 hours a week. When does responsible adult turn into a bad habit? When does stability turn into a husband you never see that is keeping a steady job?

It is sometimes hard to know where the line is... Like I said you guys may have found a good place to make it work... As for me, I am going to try to shoot for conservative knowing full well we tend toward excessive.

Thanks for the insight.

An Epistemology said...

Have you seen the new cartoon movie Robots? I think the movie (which I am probably reading into it too much) is a metaphore for our society. I won't tell you what the movie's point is but I found it goes along with your post. I agree with you. I am the only one I know that doesn't have cable!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the rest, excellent post.

The only trouble is, how does one apply it? I am drawing near the end of my college career and how do I keep my life so simple? I want to have a wife and kids; what sort of job could I find in that narrow range between the poor house and extravagence?

I don't ask these as simply academic questions; if anyone has any good ideas, let me know.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the rest, excellent post. thanks ,,


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