A boring reflection about money, collected from my passing ski season....
"I already make shit loads of money"
He said.
He was sitting across from me, in the ski gondola, and we were making our way up the mountain in the Ski Resort.
He was a handsome stylish young man, with sandy color soft hair, maybe in his early thirties, or late twenties.
He was talking to his ski buddy, and his unusual remark, made me raise my eyes and curiously focus my attention on their conversation.
The reason that his plain- spoken statement, sounded so unusual, was that ever since the global economical crisis, which reached its peak in late 2008, many people have fallen into the illusory belief that there are less opportunities, less money, and less jobs around.
As a result, you hear many more conversation about lack of opportunities, and being careful with expenses, than conversations about the ability to manifest richness.
These young snowboarders, dressed in the latest of ski fashion, looked confident and secure in their abilities.... They were young, and for them, the world is full of possibilities.
He continued:
"Since I already make shit loads of money, I ask myself, do I want to work even HARDER for even MORE money?....
I do NOT think so....
I mean, you gotta find a balance, don't you?
Hey, I figure, if you have tons of money, but no time to enjoy it, it ain't worth shit.....right?"
My curious mind, which is always trying to figure out the human experience and grow in perceptions of other people's realities and inner workings, was filled with questions, and since my husband and I were the only other passengers on the gondola, I wanted to ask these guys some questions.
I had a distinct feeling that they would answer anything I'll ask them comfortably, but I did not, and we reached the top of the mountain, and unloaded.
We wished one another a great ski day, and went our separate ways.
The second time I heard the same expression, was on that same gondola.
This time, it was a group of five young men, also in their late twenties, all playing with their iPhones, and chatting nonchalantly.
The conversation was about their careers, and their investments.
One of the young men, raised his eyes from his iPhone, and said: "This has been a GREAT year for me.... I've made shit loads of money!"
His friends started talking about their investments in the stock market, and they exchanged stock tips.
I listened to them and was amazed by their level of confidence and sense of security....during this changing economy.
I guess when you are so young, and you make your own money,...... and it comes to you so easily...... you do not tend to overvalue it, or to put too much importance on the efforts you put to attract it.....
Making money becomes just a game.....and what young man does not likes to play games?.....
I contemplated that there is something very liberating about the way these snowboarders think.........
I liked their light attitude and how they do NOT cling to their jobs too desperately.
I think it got something to do with these kinds of sports, like surfing, mountain biking, extreme boarding, skiing and snowboarding.
These sports teaches one to be flexible, take risks, make jumps, be willing to take a serious tumble, and get up and ski as if nothing happened....
It encourage a lighter attitude towards life and it puts a priority on keeping an open mind, a keen eye on the ever changing terrain.
You learn to take life lightly and to be FLEXIBLE about the challenges you encounter, be it tall waves, cliffs and heavy snow,....... or put differently, the unexpected rocky road of life.
You learn to be self reliant, and you need to develop good survival skills, instead of putting your faith in the corporation or the bosses or the Union, to protect your rights....
You learn to have FUN with the ride....instead of tensely gripping to your seat with fear.
Every snowboarder and skier knows that if you are too tense, every fall could break your bones.... But if you are flexible and role with it, with no resistance, you will be fine....
You get up, shake off the snow, go find your poles, or surf board, and you give thanks that you are all right....(do you see the parallels to living life here?)
Those who cling to their jobs...... those who are desperate,....... those who believe that they will never get another chance like the one that got away....... are always those who get hurt.
The flexible ones, bounce back easily.
And then the boys started talking about numbers.
I perked up with interest....I wanted to know what "shit loads of money" means to these young men.....
This is because I have learnt, that one must reach the delicate and elusive point, between honest contentment and inner understanding that enough is enough...... Or one keeps on craving for abstract goals forever.....
The guy said that he bought a stock for 3 dollars and sold it for 12 dollars,
but he confessed that he only bought 100 shares.
I quickly calculated, that he had made a gross of $900
I felt a bit astonished..... And then my thoughts drifted to that same morning....
Over our morning tea, my husband told me that one of our investments is making a "small" distribution, and that we will get a small check in the mail in the next few days.
When I asked how much is small?.....
He answered $7000
I looked at these young men, who feels so confident and successful.... And thought about so many of my friends, who never feel this successful, no matter how much money they have.....
The funny thing in observing relative terms, is that later the same day, we talked about making a possible expense, and we mentioned that $7000 is a LOT of money to spend....
So $7000 can be very little, AND a lot of money at the same time.....
And I was silly enough to think that $7000 is just $7000....
But it is true.
$7000 to spend on buying a house, or a brand new car, is a BARGAIN....
But $7000 to spend on a meal, or a short weekend, is indeed A LOT of money.
This relative different in terms, brought to my mind how fluid the meaning of money is.....How it all depend on what we think we need.......
And how vast the difference between people's perceptions of how much is a lot.
I thought about how contentment with your situation, is so relative to your circumstances, journey and expectations.
How many of us look at a pay check of $900 and think to themselves: "Boy, I am SO fucking successful.... I make shit loads of money...."
I would venture to say a VERY SMALL percentage of us...
I know a woman who told me that she was once VERY wealthy....but that she lost it all.... Because she made too many bad choices....
And when I inquired, she told me that she had $70,000 in savings, but she did not own a home or anything else.... Yet she honestly viewed herself as once being VERY wealthy.
I understood that her perception of A LOT, got something to do with the fact that she lost it all... And $70,000 is indeed a lot to loose.... And that her guilt and remorse, are what making her magnify this amount in her own perception....she simply cannot forgive herself and get past this...
I know another man, who has houses and investments and a net worth of 10 million dollars, who view himself as just middle class, and NOT wealthy.
We live in a world of personal goals, personal perception and personal possibilities.
If you've lost your job, and cannot find another in the same field, maybe it is time to look for a change of paths.... Or to invent a new career.
I saw an interview with a woman, who invented a career for herself, in an industry that never existed before.... Get this... She is a "Baby Name Consultant".
Apparently, in a busy society, people have no time to research ideas for meaningful baby names.....
But there is a commonly held belief, that names are very important, and that they have the ability to give their baby better opportunities, later in life....
So there is a thriving new industry of baby name..... (if you don't believe me, read the article, I will post the link in the comment to this note)
The most important thing, is to move from a feeling of powerlessness or a victim of circumstances, into a position of power, in which you are feeling capable to create all that you wish for....
We are always so hard on ourselves....we rarely give ourselves a break....
We hold such high expectations towards life... Towards our careers.... Towards what define "success".....
And then try to stand on top of your own mountain.... Look around your life (not towards others) and declare your own successes...
Find your own spot of contentment....stop looking or counting your failures...
Can you be this confident?
Remember this young man...
So confident and secure in his abilities.... Who feels so good about playing and earning "shit loads of money" equal= $900...
And ask yourself honestly..... can you look at your own life and feel as good as he does?...
Here is the link to the "Baby Naming Consultant" story:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html
He said.
He was sitting across from me, in the ski gondola, and we were making our way up the mountain in the Ski Resort.
He was a handsome stylish young man, with sandy color soft hair, maybe in his early thirties, or late twenties.
He was talking to his ski buddy, and his unusual remark, made me raise my eyes and curiously focus my attention on their conversation.
The reason that his plain- spoken statement, sounded so unusual, was that ever since the global economical crisis, which reached its peak in late 2008, many people have fallen into the illusory belief that there are less opportunities, less money, and less jobs around.
As a result, you hear many more conversation about lack of opportunities, and being careful with expenses, than conversations about the ability to manifest richness.
These young snowboarders, dressed in the latest of ski fashion, looked confident and secure in their abilities.... They were young, and for them, the world is full of possibilities.
He continued:
"Since I already make shit loads of money, I ask myself, do I want to work even HARDER for even MORE money?....
I do NOT think so....
I mean, you gotta find a balance, don't you?
Hey, I figure, if you have tons of money, but no time to enjoy it, it ain't worth shit.....right?"
My curious mind, which is always trying to figure out the human experience and grow in perceptions of other people's realities and inner workings, was filled with questions, and since my husband and I were the only other passengers on the gondola, I wanted to ask these guys some questions.
I had a distinct feeling that they would answer anything I'll ask them comfortably, but I did not, and we reached the top of the mountain, and unloaded.
We wished one another a great ski day, and went our separate ways.
The second time I heard the same expression, was on that same gondola.
This time, it was a group of five young men, also in their late twenties, all playing with their iPhones, and chatting nonchalantly.
The conversation was about their careers, and their investments.
One of the young men, raised his eyes from his iPhone, and said: "This has been a GREAT year for me.... I've made shit loads of money!"
His friends started talking about their investments in the stock market, and they exchanged stock tips.
I listened to them and was amazed by their level of confidence and sense of security....during this changing economy.
I guess when you are so young, and you make your own money,...... and it comes to you so easily...... you do not tend to overvalue it, or to put too much importance on the efforts you put to attract it.....
Making money becomes just a game.....and what young man does not likes to play games?.....
I contemplated that there is something very liberating about the way these snowboarders think.........
I liked their light attitude and how they do NOT cling to their jobs too desperately.
I think it got something to do with these kinds of sports, like surfing, mountain biking, extreme boarding, skiing and snowboarding.
These sports teaches one to be flexible, take risks, make jumps, be willing to take a serious tumble, and get up and ski as if nothing happened....
It encourage a lighter attitude towards life and it puts a priority on keeping an open mind, a keen eye on the ever changing terrain.
You learn to take life lightly and to be FLEXIBLE about the challenges you encounter, be it tall waves, cliffs and heavy snow,....... or put differently, the unexpected rocky road of life.
You learn to be self reliant, and you need to develop good survival skills, instead of putting your faith in the corporation or the bosses or the Union, to protect your rights....
You learn to have FUN with the ride....instead of tensely gripping to your seat with fear.
Every snowboarder and skier knows that if you are too tense, every fall could break your bones.... But if you are flexible and role with it, with no resistance, you will be fine....
You get up, shake off the snow, go find your poles, or surf board, and you give thanks that you are all right....(do you see the parallels to living life here?)
Those who cling to their jobs...... those who are desperate,....... those who believe that they will never get another chance like the one that got away....... are always those who get hurt.
The flexible ones, bounce back easily.
And then the boys started talking about numbers.
I perked up with interest....I wanted to know what "shit loads of money" means to these young men.....
This is because I have learnt, that one must reach the delicate and elusive point, between honest contentment and inner understanding that enough is enough...... Or one keeps on craving for abstract goals forever.....
The guy said that he bought a stock for 3 dollars and sold it for 12 dollars,
but he confessed that he only bought 100 shares.
I quickly calculated, that he had made a gross of $900
I felt a bit astonished..... And then my thoughts drifted to that same morning....
Over our morning tea, my husband told me that one of our investments is making a "small" distribution, and that we will get a small check in the mail in the next few days.
When I asked how much is small?.....
He answered $7000
I looked at these young men, who feels so confident and successful.... And thought about so many of my friends, who never feel this successful, no matter how much money they have.....
The funny thing in observing relative terms, is that later the same day, we talked about making a possible expense, and we mentioned that $7000 is a LOT of money to spend....
So $7000 can be very little, AND a lot of money at the same time.....
And I was silly enough to think that $7000 is just $7000....
But it is true.
$7000 to spend on buying a house, or a brand new car, is a BARGAIN....
But $7000 to spend on a meal, or a short weekend, is indeed A LOT of money.
This relative different in terms, brought to my mind how fluid the meaning of money is.....How it all depend on what we think we need.......
And how vast the difference between people's perceptions of how much is a lot.
I thought about how contentment with your situation, is so relative to your circumstances, journey and expectations.
How many of us look at a pay check of $900 and think to themselves: "Boy, I am SO fucking successful.... I make shit loads of money...."
I would venture to say a VERY SMALL percentage of us...
I know a woman who told me that she was once VERY wealthy....but that she lost it all.... Because she made too many bad choices....
And when I inquired, she told me that she had $70,000 in savings, but she did not own a home or anything else.... Yet she honestly viewed herself as once being VERY wealthy.
I understood that her perception of A LOT, got something to do with the fact that she lost it all... And $70,000 is indeed a lot to loose.... And that her guilt and remorse, are what making her magnify this amount in her own perception....she simply cannot forgive herself and get past this...
I know another man, who has houses and investments and a net worth of 10 million dollars, who view himself as just middle class, and NOT wealthy.
We live in a world of personal goals, personal perception and personal possibilities.
If you've lost your job, and cannot find another in the same field, maybe it is time to look for a change of paths.... Or to invent a new career.
I saw an interview with a woman, who invented a career for herself, in an industry that never existed before.... Get this... She is a "Baby Name Consultant".
Apparently, in a busy society, people have no time to research ideas for meaningful baby names.....
But there is a commonly held belief, that names are very important, and that they have the ability to give their baby better opportunities, later in life....
So there is a thriving new industry of baby name..... (if you don't believe me, read the article, I will post the link in the comment to this note)
The most important thing, is to move from a feeling of powerlessness or a victim of circumstances, into a position of power, in which you are feeling capable to create all that you wish for....
We are always so hard on ourselves....we rarely give ourselves a break....
We hold such high expectations towards life... Towards our careers.... Towards what define "success".....
And then try to stand on top of your own mountain.... Look around your life (not towards others) and declare your own successes...
Find your own spot of contentment....stop looking or counting your failures...
Can you be this confident?
Remember this young man...
So confident and secure in his abilities.... Who feels so good about playing and earning "shit loads of money" equal= $900...
And ask yourself honestly..... can you look at your own life and feel as good as he does?...
Here is the link to the "Baby Naming Consultant" story:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html
