(image source: Flickr)
What I’m going to write here may sound simple to you but truth be told, I believe most around the world don’t know it. If you find it enlightening, if you enjoy reading, pass to a friend. Hopefully this story will affect one person and if it does, I’ve done my job for the day!
About a year ago Ron Jackson of DNJournal told my story to the world, a rags to riches story, one you have heard many times by now of those who started with very little and achieved financial independence. What is financial independence then and is it the end of all means? I have a nice car although I hardly use it these days. I have a nice house although I spend most of my time in front of a 24 inch computer screen. I have a gym membership although I hardly ever use it. I have the option to jump on a private jet in a moment’s notice to have dinner in Vegas although I have yet to do it. Yes, it is well worth the effort to get to that level financially (don’t believe those who tell you it is not) however, there’s more to life than that, many times over!
My health for once isn’t as good as it once used to be, pre-computer days. Carpal tunnel is a thing of the past for me, been there many years ago and cannot use the mouse with right hand anymore. The many hours on the computer also took their toll on my body, neck injury for last 2-3 years that I’m still trying my best to cope with. To tell you it was all worth it would be a complete lie!
This story starts here, my neck injury. Last 2-3 years I tried just about anything money can buy, from gym time to massage therapists 2-3 times a week, to few chiropractors, x-rays, you name it. Nothing really helped me for a long time. About a month ago I visited yet another massage therapist and while we were talking, she asked me what am I doing to get better. I told her about the many therapists I’ve seen before her, the chiropractors, and various exercises I do at home. She looked at me, saying in her look as if I said nothing so far, and just said “You need to generate your own energy”. Now it may mean nothing to you but I never really thought about this little sentence before. Few short words, an idea that is life changing for me, and could be for millions of others worldwide!
I took these words to heart, the day after I went to the local bike shop and bought me a brand new bicycle. I decided anything 10 miles radius from my house I would use the bicycle instead of the car. Now as expected, most of where I’m going on a daily basis is within the distance which means, now I hardly use the car at all!
I started really slow, just back and forth to the closest coffee shops around (1 mile round trip), without really pushing hard or trying to go faster. A week later I felt like I should go a little further so I went to a a further coffee shop, about 5 miles round trip from my house. Still, not much but again, this helped me build further momentum and endurance and I went up to 10 miles trips, 12 miles, 15 miles, and today I completed some 26 miles round trip from my house for the first time. About a month after the day that changed my life.
During that trip today, a beautiful and sunny Sunday morning, riding famous A1A (Ocean BLVD), I looked with envy at all the other cyclists on the road (yes, those who fly by you and scream “on your left!!” to a point you almost fall). In envy? Yes. Because what they have is something I cannot buy no matter how much money I have. Sounds obvious isn’t it? But this is the real secret, the one many wealthy individuals try so hard to relate to many and still most don’t understand. We all heard of those who made it just to find out they are not happy, neither content, with their lives. What is it then those who have made it envy? what is it they really want once they achieved the American dream, financial wise? It is what you can achieve today, without any of the money they have. It is the things money can’t buy. It is to find somebody to love, it is to be healthy, it is to be happy, it is to be content.
It took me many years and countless hours on the computer, often north of 20 hours per day, to realize it. Don’t let this happen to you. While getting your financials together is important, it is not the most important thing in life. You can take my word for it or you can find it all when you achieve the American dream yourself. What you will find out is this: Beyond the American dream is the real dream, that is, the one money can’t buy, the one you can achieve today.
Have a great day!
Sahar
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Sahar, I know I sometimes lose sight of my priorities trying to work as hard as I can to make as much as I can so I know it’s very easy to fall into this trap. Money isn’t everything and it’s good to have a reminder to keep things in perspective. Thanks for another very personal post.
Excellent advice.
Perfect post and advice Sahar - THANKS
People get caught in the trap of going after the $$ instead of finding a balance between a healthy life and chasing $$ (it requires effort and discipline).
For those who aren’t naturally motivated to go to a gym because it feels like a chore of some sort etc…Participating in Fitness on a day to day basis can be easy and fun and doesn’t have to be a chore, the bike rides Sahar describes is a great example and indeed a great investment in your health and health age, with a ROI that is priceless, the one money can’t buy
The happiest person I have seen in my life was a
little 5 year old girl who lives under a bridge in the very poor suburbs of Delhi, India. She had ragged, dirty clothes, and was playing in the dust and mud. She had no roof over her head, and I’m sure must often go to sleep on an empty stomach.
Yet she was bearing the most radiant smile, I’ve ever seen.
She seemed very happy.. Happier than a lot of wealthy people I know. She probably has never heard of America, and it’s dream..
Sometimes I think ignorance is bliss, truely.
thanks for sharing your story Sahar and yes..
what is the use of being wealthy if you are not healthy to enjoy it?
Regards,
Ritesh.
Great post
Beautiful post.
I watched “Flight 093″ this week and what struck me the most was that in the last moments, when the end was apparent, the only thing anyone wanted to do was to let their loved ones know how much they love them.
Pretty simple stuff, and yet what we forget to do most often…and of course taking care of our health so we are there for our loved ones.
You have inspired me to get out and walk again! (It has been weeks of making excuses)
Please keep us posted on your mileage!
Sahar,
Thanks for an incredibly insightful post. Most people never have the privilege of coming to this realization and those that do often have it too late and never get to jump on that bike and appreciate the lesson in time.
The fact that you have achieved such great success but haven’t let it cloud your judgment is testament to who you are. This is one of the rare blogs that I read (since meeting you at T.R.A.F.F.I.C) that couples business and life lessons together. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated!
Sahar
Very nice post Sahar. Enjoyed it and also felt it because whenever I start exercising [couple of months every year :)], I feel good, eat better, minor pains and aches just go away.
I always talk with my wife about what is American Dream? While reading your post it hit the nail just on its head. One has to be content, happy, and healthy. Going after money alone is not the American Dream as this dream has no finish line. If you have enough money that meets most of your basic needs and then some leftover, that’s it….that’s what the dream should be…….then just enjoy the life.
Thanks.
I can relate to how you feel Sahar b/c I have had the same reflections also.
I started domaining in 1995 and just now have started to have the hand pains, swollen fingers, etc.. that come with working 16 hour days for seven days a week, for years - literally. I absolutely love domaining to the point of making myself sick. I even at one point began to develop some weird nervous conditions like feeling like a fiber was always on my face or nose - but of course there was no fiber, my nervous system was telling me to stop reading the drop lists for hour after hour, looking for domain leads, and doing an insane amount of research. I got to where I was washing my face 10 times a day to get rid of the “fiber feeling”. Yeah….. I know, I can just hear it, “Dude take a break”.
However, when the hand pain and phantom face fibers starts reminding you every few minutes how little time you are putting towards other activites, it just adds to the pile of evidence of neglected areas of one’s life that need to be attended to.
Like you, I have found another outlet, I go canoeing on a river near my home where the Nature Conservancy has bought about 80 miles of on both sides of the river and nobody, and I mean nobody, ever canoes this river. I do about five slow pace miles twice a week fishing and relaxing to get rid of the nervous feeling and let my hands relax from the computer. I now cut the grass almost everyday also just for exercise/stress release, and my neighbors must think I am nuts because before my lawn looked like crap but now it is the nicest lawn in the neighborhood - cut the equivalent of about three times a week. It’s over an 1.5 acres.
I also have realized that I literally forgot how fun and relaxing it is to be outside and how much it balances me out now. I also have resolved to make more time for family and friends and now find myself happier than I have been in years. It’s just that before I did not know I was missing anything.
BTW…. was it not you Sahar that recommended in an earlier post the NIB software that clicks for you and the Designer Appliances mouse that allows you to put your hand in the mouse in a vertical position? I bought both and they have helped my hands tremendously, and I thank you sincerely !
—-answer—-
I can relate to all of this, including the face washing
Yes, I wrote about the mouse app before. I didn’t yet insta;; it on this computer as for last few years I’ve been using the left hand as well as I do that repetitive behavior I’ve done before so it seems ok, for now!.
Thanks for sharing!
Sahar
i frequent “massage therapists” and have never received such sage advice - all kidding aside, excellent advice - i recently started walking from home to the bus stop and then from the bus terminal to my office (3 miles total/day) - it’s helped me tremendously.
Sahar,
Excellent advice mate..that I will take on board..as you can end up feeling like you ‘work to live and live to work’!! I have a ‘body assist’ bandage on my right wrist due to using this damn mouse too much for too many years (and IKEA hasn’t helped much either) and I joined a gym just under a year ago and I can say it has helped me to re-focus which has been great and I’m getting fit at the same time. I went riding with Dan Kimball, Sean Stafford and Mike Robertson back in San Fransisco (DRT) and they kicked my ass!!
Hi Sahar,
I am a regular reader of your blog.
This is a very nice perspective that you have shared with us.
My Master, Osho, said, “It is good to look outside because outside is God’s creation; it is good to look inside because inside is sitting the Creator. Both are good. Eyes are meant to blink; they are not meant to remain open forever and they are not meant to be closed forever. They are meant to blink — open and close, open and close. That is the rhythm — out and in, out and in.”
I am copying a link to one of his discourses.
http://www.oshoworld.com/onlinemag/dec06/htm/osho_speaks_money.asp
Its a long discourse, but worth reading.
Take Care
Shubhra Chaudhary
India
Hi Sahar,
I can recommend having kids, the best ROI ever!
Great post Sahar and so very true
One of my favourite quotes is from the book - The way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman.
“The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less”
That’s not something the West is very good at and I would think that most millionaires have paid a very high price to get there.
I Hope you find a happy healthy balance
Thank You
Excellent post. I rarely read your blog these days -very pressed on time as usual!- but sometimes your posts are inspirational. Congratulations.
If you still have physical problems, I would suggest accupuncture. Just find a trustworthy practicioner and give it a go. It is more natural than Western medicine and the Chinese have been improving their art for some thousand years already.
If the problems are related to stress or anxiety, try hypnotherapy. Again, make sure you can trust the therapists since they’ll have a direct link to your unconscious mind.
Regards,
Javier Marti
Trendirama.com