Been thinking about life recently. We're taught in school to work hard, get good grades so that we can have a professional certification/college degree and then be able to attain the promised land of work. Then we work, with the ups and downs, job changes, relocations, layoffs, etc. 30+ years of this until we squeeze enough money in those brokerage accounts to have them work for us and enjoy the rest of our life. Then we retire for some period of time and get some golden years before health goes downhill -- and we die. And most of us live lives of quiet desperation in the meantime. Being a bit philosophical here. What is the point of life? Friends/family/hobbies/relationships? Those are important, I agree -- but family alone doesn't give life inherent meaning. Neither does a particular hobby, nor friendships all by itself.
https://www.playingwithfire.co/retirementcalculator Do your best and escape
This! Also Your Money or Your Life is a great read which will guide you through figuring out what you value.
Welcome to your first Existential crisis
💯
And boy do they suck!
"A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved."
I love OPs thoughts, very profound. If you take all forms of loans like mortgage into your consideration, you will probably realize that the expense of living is to make the few of the few filthy rich, because they gave you the leverage to get the money you don't own upfront, but need to work better half of your life for it
What's the other option my friend? Passion and purpose are gifted to a select few, the rest of us need to ride the waves. Enjoy the good times, endure the bad, and repeat.
Life is too short to chase just 1 metric - money. Life is not a faang job where you live from quarter to quarter chasing impacccc. Once you let go of the money metric, you are free to let go of the demanding job that takes your brain cells to BS. With the newly found free time, do different things until you find your calling. This is how most startup founders came about. This is how career switches happen. This is how happy families are built. This is how you live many different lives before you are 60. After 60, your body really can't take as much adventure as you imagine. All of these people decided to not waste their one single life stressing about BS impacccc. Let go, live free.
Life IS too short. I was in a pretty bad car accident, the frame was twisted. According to the doctor, I was lucky to walk away with minimal injury, I should not have been able to walk away. My life changed after that. I used to chase promos and was on track to hit VP and I gave it all up because I didn't feel fulfilled. I now focus on work that has meaning and is fun yet demanding. I still work really hard but don't hesitate to challenge managers when they make up BS feedback. Because my work is so visible and I am so loud, those managers cannot do anything. Still get promos. I will also quit on the spot if I encounter too much toxicity. Never had an issue finding another job. I won't FIRE but I have enough to be comfortable.
What do you do now?
I left the race (at least what I’d call the race) and now own a farm in a beautiful rural area with a mild climate. I still am in a leadership role at a high-value startup and have my own consultancy, but I’m working ~45 hrs/week with great WLB. I bring in maybe 250k, but would be happy to halve it. I’m not close to retirement, but I get more value from the farming, the family and the community I’m a part of. I put more effort into my farm and relationships than my job, although I put a lot into that too. If I don’t care for something and can’t learn to, I learn to leave it alone. It helps that a living wage here is $9/hr, but leaving the big city, the FAANG job that paid 1.5x and the bs politics behind cured ailments physical and mental. I’m not particularly spiritual, but I’m open to changing that and believe it would help me grow even more.
Damn bro you are living my dream life 🧬
Love it. And if you are open to becoming more spiritual: "seek and you will find". Try reading through the whole book of John. Instead of focusing on doubts about miracles and things, just try to focus on seeing *what kind of person* Jesus was/is. Then evaluate miracles and hard to believe things. But... if there is documentation of sincere love personified, then that should not be easily ignored. Here's the first chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NIV&interface=print
Here is some philosophy for you - Point of life is living. The alternate state is being dead. With every breath you take, you are inherently fighting for your life. Now, how you live is entirely up to you.
Yeah, not saying I disagree with the religious takes in this thread per se, but this one is also very valid. Or alternatively, point of life is struggle. This is what Marx said, and Darwin.
Childhood is the best phase of our life after that life becomes stressful
Depends on how your childhood went.
That's why I am planning to FIRE + no kids I'm going to return to my lazy carefree childhood days
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Your stocks just got 20% up man. Be happy
That's why he has the luxury of asking himself this question
i feel the same way as op lol just meta thoughts