Remember To Keep Things In Perspective

[Tenacity]

I'm turning 32 this Wednesday, August 5th. The Social Security Administration estimates that the average life expectancy of a man (in general) today is to live to the age of 84 - 85. The life expectancy of a black man is until around the age of 70 - 72. I'm a black man as most of you know, and I have already set a goal to live at least until 85 - 88.

Let's say I get to age 85 and die literally on my birthday on August 5th, 2068, that would mean that from my birthday this Wednesday, I would have exactly 53 years, 636 months, 2,756 weeks, and 19,345 days remaining on this Earth.

Assuming that I'm going to make it to this Wednesday, I would have already lived 384 months, 1,664 weeks, and 11,680 days.

The purpose of this thread is to start a discussion on Perspective. It's to get you guys to keep things in Perspective in relation to your time on this Earth.

Many of you have dreams, visions, goals, plans, objectives, etc., but you procrastinate and continue putting them off for "tomorrow". Many of you are just outright fearful of rejection, pain, hurt, embarrassment, shame, etc. that you put off your dreams and visions for "tomorrow".

Gentlemen, there is no tomorrow. All you have is TODAY. As a result if you are going to start that business, don't start it tomorrow, start it TODAY. If you are going to approach that chick you like, don't approach her tomorrow, approach her TODAY.

Also many of you spend your day worrying about, focusing on, being pissed off about, and bitter about, VARIOUS things that are totally out of your freaking control.

I have 19,345 days left on this Earth, I want to spend it chasing my dreams, doing what I love, and building a Legacy, and gentlemen that is what I'm doing.

- I'm doing the Career that I love.

- I have structured my life to be the life that I always wanted in the middle class.

- The role that women play in my life is the role that I want them to play.

- My finances are good and continuing to grow.

- My health is great.

- My body is great.

- My place is great.

- My car is great.

- My credit is great.

- My education attainment is great.

This is the life I wanted to live and I WENT AFTER IT, build it, and now all I do is maintain it. If I died tomorrow and never seen my 32nd birthday, I would have done more than MOST men ever did, and that's to define life for how I wanted it to be....and create life for how I wanted to live.

Perspective, our time is ticking on this Earth, either spend your remaining time living your dreams or waste it with just mere existence.

 

[guru1000]

Exactly, leave no stone unturned. Carpe diem!

 

[Bible_Belt]

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0010612/quotes

Well, all I'm saying is that I want to look back and say that I did I the best I could while I was stuck in this place. Had as much fun as I could while I was stuck in this place. Played as hard as I could while I was stuck in this place... Dogged as many girls as I could while I was stuck in this place.

 

[Scars]

First part of the post was a bit dark and morbid, honestly. But I like how in the end you wrapped it up and turned into something inspirational. It definitely reminded me to "keep things in perspective" so to speak. I'm only 25 and I feel old sometimes. Life is what you make of it, don't analyze your life expectancy too much, or give yourself a "life plan". I would say go with the flow.. and follow your dreams never give up. I've only had a taste of it, and I know it's only going to get worse. Live each day like it's your last. I really like this post.

+rep

 

[MOTU]

Good post. And I like your point that you need to have goals for all areas of your life, not just money and chicks.

 

[amazingswayze]

Live with a purpose

The purpose of this thread is to start a discussion on Perspective. It's to get you guys to keep things in Perspective in relation to your time on this Earth.

Perspective, our time is ticking on this Earth, either spend your remaining time living your dreams or waste it with just mere existence.

OP, the same concept has been on my mind lately. All I can focus on is the present. I'm only 17, but I'm in a rush to do adult things. I can't wait to be a bachelor. I can't wait to have sex. I can't wait to have my own money and live independently. I feel like I haven't made enough progress in my life yet but that's not true. I have time. It took me a while to realize this, but I'm gonna be on this planet for some time (God-willing).

Never underestimate yourself... Sometimes we have to fall upon hard circumstances to realize how precious our time on this Earth is. The day you realize this is when you have a choice; To live with purpose, or to waste away.

You choose.

 

[Desdinova]

One thing I will never understand is how a person can spend their life making themselves well-off financially, and do nothing but focus on that. I think men need a plan to actually enjoy that money, and have a specific time period to enjoy it. When your health begins to start going downhill, you'll have a much more difficult time enjoying that money.

My personal focus is to make my life enjoyable in my 40s. I want to be debt-free and have hired help to do all my boring house chores so I can enjoy more of my free time doing the things I love. Of course I'm putting away money for retirement, but what if I don't make it to retirement? I need to enjoy some of my life NOW.

Money is useless when you're dead.

My dad has spent most of his life wasting his money by trying to win the lottery, win the jackpot on slot machines, and get rich with stupid business ideas. Because of his desire to make a quick buck, we lived in the poor house. Now his health is going downhill and he's done very little to actually enjoy his life because he wasted his money on stupid 5hit. He could've had a nicer house, drove a nicer vehicle, or gone on a vacation or two. It's sad to look at this man and realize how wasteful he's been all his life. I don't want to be that man.

There's lots in life to enjoy, but you can't do that if you're constantly working or wasting money on stupid 5hit. Be smart with what you have, think about how your actions affect your future, and don't forget to enjoy yourself sometimes.

 

[lifeislearning]

Love it, and I agree absolutely. Have recently taken some big risks in my life and find myself in an amazing opportunity to learn and pursue the career I have fantasized about for years. Even outside of work I'm taking new classes, getting more physical, and generally getting my life together.

I think the strangest thing is the feeling of constantly moving, working, planning, and to be honest it's a little exhausting. On the weekends I feel little desire to put any effort into being social, and find plenty to keep me busy around the house.

I do like being social and after a week like this, I need to get out there and spend time with people, but was wondering if anyone else with a productive life feels like this too?

 

[BeTheChange]

One thing I will never understand is how a person can spend their life making themselves well-off financially, and do nothing but focus on that. I think men need a plan to actually enjoy that money, and have a specific time period to enjoy it. When your health begins to start going downhill, you'll have a much more difficult time enjoying that money.

Definitely. Probably the most important takeaway from this thread.

You can still maintain your goals while enjoying the life you have now.

3 years ago I had tons of credit card debt. My ultimate goal was financial freedom. I was fortunate enough to find a good job out of uni and grow a business on the side. When I cleared my debt I celebrated with an inexpensive meal at a restaurant. Then I gave myself saving goals and decided to reward myself with 10% of the actual saved as a treat. So when I saved 500 I bought myself a £50 wallet. When I saved 2000 I bought myself a £200 pair of shoes. When I got to the £20000 mark I bought an awesome holiday in Greece. When I got to £50k I bought myself a Rolex achieving a dream id had for a while.

I'm 25 and was able to achieve this without living like a pauper. In fact if I had chosen to live my life with the sole focus on making money and not spending it I don't think I would have had the motivation. The next milestone is that 100k point and the reward is a £10k (used) Porsche. If you work hard you should reward yourself socially and financially.

 

[Tenacity]

Great responses guys.

I try to live my life with NO REGRETS, all of my visions and dreams I've went after/are going after.

But it takes courage to live a life with no regrets, as our society programs us to be sheep rather than independent thinkers, YES men rather than devil's advocates, employees rather than business owners, mutual fund holders rather than individual investors, careless about our fitness rather than lean/mean muscle machines, countless hours of TV watchers rather than countless hours of educational book readers, a woman's wage slave rather than a woman's fantasy, to fit into a group rather than to be independent lone wolves, etc., etc.

Society wants to control us so that we can play the roles THEY design for us so we can achieve THEIR dreams. Everything from the Media to Religion to Higher Institutions of Education ALL want to program us to fit a "mode" and play a "role".

But I say FVCK THAT. You are going to die and your time is limited on this Earth, so spend your ever waking MOMENT on this Earth doing what you love, doing what you dream, doing what you vision.

If you fail, try again. If you fail again, try again. If you fail 18 times, try again for a 19th try. Matter of fact, there are no attempt limits, TRY UNTIL YOU DIE.

Let them laugh at you, let them shame you, let them abandon you, let them call you crazy. At the end of the day "they" don't matter, "they" never did. "They" have always been a damn distraction to the VERY THING you should have always been focusing on in the first place........your Purpose.

 

[Devintems]

For some reason this makes me think of Time by Pink Floyd.

 

[rugby11]

Just put on some David Gilmore

This is the life I wanted to live and I WENT AFTER IT, build it, and now all I do is maintain it. If I died tomorrow and never seen my 32nd birthday, I would have done more than MOST men ever did, and that's to define life for how I wanted it to be....and create life for how I wanted to live.

Perspective, our time is ticking on this Earth, either spend your remaining time living your dreams or waste it with just mere existence.

Perspective in relation to your time on this Earth.

I have 19,345 days left on this Earth, I want to spend it chasing my dreams, doing what I love, and building a Legacy, and gentlemen that is what I'm doing.

Many of you have dreams, visions, goals, plans, objectives, etc., but you procrastinate and continue putting them off for "tomorrow". Many of you are just outright fearful of rejection, pain, hurt, embarrassment, shame, etc. that you put off your dreams and visions for "tomorrow".

Yeah that's something that gets overcome with motivation from within.

 

[Malcontent]

Yes, I always try to make each day count but will admit procrastination/fear sometimes wins over.

One positive thing for me is that I recently have the opportunity to take unpaid time off work each week. Work has been burning me out. Now I will be able to improve things instead of just working all week and recuperating on the weekend. Now, I will be able to work out, practice guitar, steer the direction of things a little better. I felt like I was in a prison and life was just flying by. I hope to be able to survive comfortably on 35-40 hours a week and have the opportunity to live the diverse life I did before taking this job.