My life is a story in which I’m the sole author, and I want to make it worth reading, worth telling to my grandchildren. “The tragedy in life is often not in our failures but rather in complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.” Complacency is at the root of my dissatisfaction, as I’ve discovered after countless hours of wondering why I’m unsatisfied when my life is seemingly fulfilled. I’ve got a stable job, a couple of profitable degrees, two dogs, a nice car, and a quaint old house with a literal white picket fence. Why should I become stagnant in my life just because I’ve reached a certain level of financial stability, and yet can’t stand sitting in a cubicle working the same boring job for a huge corporation every day? Money should come second to happiness, and money can’t buy every one happiness. The most influential question in making my decision to live in an old, slow motorhome is, “What would I love to do every day”? It certainly isn’t what I do for 9-10 hours a day, Monday through Friday, despite getting every other Friday off, woooo!
I believe I become unsatisfied when I stop learning new things. In order to discover what kind of job, if any, I would love to do every day, I realize I must try new things. What if I could be an artist, but my talent went wasted just because I never had the opportunity or time to dedicate to it? I thoroughly enjoy expressing my creativity in the little painting and writing I’ve done for myself, but I’ve never been in the position where I’m able to dedicate myself to it and have the amount of time and energy necessary to invest in any art form. I can’t even imagine what it will feel like to dedicate a week straight to painting a landscape that is literally right in front of me…. and I will live there.
Currently, I’m at work for 10 hours per day to come home and vegetate to recover from working those 10 hours at a job that I don’t love doing and stressing out about things that have no real impact on my life. Why do people drive 1-2 hours to and from a job that they hate, or are indifferent to, and become comfortable with this lifestyle? Money. Why do people need money? To buy the house of their dreams and fill it with bullshit they don’t have time to enjoy.
11hrs/day * 5days/week = 55hrs/week
112 hours/week awake = 49%
49% of a typical worker’s life is spent working, or driving to work. Between working, eating, sleeping, bathing, cleaning, and other house/ car/ boat maintenance, people have little time for themselves, family, and friends, arguably the most important things in the world. The ‘richest’ people in the world are rich not because of money, but because of time, and freedom to use that time as they please. Many people become financially rich first, which buys them the freedom to use time as they please. Others decide that they don’t need any of the luxuries and comfort that a bunch of money buys, and choose to live free with what they have.
Some of the most expensive things people pay for on a regular basis are experiences. That’s because we go on a vacation once or twice a year, attempt to cram a year’s worth of experiences into a couple of weeks, and it’s exhausting. You spend a majority of that time working out the logistics of the vacation and stressing out about the details rather than truly living in the moment and enjoying it. Luckily, I’m happiest in the forest and the mountains, the beaches, lakes, and rivers, which are relatively cheap/ free. If I’m able to live in my element comfortably, leaving behind modern conveniences and daily showers, I truly believe that the life on the road will truly be an amazing and enjoyable experience. Many people can’t imagine doing what I’m doing, but I think many can relate to the reasons I’m doing it.
All things considered, It would make less sense for me to continue my current doldrum of a routine, than to venture out into the unknown, searching for exciting experiences and better health in a world of endless knowledge, learning opportunities, and true freedom. The greatest risk, in my mind, is becoming complacent and never striving for what I really want out of life.