Money Lesson #4 Part 3: Fulfillment
It is like water. I just can't get a hold of it
This post is 710 words, a 3-minute read. Enjoy!
This is a continuation of our Money Lesson Series. Last week, we continued discussing Lesson #4: The Journey. We broke down part 1: Security. How we create our “Soft Life”. We continue on that lesson today. Hope you enjoy.
If we were to call Money Lesson #4 an object it would be water.
Security is the solid phase aka ice. It has structure and there are boundaries and limits to what you can do and how you can do it.
Fulfillment is the liquid phase aka water. It has some structure but can easily change to fit any new environment it is poured into.
For anyone who is like me THIS IS A PROBLEM!!
In the security phase, we were able to quantify so much of our lives. There are numbers and equations and ratios and rules that we can easily follow to ensure our life is in a great place. The problem arises when it is time to remove ourselves from the spreadsheet and live life. As Ramit Sethi loves to say, "A Rich Life is not lived in a spreadsheet."
This can be a crippling feeling. Fulfillment unlike security is something you discover as you move through life. It means it is more like a science experiment than a math homework with one correct answer.
(Side note: a math question can actually have multiple answers. What is 1+1 if both 1 are sand piles? But ignore those situations and rock with my analogy).
This means Mistakes will be made! There will be waste. And the outcome is not always certain until you have tried various options. For anyone who leans towards hoarding, waste is the greatest offense you can make with money.
The reality is waste is almost a necessary part of learning about yourself. Waste is how we figure out what matters and what does not. It is the trying different options that allows us to know what we like. Of course, there are things we know naturally we take no pleasure in being a part of. An example for me is going to lounges, big parties, late night parties, alcohol, clubs, clothes, restaurants, traveling just to travel. The list could continue. But I have discovered over time that there are some things that I enjoy that I would never have known about.
I never knew I actually loved live music until I decided on a whim to go to a concert with a friend. It turned out to be a magical experience. Hearing the band play, being in an atmosphere with other people who enjoyed the songs just as much as you. IT WAS AMAZING!
Prior to this, I had been to a few concerts for artists that were popular but not my cup of tea, so I always thought concerts were overrated. But when I finally went to a concert of an artist whose music I actually liked. It was such a great use of money.
Another seemingly waste of money was me buying an extra ticket to a concert as an excuse to have the courage to ask out my now fiancée. In the moment, it felt like a total waste when she said no but now it was the greatest waste of $40 EVER!
My point is waste is inevitable when it comes to finding things that bring fulfillment to your life.
Hence the importance of having security in place first. So, you have the freedom to explore and not hurt your future.
Thanks for reading.
See you soon
God Bless You
Remember Generosity>greed
✌🏾
Recommendation Section
A new podcast I am loving is called 50Fires. It is by Carl Richards, a recovering Financial Planner and Advisor, who although could help other people with their finances. Had a difficult time talking about money with his wife and children. It has quickly become one of my most anticipated podcast to listen to every week.
Morgan Housel in Quiet Compounding talks about how good things tend to happen slowly and is easily missed. He breaks the 4 ways that is either ignored or implemented in life.