8 Reasons Passion Trumps Money
‘Should I go for something I am passionate about or go for the money?’ I hear people ask this question a lot when looking for a new direction in life. The truth is, if they had a passion already they wouldn’t be asking the question.
The good thing is it is never too late to discover your passion. I am passionate about quite a few things and lucky to be able to work in those areas. I found that whilst working in a particular area, say film, I could go for days without eating properly and wouldn’t notice. I could also go for days without sleep …
What If You Die…Suddenly? pt 1
I recently heard of a young student whose father died quite suddenly and it really struck a chord.
Without judgement, I believe simplicity and mindfulness would have alleviated a great deal of suffering for those concerned. Read on:
Like many, the gentleman was a single parent and he left behind a teenager and a rather frightened twenty one year old.
While he had passed on – hopefully now at rest, the most intensely traumatic period of difficulty, mourning, indecision, insecurity, lack of knowledge, lack of information and lack of experience was about to come down on his children like a heavily reinforced ton of bricks.
The oldest child, (almost thankfully), was still too in shock to mourn and was forced to become a fully cooked adult overnight with so much to organize. He also faced making the tough decision to drop out of school to deal with the imposed administrative complications of living and dying. Unhelpfully, the fathers office was described as ‘a mess of papers.’
The main issues being:
Assuming there is one, how to continue to pay the mortgage?
What about continuing school fees?
Who was the fathers’ lawyer and /or accountant?
In the children’s vulnerable position could the father’s business partner be trusted?
Can anyone be trusted?
Is there a will?
Any debts to pay off? The rent? Electricity?
FOR GOODNESS SAKE, WHERE DO I START AND WHO DO I TALK TO??!!!
For most adults this would be a difficult time. Imagine for a kid or young adult.
We’ve all heard about terminal illness sufferers making recordings for their children and getting their affairs in order and likewise it is really important that – even though we all think we will live forever – that we get our papers and finances in simple, understandable order so that an 8 year old could get to grips with it should we meet our maker sooner than we thought. In this case the children had also already lost their mom to cancer a year before.
This story really struck me because as a simpletonian and something of a closet hippie, I have little truck with excessive busy body red tape-ism and bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. But also having run successful businesses I know that if you do not sort out your paperwork someone else will do it for you - and not necessarily to your benefit!
It touched me also because it is something I had been continuously rescheduling regarding my own (horrifically disorganized) parent for months…It has to be done.
Once it’s done – it’s done.
Mourners have enough to deal with.
Click here for a very useful list of things to consider doing from a parents POV:
What If You Die…Suddenly? pt 2
Here’s a list of things to consider from a parents POV:
- Your children should be told who to trust. A family member or the family lawyer / accountant. Pass on contact details.
- You might have someone already vetted on standby to council them re bereavement. Leave details.
- Depending on their age they may need to know who is the executor of the will in the absence of both parents.
- They may need to be reassured about how the bills will get paid and where they will call home.
- If they are age appropriate they may need to know what terms such as ‘probate’ mean.
- They may need to know about debtors, insurances, savings, shares and contractual agreements with business partners or workplaces.
- And if you are one of those people who hide money all over your house – think carefully about the possibility of losing your hard earned money when it is never found by your own family because you did not leave suitable directions. Instead the movers, a new family or the local termites get the benefit of your hidden stash.
- Leave a list of your personal details (somewhere very secure and safe) with your NI number, date of birth, tax number, date of marriage. etc.
- List people with their contact details that may need to be informed and perhaps include a template letter for them: doctor, work, relatives, friends, deaths register office, funeral home, relevant tax office, other relevant government bodies, debtors, mail, online passwords to various blogs, social sites and communities etc.
- While you’re at it how about leaving something of the heart or personal for your children to treasure, a nic nac, a video or some great books to refer to.
- They will need to know where to find your will.
Remember that you might only need to inform them where you have kept a lot of this information rather than have a long serious session discussing things they might never need to know. Which is why when the information is eventually accessed it must be simple, clear, helpful and understandable.
If you have really young children, someone should know where to access this info – yes, I know we’ll all live forever – but just in case.
If you have adult children, the same applies. They will feel as lost as the teen and his sibling above. Help them out.
If you are short of time, start compiling this information gradually – it doesn’t all have to be done at once. Start with the most vital.
Once done you can relax, live long and prosper! – But remember to keep your instructions, your will and files updated, crystal clear and startlingly simple!
Peace, as ever.
Simple Finance – How To Live Within Your Means
Stay Away From The Mall!
It’s very tempting to be surrounded by new shiny things especially if you go to the mall without a specific intention. If you want to live within your means, the thing not to do is use the mall as an entertainment spot. It isn’t. It is a cleverly controlled arena in which the sole purpose is to separate it’s occupants from their cash.
Buy With Cash
It is so much easier to keep an eye on your expenditure when it is slowly or quickly leaving your palm. Credit cards hide the pain for later, which is why more financial institutions prefer them to cash these days…but the pain WILL come! Of course credit cards can be useful if you are in a position to pay off the loan amount IN FULL every month.
Discover A Life Of Free Fun
Be like a child and rediscover the boxes that the toys came in. You know how parents place enormous energy into buying the latest consumerist fad for their child and the child chooses to play with the box? Investigate heart warming simple pleasures again.
Forget Competing With The Jones’s – Because They Are Broke Too
It is this addictive craze that keeps us living insufficient, unsatisfying lives if we let it. We get too involved in what other people are doing, but like most things we only see one side of their story. We don’t know their real circumstance. Like Bernie Madoff and his family who appeared to be hugely financially successful and with billionaire status appeared to have it all – but it was all a fraudulent illusion…Really, Just be yourself.
Negotiate For Everything
Don’t accept the first price. You lose nothing by asking and being a little cheeky. I made it the norm to ask even in the most unlikely scenarios and was usually pleasantly surprised. The seller will always have some room to manoeuver and a line to feed you about his losses…worry about your own losses!
image by: Kevin Rawlings
