Money: Meh.

Growing up, money was very coveted in my mind. Not because I enjoyed having money, but because I followed a simple equation: money = new stuff. Ever since I saved up and paid for my Trek bicycle at age 12, the concept was ingrained in my mind that if I wanted something, I had to earn the money to pay for it. This led to my first mp3 player, video camera, and even my first computer. Saving money up to buy (in my nerdy little mind) the latest and greatest material goods gave me purpose and excitement; something to look forward to.

A concept that I never grasped with all this was saving money. To me, earning money had to have a purpose, a specific goal I was trying to reach in which that money would be spent. Having a large sum of money always felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket; it needed to be used! My parents were not big fans of my financial theories and consistently encouraged me to "Save ten percent of everything you earn!". Now that was smart thinking. However, saving a bit of everything I earn wouldn't help me get my home theater system any faster. Naturally, I ignored this advice and carried on.

Fast forward to my first year of college, and my attitude started to shift. I had spent the summer earning and saving money so I could have a full checking account for my inevitably jobless freshman year at school. Sadly, much to the angst and disappointment of my father, my love for material goods didn't change and this money didn't last. I managed to survive the rest of the year just fine without having to ask for extra money from my mother or father.

Through all of this, and moving into summer, my attitude changed dramatically. The end of the semester had brought a difficult break-up, sunshine, and a new desire to experience the world. I created a checklist of things to do over the summer: road trips, camping, skinny dipping (with women), etc. I even enacted a plan to save money and travel on a backpacking adventure in Europe two summers from now. If there was an opportunity to go somewhere or experience something new, I jumped on it!

I also came to appreciate the simple things. Spending evenings by a campfire on the lake with my best friends, staring at the stars, driving my car with the windows rolled down and music up loud, and just sitting on the front porch reading a magazine with a glass of lemonade. These things are truly what drove my happiness as a person.

Through this, my interest and desire to have material goods went down significantly, as did my desire to have large sums of money. I had a job over the summer, and I saved a good amount of it, but not nearly as much as I could have. I found myself spending the majority of my money on new experiences and doing things with my friends. You know that guilt you feel when you buy that new item that you know you really couldn't afford? I never felt the slightest trace of that when I spent money on experiences. Camping at our property in Colville, driving to Seattle to go to Bumbershoot, paying my friend's way for a movie he couldn't afford to go to; it's these situations where I feel like my money was well spent.

Starting my second year of college, reality set back in and I had to control my spending habits. That certainly didn't last and my funds became low in record time, shattering my previously held record from freshman year. It's when my bank account gets to that low level that's not quite bankrupt, but not high enough to be secure that I get stressed out about it. Every purchase I had to make was painful, knowing my funds were that much lower.

However, these financial woes inspired my latest realization: I'm happier and less stressed when I'm completely broke than when I have money. When I have some money available to me, I have to think about each purchase and worry about whether I can afford it or not, whereas when I have no money I know ahead of time that I can't afford anything, so I simply don't worry about it. Money truly does not bring me happiness.

This last semester has been the happiest and financially poorest period of time in my (short) adult life. I've had amazing opportunities, I've gone places I've never been, my knowledge has grown significantly, and I met the girl of my dreams. This post is not meant to preach a specific lifestyle or to say that money isn't important; it is. I just wanted to share how my perspectives changed over the last few years and encourage people to think differently about what makes them happy and what is important in their lives.

Bob Marley Gets it Right

It has been a while since I've written anything, and I plan to start posting more, but there has been a lot of wonderful things going on in my life that have distracted me. This post is a bit more personal, and I wanted to share a quote from Bob Marley that was shared with me and amazingly coincides with my life. I've met somebody that completely makes me feel things I've never felt before in my life, and I hope everybody can find what I have found. (Its worth noting that I'm not a big Bob Marley fan) I'll leave you with this quote:


"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."