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My ideal life wouldn't be much different then the life I'm living now, except my friends would be better off. Life would be perfect if some of them weren't dealing with sick spouses and financial issues. Life would be way more fun if I had tens of millions of dollars to give away and a private jet to fly us all away on fantastic adventures. Even better if I could bring my dogs and cat every where too. I hate being away from them for extended periods.
I have believed for a long time that a lot of what we call "mental illness" or other undesirable mental conditions are created by poor societal conditions, and/or perceived inability to live the kind of life we want to live.
Thus I have a simple pair of questions for y'all, in the name of trying to figure out if there is a disconnect between people's reality and their ideal life, and how large it is if there is one.
1) What is your idea of the life you would most love to live? Be as detailed as you can be.
2) What basic conditions of your current life don't match the conditions of your ideal life, and why do you feel that you cannot make those conditions ideal right now?
Looking forward to a lively discussion!
1) I would love to be financially free. A paid for, simple home. The freedom to work a simple job without lingering after effects, one that would allow me to not have to think about work while not working. A lifestyle that would enable me more time to pursue things I enjoy; playing more sports, playing more poker, playing more video games, reading more books, watching more enlightening films.
I'd love to have the freedom to drift, not be tied down to any one place forever if I decided not to be. Location wise, I'd love to drift around NE Washington/N Idaho/W Montana, and/or random average-sized/small cities in the Midwest. Or even my native California. But always drifting, or at least having the ability to drift.
The ability to wake up on my own terms; I love sunrise, but don't want to have to wake up early enough to see it.
I want friends. Ride or die friends. People I can count on, and people that can count on me.
Feeling love again would be nice. I'm married IRL, but I will get to that in my #2 answer.
Feeling free, and feeling good.
2) I own a business. I have a mortgage. My business runs 24x7x365, and it causes me to lose sleep, or play baby-sitter/problem solver for dozens of people every day/hour of the week. I have very little time to partake in my hobbies, though purchasing the business has lightened my scheduled work schedule quite a bit (but added responsibilities and stress). I have almost no time to partake in hobbies, as pressures of work and wife squeeze them to about nil.
I haven't been on anything resembling a vacation in 18 months. I've left Colorado once in that time (to WY, 80 mi away), but I have been traveling across Colorado quite a bit lately, but don't get as much time to enjoy it/unwind as I would like. I'm now jaded by the mountains and driving in snow.
I hate waking up at 6am. It drives me nuts. I previously worked afternoons/evenings/overnights, and I've found I was much better suited to working later in the day.
No time for friends, and the ones I have are shaky at best.
Too real talk below:
Spoiler
I'm married with 3 kids. The two older kids are not mine biologically, but I have been raising them with my wife for over 11 years. The two older kids both have issues, the older one with staying out of trouble with the law and with drugs (he's 16), and the younger one has conduct/maturity problems that may not be correctable (he's 11). The youngest kid is just fine and thriving (he's 5). My wife and I are in complete agreement about how to proceed with the younger two kids. We completely disagree on how to handle the oldest one, and it has become a point of contention that has placed supreme strain on our relationship. She too has mental problems, so I never know who/what I'm going to get. It hasn't been wonderful/blissful in well over a year, it is to the point I only feel a semblance a freedom when I'm not around her (which is almost never) .
We had the opportunity to live more closer to a life described in 1) in 2009, and at various junctures 2015-2016. I've always wanted to take those steps, but my wife would rather continue to chase wealth. So I've come along because that option is less scary somehow.
We will somehow get to #1, either by way of success or failure. Treading water in either direction is not an option.
I disagree with all of you who want to be independently wealthy. I'm not saying YOU'RE wrong for wanting that, but it's not something I want.
I think the need to earn a living gives me purpose. When I get a raise or a promotion, it's very gratifying for me. I only work 40 hours a week, so I have pretty good work/life balance. I love the feeling of accomplishment I get every day.
My dad was a trust fund baby and I think it partly caused his chronic depression. He would say to us, "You don't really need me. If I die, you will get your inheritance and be just fine."
I have believed for a long time that a lot of what we call "mental illness" or other undesirable mental conditions are created by poor societal conditions, and/or perceived inability to live the kind of life we want to live.
Thus I have a simple pair of questions for y'all, in the name of trying to figure out if there is a disconnect between people's reality and their ideal life, and how large it is if there is one.
1) What is your idea of the life you would most love to live? Be as detailed as you can be.
2) What basic conditions of your current life don't match the conditions of your ideal life, and why do you feel that you cannot make those conditions ideal right now?
Looking forward to a lively discussion!
My ideal life is the life I am living now. Is it perfect? No. But I choose to look at the positive in my life and those far outweigh the negative.
Here's why:
I have been married for almost 14 years and I am 34 years old. Same woman whom I love dearly. We have two boys, both of who are great kids. They're healthy, happy, responsible, and respectful. We both have good jobs that we have worked our way into through the years. We have a nice house (finally were able to get the one we had on our bucket list this June), nice vehicles, and can afford to have a nice hobby or two. With that, we can afford to stick some money back in savings, and still take a nice vacation every year.
The only thing in my current life that doesn't match my "ideal" life would be to be completely debt free. That comes with time though, and we have a plan in place to get there. We get closer every year.
Not sure what that has to do with my post. You didn't answer either of my questions.
And for the record, being lazy is a function of not wanting to do what you are made to believe you must do - it has nothing to do with wanting to do nothing. Take the laziest person out there, give him a good situation, and watch him come to life with desire to do things and even "work".
because you said:
Quote:
I have believed for a long time that a lot of what we call "mental illness" or other undesirable mental conditions are created by poor societal conditions, and/or perceived inability to live the kind of life we want to live.
I'm loving life just as it is. More money would never be turned away though
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