A month ago while bringing my boy to the library, I chanced upon the following two books.
I heard of the first but not the second. However, since they are near each other and shouting out to me in their bright yellow cover, I thought there’s no harm in borrowing them.
Started with Money or Your Life and nope I did not read from cover to cover, as what was written in most chapters are not new to me and in fact pretty commonsensical. The only chapter that I spent more time reading was Chapter 7: For Love or Money: Valuing Your Life Energy – Work and Income.
In the initial months when I stopped working, I cringed when some people said I achieved FIRE (Financially Independence Retire Early). For one, my FI status really depends on my investment return which is not guaranteed. However, I am still alright with that since I have been pursuing it for the longest time.
It is the second label Retire Early that I am not quite comfortable with. It could be the general perception, amplified by the media; retirement brings about an image of a person who is not working any more, spending his time on leisure activities only. The image I found is the evidence of such thinking.
That’s really not what I wanted when I left my job early this year. What I wanted was to explore and experience things beyond what I had done before. Yes, that was why I started my FI journey two decades ago – to have the option to move away from paid employment.
So I would typically said I am more into FI but not RE. However, I wasn’t able to express myself clearly what I meant. After some time, I just gave up and did not even bother to explain. Coming across this chapter in this book just clear it up for me.
“Have you noticed that work has two different functions: the material, financial function (i.e., getting paid) and the personal function (emotional, intellectual, psychological, and even spiritual)?”
– page 220
I remembered years ago, I was sharing with my form class why I came into teaching. Partly for the salary since in the modern world, we all need to use this medium to exchange for goods and services. As important though is to interact, mentor and work with the younger minds, for their growth and mine.
“Redefining “work” as simply any productive and purposeful activity, with paid employment being just one activity among many, frees us from the false assumption that what we do to put food on the table and a roof over our heads should also provide us with our sense of meaning, purpose and fulfilment.”
– page 221
The above paragraph provides me with the clarity. Leaving my career early this year was not to stop working but it provides me the time and space for other work. I might not get paid for my effort and time but they give me a sense of meaning and are definitely fulfilling.
Managing my investment portfolio (this brings in moolah), and sharing about financial matter and investment (this does not bring in moolah) takes effort but I enjoy doing it. Doing housework chores and being the chauffeur are not that enjoyable, but contributed to my family’s well being and that’s meaningful to me.
Are you able to break the link between work and wages?
I would end this post by sharing the following Insead.edu article which I came across while writing this post.
Fulfilment and the FIRE Movement: The Realities of Life After Early Retirement.
Enjoy the article.
Enjoy the last month of 2023.
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