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Retirement Lifestyle Thinking: Wealth or Poverty its up to you!

A homeless man in Paris

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OK, I’m off on a tangent today.

It has to do with attitude and permissions about success and wealth. People are poor not because of bad luck. People are poor because society teaches them to think poor and resent wealth. My focus here is retirement lifestyle design which is a fancy was to say living the life you want – whatever your age. There is so much crap around today about minimalist living, saving the planet and simplification of your life that it just wears me out. All these well intentioned folks sincerely mean well but they don’t know up from down and have no intention of getting life straight. Just about every media outlet or friendly neighborhood busybody will reinforce the message. Wealth is bad for you and society. Be happy with less. Settle for cheap crap and don’t upset the sheep by telling them that they deserve the best,. They won’t tell you that when you make a lifestyle that embraces the best everybody benefits and that you can and should make every effort to have the best. Society’s message that it is selfish to become wealthy is destructive to everyone but especially to the sheep because  sheep are dependent and won’t take care of themselves.

Do you want better?

I assume that if you are reading this, you are not a sheep. Something inside you tells you that you can have better than average if you work at it. Still inside you there is probably another voice telling you that it’s wrong and selfish to become wealthy and that is probably the voice that you hear loudest. The best things are best for only one reason- they beat the crap out of cheap stuff. There is nothing wrong with recognizing that you deserve the best things you can buy. And when you recognize that fact, you are freed and empowered to create the wealth that can give them to you.

I’m not talking conspicuous consumption.

Don’t misunderstand that I’m talking about pretension or ostentation. I’m just talking about surrounding yourself with high quality stuff. It works better, looks better and lasts better. Whatever you need in your life should be the best you can afford and when you decide you are worthy to have the best, you will find a way to provide it.

Wealth or Poverty?

Lifestyle is just a manifestation of this truth. Your lifestyle is either one of wealth or poverty. Poverty thinking tells you what you can’t have. Wealth thinking tells you what is possible. Virtually every retirement blog focuses on limitation like doing for less and cutting back. They don’t do it so much from a simplification thinking perspective. They do it because most people can’t do anything else. They have cramped, poverty thinking which they attempt to glorify into a virtue. They cower, muddle or make due. They look down and cringe. They don’t even consider looking up and boldly going forward.

Poverty thinking goes backward

When you start going backwards, it’s all over. Lifestyle design is about going forward and making things better. If going cheap and simple makes your life better then go for it. But if you are going cheap and simple because of poverty thinking that tells you you can’t afford and don’t deserve better, then change your thinking. Associate with wealth thinkers and tell yourself that you deserve the best. When you do, the opportunities are there for you to grasp. The limitations are all in your head.

Which do you choose?

Do you only aim for the best in your retirement lifestyle? Do you have wealth thinking or poverty thinking?

 

{ 4 comments… add one }
  • hansi July 9, 2011, 6:44 am

    I’m probably more into Stinkin’ Thinkin’, an AA phrase for doing the same old thing despite knowing it never works. But seriously that’s a good point, wealth thinking vs. poverty thinking. One can have little but feel rich; while one can also have quite a lot and still feel poor. I’m with ya on buy the best you can afford.
    hansi’s last Blog Post ..Skank

  • Ralph July 9, 2011, 9:31 am

    Hansi, The wonderful thing about human beings is that they can always change their minds.

  • Bill Murney July 9, 2011, 11:18 am

    One thing I have always adhered to Ralph is buying the best that I could afford. We are not here long enough to put up with second best and ‘cutting back’ are two words I detest.

    The old saying ‘you get what you pay for’ is very true.

    Bill
    A-U-L,UK
    Bill Murney’s last Blog Post ..Fell Off The Kerb!

    • Ralph July 9, 2011, 12:35 pm

      Bill,
      I didn’t think that poverty thinking was your problem.

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