Work to Live

I had a map of Asia up as computer background a few days ago, which led to a discussion with colleagues on those that travel for extended periods of time - sometimes years.

And something interesting (re)emerged ("re" 'cos I've seen it before, but it keeps popping up). Call it perspective, call it priorities, or call it having your view the other way around.

Most of the folk I work with have mortages. Or they're about to get one. Either way, a good deal of the monthly salary ends up there, tying them to one place for a very long time as an "investment". Most are also paying off snazzy cars, or have some sort of investment portfolio that requires a regular cash injection. One commented that you think you're rich each month - until the debit orders kick in. Most couldn't understand how anyone could take a few years and disappear into the world to suck the marrow out of experiencing it. It would not only take much planning, saving (of cash / alloted leave) and career manipulation, but they'd then come back to even more debt or backlog, and a few rungs missing from the getting-head ladder.

Now I may be completely the odd one out, but that's not me.

I see it this way:

I don't work to create a black hole that may pay off in the future (eventually - provided it doesn't burn down / blow up / market-crash). I share an attitude that many who have itchy feet and a sense of adventure have (just go hang out on the LonelyPlanet forums a while, and you'll see). To me work funds life. I invest in experience, in dreams, and don't tie all my resources into treading the treadmill.

Granted, I may be unwise. "Unstable" - never really working my way up the checklist of possessions that society deems necessary. The house, the increasingly fancier car, the eventual comfy retirement plan (mine doesn't exactly conform to the norms). The thing is this - I realized a long time ago that I could work my butt off and keep a rolling debt of all that going. I could spend my entire life chasing the carrot, never quite getting there, simply being worn out and emptied out in the process.

OR

I could live now. I could exist without need to accumulate stuff, without desire to attain materialistic status. I could count my wealth in experience, in happiness, in adventure, in relationships, and in big fat impoossible dreams. I could live with open hands, possessions as easily let go as acquired.

OK, so I drive a VERY cool car (just ask the blokes in the Merc who rolled down their windows in traffic to talk to me yesterday! :-) ) - it's old, and it's slow, but it's also Paid Off In Full. I'm not tied into debt, nor set on achieving the next career step that requires me to sacrifice everything for work.

Instead I work to fund life. I'm free. Perhaps not as flush as I could/should be - but free nonetheless. I could chuck everything in tomorrow and hit the road (provided my petrol tank's full) without too much stress. Dump all the possessions and go.

Yes - I have plans and schemes afoot to make sure we don't ever starve. But they're not the kind of plans that will require me to turn up at the same place every day for the rest of my life, and go through the same routines to receive the same cash at the end of every month, or a back-pat for being a "good worker" who doesn't rock the boat.

Heresy? To some.. :-) Or simply call it perspective, priorities, having your view the other way around.