"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it" - Ellen Goodman.
When one really steps back and examines what is going on it's really quite amazing how people live. People spend money they don't have on things they don't need to impress people they don't like! - (Dave Ramsey quote). But, after all, we call this "normal"? Consumerism is very strong in society. In fact, most of the thoughts you have about products are not your own. TV commercials and the like are constantly bombarding you with advertisements to get you to buy the product you MUST have. In addition, one's peers may try to influence you that you "need" this product or the next new "thing". When people look out their windows and notice the neighbor with the new car all of a sudden one may start to feel that they also need to upgrade and get a new car as well. It's like everyone is constantly competing for the coolest person of the year award. And the winner is the one with coolest and newest toys. This is insanity for in the end this leads to poverty and ruin. One may be thinking, "well they got all these cool items so how can they be in poverty?" Just because one makes enough money to obtain the credit approval to purchase the item doesn't mean they own it outright. Most people are too lazy to sit down and do the math to figure the real cost in the long term. As a result, the person ends up working more and more to pay for the items purchased. And, since they are always at work they never really have the time to enjoy them. In the end they become a slave always working to pay off what was financed living pay check to pay check never able to save or "get ahead" so to speak.
Have you ever heard the adage "time is money"? This is usually because those with lots of money have lots of time. Why? Because they don't have to worry about going to work to pay for anything. However, one may obtain lots of time without a lot of money! And the opposite holds true. Don't have much time? Then you probably don't have much money or you have too many items!
Henry David Thoreau once said, "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone". I'm sure you have heard the phrase "more money more problems". This couldn't be further from the truth. It's more materials more problems! Think about it. If all I have is excess money and not a lot of possessions then what do I have to really worry about? A person that has a large expensive home with a lot of land has to maintain it with property tax, insurance, maintenance - inside and outside (yard work), etc.. This can take up more of your time and money not including the stress that can come along with burglary/theft. Also consider boats, cars, ATV's, etc.. All of these items require some sort of maintenance in terms of money or time to take care of the items.
So, while others are busy in the "rat race" of trying to get ahead by "being cool aka 'normal'" you can relish in the fact that you have lots of time and freedom to do what you want when you want. That in and of itself is an asset. It's low stress meaning that you are investing in yourself and your health. You may not be rich per se but you may have all the time in the world. And time is money. Time is something you can never get back. You don't live forever. Life is too short of be a slave to consumeristic items you really don't need. Besides what is the point of having all this "stuff" if you can't even enjoy it and are always looking after it?
Still want to be "normal"?
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