What if Money Was No Object in your life?

[gadgetMe]

This video reminded me of some of the topics discussed "around the campfire", and other "conservations" I had with members of the RTR last February.<br /><br /><br />Enjoy:<br /><br />[video]<br /><br /><br />For those who cannot use youtube here is a transcript:<br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">I hate that we wake up everyday thinking about how were going to get our next dollar . Money took away our natural sense of happiness .We are all human we all live on this earth for a very short period and we should all help each other out. Everything revolves around money these days and its idiotic!! just imagine if everything was free then maybe people would not steal (as much) and we could live in harmony and no one would be better than others because of how much of something they have!!! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">"So I always ask the question: What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life? Well it's so amazing as the result of our kind of educational system, crowds of students say 'Well, we'd like to be painters, we'd like to be poets, we'd like to be writers' But as everybody knows you can't earn any money that way! Another person says 'Well I'd like to live an out-of-door's life and ride horses.' I said 'You wanna teach in a riding school?'</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">Let's go through with it. What do you want to do? When we finally got down to something which the individual says he really wants to do I will say to him 'You do that! And forget the money!' Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing you will spend your life completely wasting your time! You'll be doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living - that is to go on doing things you don't like doing! Which is stupid! Better to have a short life that is full of which you like doing then a long life spent in a miserable way. And after all, if you do really like what you are doing - it doesn't really matter what it is - you can eventually become a master of it. It's the only way of becoming the master of something, to be really with it. And then you will be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. So don't worry too much, somebody is interested in everything. Anything you can be interested in, you'll find others who are.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">But it's absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don't like in order to go on spending things you don't like, doing things you don't like and to teach our children to follow the same track. See, what we are doing is we are bringing up children and educating to live the same sort of lifes we are living. In order they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life by bringing up their children to bring up their children to do the same thing. So it's all retch and no vomit - it never gets there! And so therefore it's so important to consider this question:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">What do I desire?" </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">- </span><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">Alan Watts<br /><br />Putz<br /></span> </strong>

 

[Guest]

Good thoughts Putz. I am fortunate to have pretty much done that and actually got paid for playing cars and trucks....And I only worked half the year, every year and lived in National Parks, National forest and Wildlife refuges...I guess I realized it pretty early in life. <br /><br />Somehow the universe provides when you do the things you love to do....it never meant not working hard and being productive though. Isn't the key to that, just being present and doing a good job while you are doing your day, whatever it consists of? I am thinking of the blissed out Taoist street sweeper you see in some drawings....he is awake and present and loving the process of sweeping.<br /><br />If you do a job as though your life depends on how good you do it, as though it is the last thing you will ever do and people will remember you for the job you did....what more could you ask from life?<br /><br />I think of a guy I read about in the 70's. He was a young guy, a van dweller, who traveled the country as a dishwasher. True story. He enjoyed doing it, could always get a job wherever he wanted to be...national parks, cities, country, anywhere. He would work in a place and explore it on his time off. When he was finished he would move on and always lived in his van. I thought he had really hit the jackpot....he was happy with what he had and did and made it work really well for him....good ju-ju.<br /><br />Baba Ram Dass and the Lama Foundation started a program called "Prisons as Ashrams". It was where the prisoners used the prison as a meditation/monastery and by doing that, became much less the prisoner than the guards were. <br /><br />All about being where you are and being awake. Not about some pie-in-the-sky dream for the future. Carlos Castenada wrote that Don Juan reminded him to live as though Death was perched on his left shoulder. By doing that, and being conscious of one's impermanence, you make every moment into all it can be...after all, I may not make it through the day. Especially if you drive a vehicle, you may very well not see out the day...due to a million possibilities. Make it a good one. As soon as one realizes that, they become awakened to the moment and the possibilities it holds.<br />Peace,<br />Bri<br /><br />

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<strong>Thanks to the two of you for starting this thread. I have even more to think on. I have watched to video twice and read Bri's observations twice.<br /><br />This helps me to affirm my own desires. Not all can just walk away from everything and everyone, it can take time to pull ones life together. Patience is sometimes needed, especially in my case having to get a property settled.<br />In answer to the threads question. For me, money is needed simply because&nbsp;I don't live in a trading/bartering society and I don't walk everywhere so money is needed.&nbsp; What I want to do, and have been able to do when I have had enough emotional energy, is to be an artist and writer and make enough to continue to be an artist and writer. <br />Breaking it down does not seem so scary and when I think of it this way, money is no problem because I will have enough money to do what I want to do.<br /><span style="color: #ff00ff;">Dragonfly</span></strong>

 

[mockturtle]

It brings to mind the old song,&nbsp;<em>The Big Rock Candy Mountain</em>:&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href=""></a>

 

[gadgetMe]

<br />For the last 18 years, we have run a seasonal business where we were (in the past) really busy selling Koi, Goldfish, and pond supplies during the summer months, which I really enjoy doing, but with anything, it can turn into a "job" but for 6 months it is not too bad..<br /><br />So when we slow down to a trickle&nbsp; (sales) in the fall - winter months, I switch gears to do other things I really enjoy, hunting, fishing, visiting small towns, meeting country folks of all ages, going to their fairs, cooking contests, checking out abandoned farm steads, (boondocking at them with permission) become a snowbird in the desert.<br /><br />After 6 months of all this fun, I tire of it also, so returning to Colorado for the spring - summer&nbsp; works out well.<br /><br />I absolutely love having the opportunity to do this stuff, and still make things to sell on the internet.<br /><br />I remember working for other companies,&nbsp; having a&nbsp; government job,&nbsp; had to ask for <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>permission</strong> </span>to leave to do things I felt were important to me.<br /> Hated it&nbsp; ...............&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; talk about slavery&nbsp;&nbsp; ..........<br /><br />I will continue to be a "free range slave" for as long as I can..... or until they catch me...<br /> true free folks are not taxed............or ....... Oh,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; better not get started on that tangent..<br /><br />Mockturtle ....Hope you can make it to the Rock Candy Mountain aka the RTR this winter<br /><br />Putz

 

[Ricekila]

It brings to mind the old song,&nbsp;<em>The Big Rock Candy Mountain</em>:&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href=""></a>

<br /><br />And I thought I was old -----------<img src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" alt="" align="absMiddle" border="0" />

 

[mockturtle]

It brings to mind the old song,&nbsp;<em>The Big Rock Candy Mountain</em>:&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href=""></a>

<br /><br />And I thought I was old -----------<img src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" alt="" align="absMiddle" border="0" />

<br /><br />Well, while the song&nbsp;<em>is</em> old, it was used in the film, <em>O Brother, Where Art Thou</em>, which was made in 2000.&nbsp; I have the sound track on CD and often play it when I travel. &nbsp;

 

[wildmountainhoney]

This is such a great thread! Live life on purpose, with thought and present in the moment! YES Please!

 

[gypsydreamer]

edited

 

[Les H]

ive been in construction all my life, its pretty much what i know. I have in the past, driven cross country to help out with natural disasters ( see relief mission thread in off topic I now live 1 mile from the church with the toppled steeple in one of the photos). Sure, my rig would be nicer, but no money worries would allow me to stay out longer ( with better tooks and equipment!) to be able to help more folks clean up and rebuild after earthquake, flood, tornado, ect. It would be a way to continue to do what i know and love, travel, and help some of those who are worse off than i am ( and there are many)

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I like this philosophy as long as not taken to extremes.&nbsp; Those who do not work do not eat <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&nbsp; You have to make enough (or produce enough) to sustain your body and do 'what you dream' to do.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have read articles about people who try to live completely without any money at all and at some point it becomes more of a job than when they were in the rat race, with less reward (and once you start digging, most of them are living off handouts that someone had to use money to provide, defeating the point of their philosophy).&nbsp; <br /><br />I guess like with anything there needs to be balance.

 

[mockturtle]

I like this philosophy as long as not taken to extremes.&nbsp; Those who do not work do not eat <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />&nbsp; You have to make enough (or produce enough) to sustain your body and do 'what you dream' to do.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have read articles about people who try to live completely without any money at all and at some point it becomes more of a job than when they were in the rat race, with less reward (and once you start digging, most of them are living off handouts that someone had to use money to provide, defeating the point of their philosophy).&nbsp; <br /><br />I guess like with anything there needs to be balance.

<br /><br />This was my point about <em>The Big Rock Candy Mountain</em>.&nbsp; It's all about total lack of responsibility and living on handouts.&nbsp; Somewhere between that philosophy and the materialistic rat race is a happy medium, I think.&nbsp; There is no utopia and someone must grow the food we eat and drill the oil to make the gas we burn in our vehicles.

 

[Seraphim]

DW and I have spent our time working at jobs which we considered important, and provided us with money and time to travel as we enjoyed. We adopted a child, and he was our focus until he went off on his own, and we incorporated him into our love of travel. We saved the entire time, through thick and thin, and now (in a few months) will have all the time to travel as we wish. Hopefully we will have the resources as well. One can't predict the future, but we will continue to enjoy the here and now, as long as we may, whatever it brings.

Work to fulfill your desires, but don't let your life be dictated by your work. Don't be a drain on on society; do what you must to earn what you need. Know the difference between your needs and your desires. Don't let your desires dictate your life.

There's a balance. I doubt happiness can come of either extreme.


If money were no object, we'd be doing what we were doing the past week: bumming around a National Forest in our truck camper. It's ntot about the money. It's about the quality of our time.

 

[caseyc]

If money was no issue, I would travel the world, take pictures of everything, and blog about every experience. Plus have a bunch of groupies following me too! Haha!

 

[Ballenxj]

This video made a lot of sense. Thanks for posting it. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /> <br />-Bruce

 

[Bear Catcher]

It's hard to say what I would do if Money Was No Object in my life. I can think of things I would do first.
After I get the hang of money being no object, I'll plan, plan and plan some more. I wouldn't wonder like a homeless. But, you might think I'm lost. Because, I will be in a lot of places until I get ready to stay longer some place.
I would love to be happier doing what I want.

 

[heartseed]

If money were not an issue...hmmmm. 

I would start by being in the desert long enough for the mental detox. 

Then, I would move from ashram to ashram, intentional community to intentional community, from habitat for humanity to habitat for humanity, etc... serving, singing kirtan, eating clean food, with others. 

I would keep my house and land (it's a spiritual center), and invite a steward to live in it while I or my husband and I are on the road.

 

[maki2]

If money were no object I would be renting interesting small places to live in Europe, New Zealand, Mexico, etc. No schedule, just stay as long as I wanted to then move to another location. I prefer small towns or the country over cities. Did I mention they have to come with maid service?

 

[highdesertranger]

so am I an idiot,

what is an ashram or a kirtan?

I have no idea what you are trying to communicate.

highdesertranger

 

[RoamerRV428]

money no object.....ask me at 25 and my answer would be SO different than my answer now...at nearing 60

NOW it would be who cares about crap, I would get the same size RV I need for it to be perfect and EASY, same crap screen tent and good grill and if I had a crapload of it help family and others, the only thing money would buy me now is medical security and being able to roam on the road a lot more not worrying about gas bills. Money now getting older ain't the same as when I was younger at all. My mindset has changed.