Monthly Archives: October 2023

FIRE.185 Do you care?

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One of my (internal) superpowers is that I don’t really care what other people think when they choose to judge.  I don’t spend any time wondering what people think about me or others.  To be clear, I’m not a bad person and I do not try to cause harm to anyone, but rather I have a history of helping others. 

I’m just saying that I don’t stop and think about what others are thinking about me, my items, or my lifestyle.  That power seems to free me of many of the mental health traps that seem to be plaguing our social media existence—and even before the apps took hold of our happiness.

Joneses

When I look back, I have never considered the need to keep up with the Joneses.  It could be that I don’t even know anyone named Jones.  Similarly, I don’t look at what other people have, and therefore, never think “I wish I had that.”

Yes, there are times when I see something and I think “That would be cool” and I should try that.  That’s no different from reading a book or article and trying to incorporate “better” into my life.

Admiration

I think about the difference between admiration and envy.  I can admire successful, talented people and what they’ve accomplished and acquired.  I can even envy their knowledge and abilities, but I don’t ever seem to have jealousy or contentment for them.

Instagram

When I was in and returned from Bali I became fully aware of the Instagramable photos people post showing their amazingness.  That’s fine, and that works for them.  I only the other hand would be more interested in posting a picture of the scooter crazyiness or the abundance of the fresh fruit drinks I was consuming.  Two very un-instagramable sharings.

Loving Life

Are you able to spend your days, your thoughts, and your life energy on what you love?  Are you able to find enjoyment and greatness in your hours, days, and weeks?  Do your health and fitness efforts provide you joy?

I have to believe that a large part of my (your?) joy has nothing to do with the thoughts of those around you.  Worse, if you are successful, your accomplishments may be resented (bad envy) by others—then they may try and bring you down.  Don’t let others try and take—or override—your joy.

Do you live your inner happiness?

When did I get all mushy?  (To be honest, my post is more of a “get off my lawn” post)

*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice.  I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be.  You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.

FIRE.184 FI-Nest, FInest

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Your environment matters.  My wife keeps using the word aesthetics at me.  It feels like an aggressive term to me requiring changes and costs, since I prefer the efficiency of space.

How do you think about your home environment?

I like to have my stuff organized (and not moved around) so I can find the items I need later.  I don’t get any anxiety about my stuff.  I know the stuff I have/keep is there for a reason.  This may come down to the fact that I spend so much time thinking about a purchase before I make it.  Rarely do I just buy something significant instantaneously.  I’ve always lived a conscientious, deferred gratification structure.

My wife first taught me to use shelving.  Then it was storage bins, then it was stuff behind cabinet doors.  Apparently, I took that too far and have these great 72” wire shelves with perfectly sized storage bins holding much of my life/interests.  I’m perfectly happy…but not so much with my better half.

My wife told me about an article where women tend to fix their “nest” at home.  That didn’t make sense to me unless I related it to a man’s cave.  The comparison between a cave and a nest is quite shocking.  I would definitely prefer a walled/protected cave over some twigs in a tree.

While I was traveling in Bali, I found it strange how the beds had canopies/curtains.  I figured it made sense for bugs, but it still seemed strange sleeping in safari-like bedding in a hotel.

This fancy bedding made me think of Kathy’s “nesting” perspective.  Then I thought about how I was on this trip and living my FI life.  I combined my FI lifestyle and my sleeping environment into FI-Nest.

When thinking about my FI-Nest each day, I realized that I was truly living my amazing FI life.  A wonderfully privileged life that took years and decades to prepare for. 

This FINest life was not a yearly vacation charged to a credit card (though these Hyatt rooms were paid for with credit card points) with balances left unpaid while accruing interest, but rather long set aside funds that grew to allow this FINest travel.

I urge you to set up and realize your FI-Nest life.

*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice.  I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be.  You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.