The Financial Philosopher

Begin With Hope (But Do Not Dwell There)

"The past and present are only our means; the future is always our end. Thus we never really live, but only hope to live." ~ Blaise Pascal

I recall my wonderful and late mother-in-law would always begin each year with the same proclomation, "This will be the year of change!" However, if she were alive today, I know she would agree, in honest reflection, that her annual New Year's message was really one of hope, not one of change.

My message to you today, dear reader, is that hope and change are competing interests; hope can be a beginning but it is not a means to an end, the change. When you say or think that change will come, you are attaching a positive and hopeful meaning to the thought.  However, you have not taken any meaningful steps toward change; hope is not a plan or a means of moving you toward the destination.

"It is indeed beautiful to see a person put out to sea with the fair wind of hope; one may utilize the chance to let oneself be towed along; but one ought never have it on board one's craft, least of all as pilot, for it is an untrustworthy ship-master." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Hope, like money, can be a great tool to help you move along the way of your life travels when it is needed most.  However, both hope and material wealth can potentially cover your authenticity and thus paradoxically minimize the chances of arriving at that which you had hoped for -- to live a life of meaning and purpose.

Now go back to the featured Pascal quote at the top of this post. If the future is always your end, you never really live but only hope to live. Said differently, if you dwell in hope you do not dwell in reality; you are always Becoming but never Being; and thus you are not living; you are dying.

"Do I want the present moment to be my friend or enemy?  The present moment is inseparable from life, so you are really deciding what kind of relationship you want to have with life.  Once you have decided you want the present moment to be your friend, it is up to you to make the first move:  Become friendly toward it, welcome it no matter in what disguise it comes, and soon you will see the results." ~ Eckhart Tolle

To bring about positive change, the focus is not on past or future but on the present. Start taking steps now toward the things you had only hoped for in the past; notice what is happening around you and begin to really appreciate it; recognize what is not you and allow the authentic Self to emerge; stop making plans and begin living life now.  This is not the year of hope; it is the year of presence; and thus it is the year of positive change.

I wish you all the best in this New Year and I look forward to bringing you more perspectives for mastery of life, in the form of my first book, in 2013!

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Related:

The Goal is Not the Driving Force

Life Planning Part II: The Search for Meaning

10 Potentially Perilous Paradoxes on Planning & Life

WWJD? More Than You Think

"No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house." ~ Jesus Christ

This post speaks universal truths, which is why it certainly falls under this blog's central theme of "meaning before money, purpose before planning." 

Also, at a time of national tragedy, we need to dig deeper within ourselves, to move beyond the superficial lights and gifts, to connect and reconnect to the spirit of others, and to reflect on life's meaning and purpose.  This reflection is more than a question of what to do but one of how to be...

For example, when people ask, "What would Jesus do?", what are they really asking?  More importantly, what is the answer? This question is so famous it has its own acronymn (WWJD?).  But in the opinion and observations of your humble author, most people completely miss the underlying message, which may be the most powerful and life-changing for the individual and for the world, regardless of religious orientation.

In my forthcoming book, to be published early 2013, I address the same question at length. Here's an excerpt from the chapter on life-purpose:

Consider the popular Christian creed, "What Would Jesus Do?" It is too common, that by focusing on the word do in this question, that some may overlook a greater guiding purpose. There is nothing wrong with virtue and morality, what some call good deeds. However, if one is to really do as Jesus did, they will not focus first on life-actions but on life-purpose. To do as Jesus did, one’s life-purpose will be a guiding force for all actions: Purpose leads, actions follow.

If you act virtuous just for the sake of being virtuous—religious for the sake of being religious—you may overlook your purpose for living on earth because you focus too much on how you exist and too little on why you exist. You may find redemption but lose yourself along the way—a paradox.

I humbly submit to you this: To serve God is to fulfill one’s life-purpose, not just to fill one’s life with good deeds. As Jesus said, "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house." Your purpose is the lamp; and it is only the authentic Self that can produce the light, whereas many act as if the light produces the lamp; the action is placing the lamp well. Again, purpose leads; actions follow. 

Ask the question a different way: What would Jesus not do? He would not tell you to ask another person what they would do and then plan life accordingly; instead Christ, or any other great leader, might tell you today: "Find your purpose and fulfill it; this is what I did; this is why I was successful; and this is what you can also do."

Christ's message is universal; it is spiritual, not just religious.  His example is a shining light that benefits anyone and everyone, regardless of religion or life philosophy.  Define things for yourself and stop leading your life by abstract meanings, social conventions, and financial pursuits. 

Be your own light. Focus first on be; then the do will take care of itself...

Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year and best of anything and everything you celebrate.  2013 will be the year you shine your light brighter on the world.

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image by Shannon

Related Posts:

The Goal is Not the Driving Force

Self-Actualization is Success in Life and Money

Be Unconventional: Live Life Now

"It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Conventional wisdom is an oxymoron. What is wise about conventions? 

Consider the conventional idea of retirement: More than half of one's life is used as a kind of sacrifice to save enough money to replace the income needed to pay for living 10 to 15 years in the life one had only dreamt of during their younger years.  By the time the individual is able to afford so-called financial freedom, their idea of happiness or the capacity to achieve it has either changed or diminished, respectively.

I see this as a tragedy. 

To provide full disclosure: The idea and application of life planning, as opposed to conventional retirement planning, is at the forefront of my mind this week because my family and I are in the midst of moving to another city (which explains the lighter writing schedule lately).  The reason for moving is not for financial or career reasons, which would be conventional, but for life reasons; we enjoy our current house and city but we feel strongly that our new city will provide greater quality of life in almost every way.

I will admit that our move is made possible because my work as a self-employed investment advisor and freelance writer creates more mobility than (sorry, I have to say it again) the conventional career.  This is not to arrogantly say that one must be self-employed to be free.  However, it does say that sacrificing life now for financial wealth later is a form of slavery and that freedom does not often come without significant risk.

"What is important in life is life, and not the result of life." ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I will provide details soon on the move and the new city.  For now, feel free to get a primer with these life planning blog posts (with excerpts following the links to the posts):

The Goal is Not the Driving Force: You are the driver--the helmsman of your journey, your life.  You choose the craft, the destination and the journey.  However, none are more important than being your own driving force.

10 Potentially Perilous Paradoxes:We sacrifice life now -- we sacrifice meaningful pursuits and diminish the value of life now and work in a job we hate for decades; we delay "gratification" for a day when we will obtain an undefined "financial freedom," which will presumably buy the time needed to finally be ourselves; we kill ourselves to live;  and thus life is made a tool for money, whereas money should be a tool for life...

The Non-Financial Cost of 'Retirement': If so many people who are actually in retirement have discovered that a happy retirement consists of working in a job that is self-fulfilling, shouldn't retirement planning therefore consist primarily of career planning or, even better, of life planning?

I look forward to sharing more soon...