Our Time on Earth is Limited. What If We Approached Money With The End In Mind?
Seven years ago, we had a group of high achievers over for dinner. Amongst our guests was a newly retired director of a hospice.
I thought to tie in our dinner discussion with what she did by posing this question to my dinner guests: “How would you live life differently if you were told you only had 30 days left to live?‘ It was a question I had never contemplated. But as dawned y guests started answering it, it became apparent that most of us were living our lives differently from how we would if we felt any sense of urgency.
The Decisions That Matter
We get pulled by so many different voices telling us how we are supposed to be; we can barely hear the whispers of our hearts. So how do we know what we value is not what we’ve been told to value?
What kind of impact would you like to have once you’re gone?
Questions to Inspire a Different Kind of Financial Life
We all know that we can’t take anything with us beyond the grave. Yet, our society is constantly pursuing more; a better education, a bigger house, a second home, and a high six-figure salary.
What if our conversation on money started with the end in mind? Not on what we’ve accumulated and can’t take with us., but on what we wanted to leave behind. The impact we’ve had on the people around us. The contributions we’ve made to society.
If we approached money with the end in mind, would we spend as much time at work? friends. Would the climb up the corporate ladder look different?
When you look at your life through the lens of what you are leaving behind, perhaps it seems different from what it is now. Maybe you would do a lot of things differently with the assets you own.
A Different Approach To Money
Perhaps you would approach the subject a lot more carefully if you knew you could make an impact on those around you long after you are gone. Maybe you would think more about how you spend your finances, your time, and your energy.
What if we started the conversation on money not from what we wanted but what we already had? Not from what we kept but from what we shared? Will our conversation on money be different from what it is now?
We are not all called to save the world or start a school for girls in Africa. But something within you may compel you to leave a legacy that aligns with the essence of who you are. That dinner party was a pivotal moment for me. It was a game-changer.