Tim Ferriss, who wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, has a great eponymous blog subtitled “Experiments in Lifestyle Design” – which is a fantastic way of saying that you aren’t locked into your life. When it’s time to change, change.
http://www.themillionairesecrets.net/how-to-change-your-life-in-21-days/
Mr. Ferriss posted video of Rolf Potts, who wrote Vagabonding about long-term travel, giving a speech about principles of travel that also apply to life at home. His primary idea is to think of wealth as time – time to do exactly what you want, time to spend with loved ones, time to enjoy yourself. I’ve always thought of having financial wealth as a tool for creating time and options, and his point just skips the middleman. Wealth = time. I recommend watching the video, it’s worth five minutes of your day.
I’m particularly struck by this thought right now, I think, because I’m about to graduate from grad school and trying to decide what I want to do with myself. There’s a world of possibilities and huge change is intrinsic to every option. It’s just one of those times in life, which seem to come along every few years for me, when a huge upheaval is circumstantially necessary – and I’m actually feeling pretty ready for it.
For me, wealth and time means being able to spend time with people I love doing something I love – which is, many times, having people over and cooking for them. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal, and (while I know I spend lots of money and time on special little ridiculous tablescapes becauase I enjoy it so much) all you need is some food on a plate and people you like to have a great evening. Simplicity works and baggage just weighs you down; not only in design, but in the rest of life.
In this vein, my father’s book Payback Time is coming out tomorrow, and the entire point of the book is that we can all create enough wealth for ourselves that we don’t have to depend on anyone else and can do whatever we like with our time.
I’m devoting BB&B this week to a series of menus based on Payback Time, from an elaborate dinner to appetizers for someone who would rather spend their precious time doing something other than cooking. Investing is usually a solitary activity, but talking about ideas with other people can not only make it a lot more fun, it can generate ideas you might not have ever come across. At it’s heart, this blog is about doing what you love, and I hope these ideas will inspire you to find the time (and wealth) to do what you love.
Dani, this blog post makes me so excited to see what you end up doing!! I love reading your daily entries, and enjoy all the ideas that you come up with, and hope that you get to spend more time being creative, and doing what makes you the happiest!!
Aw thanks Tor! I think it’s all going to work out. I have lots of faith. Maybe I’ll come live with you ;)
I have lots of faith it will work out, too….and then some. You are going to have one fabulous life, Ms. Town! Nahmean?
Danielle, thanks for the most amazing plug for the book and the thoughtful blog on going forward. Its hard to not sound like a dad when I’m writing this but – and I write this with as much objectivity as possible in the circumstance – you are an amazing person and if I were you (but knowing what I know from having an additional 30 years of life behind me) I would not be the least bit concerned about my future. I can tell you this: Its going to be a great adventure. Just remember what you wrote here: wealthtime. So true.
Thanks, Dad! You’re the best. So fun to plug the book and I hope I get to do more of it.