Young SoCal business dude Jun Loayza wrote a post on his blog a few weeks ago called Why I Can’t Do What I’m Passionate About. He also recently wrote a comment over on Thrilling Heroics (both are excellent blogs you should check out). His original post got me thinking and his recent comment got me thinking some more.
Jun seems to find the whole ‘follow your passion’ type lifestyle appealing, but he worries about the future and wonders how he will be able to afford a house and a wedding, how he will be able to look after his family financially and how he will put his kids through school if he spends his life chasing his passion. He wonders whether quitting a lucrative job to chase a dream is the responsible thing to do or if by doing this he’s turning his back on his responsibilities.
Reading about Jun’s struggles with these issues got me thinking about them myself, probably for the first time. I like to plan and to be prepared but, to be honest, looking forward to anywhere beyond a few years is a stretch for me. Does the fact that I’m not thinking about the future and concentrating on me make me a selfish person? I’m not sure.
I don’t feel like my parents will have a terrible life if they don’t have my financial support when they’re old and grey. If my kids have to pay for their own tuition, it’s not really that bad… so did I and it’s not the end of the world. In fact, I think it builds character not to have your life handed to you by your parents and even if I were loaded I would still make the kiddies slog it out for a few years at McDonald’s. Wedding? I’m not too concerned about impressing people with a lavish wedding and would much prefer something small, simple, and non-traditional surrounded by people who don’t care about the type of flowers I put on the dinner tables. House? I’m not sure I want a house in one place just yet but, even if I did, there’s no reason to assume that I would be able to save more money working a ‘steady’ job that I would working on my own business, especially if I’m able to keep my living costs down by living in cheap countries.
Having thought about these potential problems that will arise 10, 20 or 30 years from now for the first time, none of them really seem that bad to me. Making it through any of the above mentioned scenarios on a modest or even a low income is certainly possible, especially if I don’t have any debt and live my life simply as I expect to.
Having worked 20 years in a great job and having $200,000 in the bank by the time the kid is ready for college might work for some people but for me, I would much rather see where my life takes me and cross those bridges when I come to them. Saving money for a child I don’t have seems crazy to me. If and when I ever have one, my tune might change but I will worry about it then, not now.
I think it’s wonderful to think about the future of your family and I admire people who are able to give so much of themselves. For me though, I prefer to live in the moment and get through life’s big hurdles as they present themselves. Besides, right now is the best time to be selfish and irresponsible: healthy parents, no kids, no wedding plans, no mortgage. From here on in things will just get more complicated. If I can’t enjoy myself now, I guess I’ll need to wait until my parents are dead and gone, the kids have moved out and the house is paid off and suddenly I’m 55. No thanks.
What about you guys? Whether you’re just taking a year or two off to travel or if you’re trying to start a business and follow your dreams, do you feel you’re being selfish? Do any of you stress about the future and try to do everything in your power now to make life easier later or do you just take things as they come? Let me know what you think.
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