32. A NEW BEGINNING
“Sometimes you just know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings.” -- Anonymous
EVERY ENDING IS A NEW BEGINNING
“Every story has an end, but in life every ending is a new beginning.”
George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright and critic who was a 1925 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, had much to say on death and the right way how people should lead their lives. He was very philosophical about death, knowing that it was beyond his control.
About money
George Bernard Shaw had his unique view on money which is still commonly shared by many today. He said, "Spend all you have before you die; do not outlive yourself."
How true! Many people slog their lives leaving behind a business empire or multiple properties for their children. They forgot to live their own lives. They lived their whole lives for their children.
Once you have the mindset of making enough money to live your own life, and not to pass it on to next generation, you may wake up one day realising that you have more than enough. You are financially sufficient. You are financially free. Let your children worry about their own future.
When you reach that state of mind, you can then start thinking of what to do with the "excess money" if you have before you die.
Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates decided to channel all their money into Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for good causes, contributing back to society.
A close friend and ex-university mate will donate one of her properties to the University of Berkeley at California, USA, which she used to be a student. As for the rest of her money and worldly possessions, she plans to donate them all.
Personally, I have the similar concept. I do not want to outlive my life. I want to spend all before I die. Besides I have no children. Afterall, it's returning back my body to the earth, to God who created me at first place. I shall not take anything that doesn't belong to me with me. I come empty handed. I shall leave empty handed.
As a kind gesture of my love and appreciation to those loved ones while I'm still in this world, I will still leave some money for my sister and her two children, and a couple of very close friends. For the rest of my retirement money, I plan to donate them to old folks homes, Hospis Malaysia or any other charities or foundations close to my heart.
About health
George Bernard Shaw said about health, "Use your health, even to the point of wearing it out. That's what it is for."
He commented that what he could do was enjoy his life and try to make a positive contribution to society. I believe he left behind sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman, Pygmalion and Saint Joan amongst others, contributing positively to society.
Yes, indeed. Health is wealth! Health brings happiness in life too! With health, money is meaningless.
Therefore, be significant in your life and make a difference or impact to someone's lives with your good health. Don't have to be big. Start small. One person at a time to whoever coming across your life path. Be the coach, or encourager, or a hand or a shoulder to that person. You reach out to community in your area.
I would like and have been trying to inspire or encourage anyone coming across my path in this life. One at a time. I just flow with life.
Meanwhile, I plan to give my time and effort to the elderly, poor, sick and needy on the local communities. And this starts from being a fulltime care giver to my 96 year-old dad.
About dreams and regrets
George Bernard Shaw was very right about people having unfulfilled dreams when they die. He said, "Most people go to their grave with their music inside them."
He was so spot on! Most people don't manage to let their music come out of them before they die. They die with regrets.
This has echoed so well with the most common regrets of the dying by Bronnie Ware, an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care. I have covered this earlier but to recap, the top five regrets of the dying are:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to life a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had left myself be happier.
Hence, go on a quest to find happiness and meaning in your pursuit. Start ticking off your life list. Go meeting people you care most about. Mend differences from the past with any loved ones and friends if you need to.
A life with no regrets is a life well lived.
Finding the meaning and purpose in life
Don’t just focus on making money the whole of your life.
First of all, invest in yourself. You are the best investment you can give to yourself.
Next, make the most money in shortest time possible from your career, your – to-5 job with the right attitude and life principles. Impact and build people along the way. Don't tear people down.
After that, learn to save as much as you can, as early as possible, by living a simple, humble, minimalist lifestyle. Focus on needs and not wants. Focus on less and not more. Save cent by cent. A cent saved is a cent earned.
Then, invest the hard-earned money from your job that you manage to save through some financial instruments that suit your own personality. No greed. No luck. No fast track. It's just a step-by-step wealth accumulation through mistakes and learnings until you achieve your financial freedom and time freedom.
Most importantly, live a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
Stay healthy by eating clean and right. Stay healthy by exercising. Stay happy by pursuing things, hobbies, and interests you enjoy in life.
Don't ever live based on dreams of others, including your parents. Live your own dreams. Don't leave behind regrets.
If possible, be that significant person to someone you cross path with. Impact their life through your wisdom, your kind encouraging words, or your positive actions or donations.
Only then, you will find meaning in your life. Only then you realise that there is more to your career, your saving, your investing, your financial freedom, your time freedom, your health, and your happiness. You have found the deep purpose and meaning of your life.
I would like to end this book with a quote from Dale Turner,
“Dreams are renewable. No matter what your age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.”
Wishing you all the best in your quest to achieve financial independence to live life true to yourself!
Note:
This is the last chapter of my unpublished book written in 2020 titled "F.I.L.L. Financial Independence, Live Life: achieving financial independence from 9-to-5 job before 50".
Thank you very very much for reading!
I hope certain parts of this unpublished book (published blog articles) will inspire you to achieve your own financial independence.
SECTION 5
Life after Retirement:
Health, Happiness, Gratitude, Being Significant
“If you have health, you probably will be happy. And if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it’s not all you want." -- Elbert Hubbard
F I L L
Financial Independence, Live Life
achieving financial independence from 9-to-5 job before 50
Book manuscript written in 2020 & blog articles published in 2021 by Vincent Khor
Photo by Aamir Suhail on Unsplash
