Sunday, January 14, 2007

Measuring your life

How do you measure your life? By the money you've saved? The money you've spent? The things you have? Or the time you've spent with your family? Or the effort given to care for your family. What is the measure of a life well lived?

I sit here thinking of my grandfather who passed away last night. How can you measure his life? Financially he would be considered a failure, however he possessed riches abound from his family, enough to make a rich man jealous. I guess how you measure someone's life is determined by what you value.

Right now I think I need to save for the future, be responsible, and raise my children right. But I am sitting here thinking that no matter what I earn or what I save, I hope my relationship with my family flourishes. That I am able to nuture our bonds and connect with them.

It's so tough for me to live here and be so far away. I am so torn between trying to go home and yet needing to stay. How do you qualify what is really important financially and what is really important emotionally? How do you slow down and appreciate life?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here is a funny article about just that:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/48460

Anonymous said...

Sorry about your grandfather.

You are thinking on the right track. Money cannot be a "destination", it's just a transient. Most people don't get it. "I want to make money" cannot be the goal of your life...I would like if more people think in these terms.