Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Rat Race - And then what?

So you got that new promotion you wanted? Cool! More money, I bet!
What do you plan to do with it?

LED TV! Yay!

Nice! And then what?

Bose Home Theatre!

Great! And then what?

Blu-Ray player!

Ok. And then what?

I'll be content. I promise. serious. Trust me.

That LED TV, was it 3D that you wanted?

Oh! 3D's out? No I had only thought of a 46" one!

I hear there's a 55" one out.

Oh! Ok that's the very last thing I need and then I'll be content. serious.

This is never going to stop. It's a vicious cycle. Money needs more money to survive.

Wah. Very profound. Care to enlighten me?

You make so much money. Now you are worried you might lose it. So you try to protect it. How? By maybe hiring security. How do you hire them? With more money!
You buy a HD TV and then you realize you can't enjoy it's benefits without HD transmission. You need to throw out your existing set top box, buy a new one with HD capabilities, pay more every month. It doesn't stop.
You buy a much better car. A sedan compared to the old beaten up hatchback that you drive and guess what? You put in more fuel? More expensive maintainance? More money!
The more you crave for these possessions, the more you are stuck making money to take care of the money you already have. And crave you will. I mean there are so many things that you don't have and who could possibly resist all these temptations?
It doesn't stop. It never does. And then what?

Hmm now that you put it that way, I feel guilty to even crave for a ice cream right now. What do you think I need to do?

They say time is money. So instead of putting your money(time) making more money to retain and enjoy the money you already have, why don't you put it in pursuit of more intangible things?

What's intangible?

Simple stuff. Things like riding a bicycle. You never forgot once you learnt. Did you? I'll leave you to figure out the rest, but remember even when you lose all that you have, you won't lose these ... ever.


This dialogue with self was inspired by a long standing desire to buy a LED TV and constant demands from family and friends to upgrade my old beaten up hatchback, both of which I've resisted upgrading ... for now

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