What is the Good Life?

Most people have bought into the "so called " experts who tell us that if we are unhappy there must be something wrong with us. We spend hours reading self help books, attending support groups, staring out windows and regretting all the things we never tried and all the wasted years. There is nothing wrong with US! What IS wrong is that we are not living the life that we have always wanted.

We are taught that we must keep our noses to the grind stone, that we must achieve success by attaining a certain dollar figure. Society tells us that we must stay in jobs we hate and buy houses that look like every other house on the block. They pressure us to acquire credit cards and debt, buy expensive clothes, expensive cars, send our children to private schools, be seen at all the right places, attend all the right functions...the list goes on.

What we want to express here is that the GOOD LIFE is not buying into all the hype. It is simply doing what you love. It is working at a job you look forward to going to. It is about not working if you choose. It is about getting back to what is really important-- To You, not someone else. It is living your dream, not someone else's.

We have learned that consumption and material goods are the appropriate goals. We accumulate debt and work in environments that kill our souls. We die young and enjoy life less. We want to invite you to explore alternatives, to dream a little, to explore your very depths to discover what you love to do, then have the courage to make it happen.

Living the Good Life can be a little frightening, because it means breaking away from the status quo. But for those who are sick and tired of being sick and tired, we hope we can help you find your true path to true happiness.

Financial Freedom is the second most important factor of the Good Life. This does not mean making a million dollars. It does not mean winning the lottery. What it means is that you create a plan that will fit your personal and financial needs. That you live within your means and that you create a life that is debt free.

Debt is a chain that keeps you in a prison controlled by those you owe. The creditor you owe has all the power. We want to instill the idea of financial freedom. Money problems cause more divorces and more strife than any other problem. We want to show you alternatives that can free you from those burdens. We are not talking about living a life of poverty or living in austere, depressing surroundings. No one has to move to a rural community or live like the pioneers to be free. And certainly no one has to go without the necessities of life for this way of living to work.We are talking about about an entirely different type of life.

There is a wonderful book that explains the concept of learning to live the conserver lifestyle. It is called, "How To Survive Without a Salary". He explains that short of winning the lottery or hitting it big in the stock market, most of us have to have some kind of income to sustain us. We can either work at something we love or hate going to work every day. We can spend our time working hard or hardly working. It is not the work, it is the attitude about the work that matters.

If we choose to work at what we love we have adjustments in our attitudes that must be made. We have to be willing to live on less, if that is what it calls for. We must be willing to learn new skills, become self-sufficient, thrifty, financially aware.

Let me provide an example: A computer software engineer decides to drop out of the rat race and become a beach comber. He first must eliminate most of his worldly possessions. He must be either debt free or be willing to just walk away from his responsibilities. He must quit a lucrative career, relocate to a beach somewhere, (unless he is lucky enough to already live near one), leave his friends, his ties with the community, perhaps even his family. He must learn to live with less. He must endure rain and wind and hurricanes. He must endure heat and isolation. He must learn to scavenge. He must somehow provide food and water on a daily basis. He must have shelter of some sort. He has to pay for the food and shelter. He must be able to get from one place to another. Even if he thinks he wants to do this, will he be able to? This is an important question to ask yourself before you decide to change your life style.

There are ways to start working towards a simpler life: Get out of debt. Reduce our consumption of goods and services by recycling, buying used,or refurbishing discarded items, using what you already have, conserving energy. From there it is just a matter of figuring out what it is you really love, your heart's desire. Then go for it!

I remember the movie Sabrina, staring Harrison Ford. Sabrina was the daughter of a chauffeur who lived over the garage. At first you might feel sorry for them. But as the story unfolds you realize that he picked the job for very special reasons. His love was reading. The walls of his cozy home were covered with bookcases filled with books. That was his passion. He chose a career that would allow him the opportunity to read. He did not feel less of a man for that. He made a conscious choice to do what ever it took so he could live what he loved. He was content. He was genuinely happy with his choices. How much more can one want from life?

Whether you are dropping in or dropping out, take the time to find what motivates you. What makes you happy, what fills you with excitement, with magic. Then do whatever you have to do to make it happen. That is when you will be living the kind of life that will make you happy.

Suggested Reading:

The Backyard Stone builder:Stone building Projects for the Weekend Mason

Live The Life You Love

How To Survive Without A Salary