Worried and focused
My worries have changed over the years. In simpler times, I used to worry about graduating from college. I wanted to make my family, specifically my mother, proud of me. I had this constant fear of not being enough, not contributing my part to the family. After achieving my goal, my worries immediately morphed to making as much money as possible.
I was chasing the dollar and in a way I still am. However, after taking the time to really consider why I want money, I don’t worry about it in the same way as I used to. This year has shown me that there really only a few things that are truly necessary for my happiness:
- Work that introduces me to unique challenges on a daily or weekly basis;
- My family;
- Good food;
- Travel;
- Anime and manga;
- Books;
- A place to sleep.
Everything that isn’t included in that list is just an extra luxury. For the most part, the biggest expense on that list would be having a home, being able to sleep comfortably without having to worry about where I will sleep tomorrow. And because of this list, my worries about earning a decent living have narrowed down.
I’ve been considering what do I want to use my money for when it comes to any surplus I may have after spending on my essentials. I don’t want to fall into the trap of not building wealth and more importantly, I don’t want to accumulate wealth without a strategy for how to use it. What’s the point of creating wealth if I can’t use it to help others, especially after I die?
Image Credit: Unsplash
