Growing older
sucks, especially when you don't have a lot of money. Your aging and longevity may
be impacted by your spending, which has to do with the value
of money, which plays a pivotal role as you continue to age.
No matter how
much money you have, make the best and the most of your remaining years;
turn them into the golden years of your life in spite of any financial
difficulty you may be facing, Remember, life is a task-master: it teaches you
not only how to survive in any challenging circumstance but also how to live
well, especially in your golden years.
The senior
years are most challenging in that all seniors have to come to grips with the
changes and challenges they may be facing. On the one hand, they may make them
more appreciative of life as well as more proactive to live a meaningful and
purposeful life; on the other hand, these challenges and problems may also make
them want to give up on life, and thus drifting and deteriorating rapidly.
Money plays a
major role in your retirement. You need money to retire, as well as to
continue a similar lifestyle that you lead while you are working. Even if
you decide to modify or simplify your lifestyle, you still need money.
Yes, money
plays a pivotal role in aging and longevity, as well as how you are going to
live the rest of your life. Given the importance of money, you need to
know what money is all about.
With that goal
in mind, you need to estimate the amount of money you need
throughout the rest of your years. The amount is also influenced by when you want to retire. That is,
retiring at the age of 55 is not the same as retiring at the age of 70,
because life expectancy affects
your retirement savings. You need to know your assets and liabilities: assets are the
things you possess that have value when you exchange them for cash;
liabilities are the debts you owe. Your net
worth is all your assets minus all your liabilities, and
it changes over time because your assets, expenses, and liabilities
change too. Therefore, you need to review your financial situation and
re-calculate your net worth annually or on a regular basis.
Your aging and
longevity are impacted by your spending, which has to do with the value of money, which plays a
pivotal role as you continue to age.
In the past,
people could enjoy the blessings of life without spending real money. Nowadays, to many people,
enjoyment of life requires money — and lots of it! According to Buddha, craving or desire for
material things is the source of all human miseries. Jesus also has this to say about money:
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to go to heaven.” (Luke 18:25)
So, what is
the value of money? More importantly, what
does money mean to you? Your
perceptions of the value of money determine two of the most important things
in the rest of your life: how you are going to live the rest of your life; how
you are going to spend your
money
The value of
money should be based on your core values in
life, such as integrity,
which has little to do with money, and which is an important
value that our Creator has bestowed on each one of us. Essentially,
integrity is the value of what
life has to offer, not the value of things purchased with money. Your
core values affect your attitudes towards how you are going to live the
rest of your life, irrespective of how much money you have.
The bottom
line: spend money wisely according to your needs, and not your wants; be
grateful for what you have, and be generous to those who are less fortunate
than you age.
The Wisdom of Letting Go shows you how to let go of your attachments to the material world and live happily in your golden
years. Also, You Just Don't Die! may provide a blueprint for living the rest of your life, if you just don't die, whether you have or do not have money.
The bottom line: Money may not make you happy; it's all in your mind. Look at some real life examples from The Happiness Wisdom.
Stephen Lau
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