Last week I started a new (to me) book, Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, and it seems that I’ve finally found something that explains what I’ve been trying to say about consumerism and our obsession with money for some time now.
Special thanks goes to my new friend, Theresa Augustin, for recommending this one!
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature’s recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life
I’ve been saying for some time now that I think many of us who have been working in tech and/or the white collar world for any length of time have gotten a little too comfortable with our big paychecks, lavish benefits, and ongoing promotions. We’ve come to expect that such an income level is sustainable and, therefore, that we can afford to live a lifestyle that also continues to grow and grow and grow.
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn’t be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin’ in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few
Accordingly, we’ve leaned into a lifestyle of fancy cars, McMansions, fancy dinners, high-end clothing, unlimited toys, and lavish vacations. But what happens when, like now, we find our industry shrinking and our salaries disappearing along with it? Daily on LinkedIn I see posts from highly skilled tech colleagues who have been unemployed for a year or more, are out of money, struggling to feed their families, and even living in their cars.
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They’ll come to you!
We’ve spent years of our precious lives idling in traffic, stuck behind a computer screen, or trapped in a conference room and for what? For a fat paycheck that we’ve allowed ourselves to become beholden to?
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That’s why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life
Maybe it’s time we each take a breath and think about what we really want out of life. Is it the most extravagant lifestyle? Or is it something more simple? Something where we are free to do things that we truly enjoy on our own time and in our own ways? Something where we have the time to dedicate to our families, friends, and communities, and the causes that fill us with a sense of purpose and joy?
Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Well, next time beware
Don’t pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don’t need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw;
Have I given you a clue?
What would you be willing to give up to get back to a life that frees you from the stress, anxiety, and pressure you’ve come to know as a result of our keeping-up-with-the-joneses approach to life? Would you be willing to sell your McMansion? Drive a more affordable car? Wear more casual clothing?
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They’ll come to you!
In my Career Nirvana program, I talk about the “Survivability” of a career choice. If you’re used to living on the salary of a DBA, and you’re thinking of becoming a teacher, for example, then you might be in for a rude awakening when you learn of the salary difference. But there are two ways to make your budget balance — you can increase your income, sure, but you can also decrease your costs.
“So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
‘Cause let me tell you something, little britches
If you act like that bee acts – uh-uh
You’re working too hard
And don’t spend your time lookin’ around
For something you want that can’t be found”
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin’ about it
I’ll tell you something true
And if you decide to reduce your spending, maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that you can finally get off the hamster wheel of life and actually enjoy yourself.
The bare necessities of life will come to you
Life is short and fleeting. Before you know it, we’ll be old and gray, and it’ll be too late to do what we always dreamed of. How are you spending you limited time?
A little inspiration: https://youtu.be/S7GmYblmaMs?si=fiQ75d2mish9Bs2v
nicolederr.com 