Time Is More Important Than Money

The average man lives to be about 79 while the average woman will live to about 82.

However, the average man does not make $1 million per year in income and the average woman does not have a net worth of $40 million.

But there's an interesting thing about the relationship between life expectancy and riches - there is none.

Yes, up front, where you're dirt poor, living in Somalia, spitting out 8 children per woman, and you can't afford the basics like food, medicine, shelter, etc., a little bit of income goes a long way.  But once you make it past, oh say, the $25,000 mark, the added health benefit of any extra money goes away.  In other words, if you live in the 1st world, your income will have no effect on your health or life expectancy.

This is an important point to make in that it should provide some guidance in how to lead, live and enjoy your life to its maximum extent - time is more important than money.

Take a look at any super rich person - Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim, Oprah, you name it, these people are not going to live any longer than a guy who brings in $50,000 a year.  Sure they may enjoy things the average Joe won't enjoy (sushi every day, yachts, travel, etc.) but when all is said and done, these people are going to die pretty spot on the average life expectancy.  Therefore the only reason to work that hard or aspire to be rich is to buy all the pretty little toys and enjoy the "rich" lifestyle.

But here's another little secret - toys and material items are not the most important things in life.  It is (as I've said many times before) other people.  Conversation, thought, philosophy, love, humor, pranking, sparing and witticizing with other humans is the best thing that can happen in a person's life.  And if they have that, then a Ferrari or sushi every night won't really matter. 

Extrapolating from these two observations (life expectancies are pretty standard across income levels in the 1st world and other humans are the most important thing in life) you should be able to make some important conclusions about "work life" balance.

First, if you're making $25,000 a year and you have family, friends and loved ones, why work harder or make more money?  You're only going to pay more in taxes and spend less time with the people who really matter.  You are better off working part time, going home to help raise the kids or get some beers with the guys at the bar or have an afternoon quicky with your wife.

Second, along the same lines, you should be working LESS in that while you may be making extra money, the amount of psychological, political and corporate BS you would have to endure only serves to increase your stress and destroy your health.  Again, unless you were an idiot and bought a house you couldn't afford, a spouse you couldn't subsidize, and children you coudln't rear, and are up to your eyes in debt, you can (AND SHOULD) scale back on work and enjoy life.

Third, this puts a MAJOR emphasis on physical health. You NEED to eat right, you NEED to work out and exercise, you need to keep your body in shape.  These actions cost you NOTHING but extend the only resource you have - time more than income would.  This extra time will result in not only additional time you get to spend with loved ones, but you'll feel better, you'll look better, you'll have better sex, and that right there is enough to make any leftists raging with envy.  Besides, would you rather be out running around, knocking out 4 miles on a beautiful day or sitting in that cubicle hoping Mr. Grayhair McMoron might promote you to ASSISTANT Reserve Adjunct Vice President?

Finally, Steve Jobs.  You'll never know where or when and it's better to have died a poor man who enjoyed life than a rich one who didn't. 

So do yourself and all your loved ones a favor.

Go home.
Do some budgeting and number crunching.
And see how little you can get by on.

See if you can go down to part time.  See if you can get by on a security guard income.  See if you can't make it on the ancillary revenue your home based business generates.  See if you can't downsize into a smaller apartment.

Because the only better feeling than telling your boss you don't need him/her any more is when it's a beautiful day like today and you know all your former bosses are cooped up inside, working on their TRP reports, answering to an equally retarded boss and are on the verge of divorce with children that hate them, while you're out running, spending time with your kids, or just playing some video games tanked on a bottle of Rumpie.

Enjoy the decline!