Mind Blowing Email I received

[djct_watt]

Originally Posted by DevilGirl

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the article is only about the company Volvo.

The overall important point to take away from the article is not just about how different things are manufactured. It speaks more about the overall quality of our lives. Finding the balance between work and play. Not making the job the top priority in life.

In the end, sure we may have spent the bulk of our time working. But what about the rest of the time? What were we doing with it? We were spending time with our families or friends? Were we relaxing in any way? What was our constant stress levels at?


The vast majority of the USA lead their lives with work being the only thing on their mind. All about making the money to buy the most expensive things, and in the end, still not being satisfied. They stress over having money, having toys, needing to work overtime constantly.

Life is not about the having the most toys, but about how we spent our lives. My fiancee and I are examples of that. We work way too many hours. Most of that goes to pay off bills (such as credit cards), because we would use the credit cards to buy all the new gadgets that have come out, yet we don't have time to use them since we're working all the time to pay for them.

Whereas friends of ours, they have a small home (paying the mortgage), they don't have cable (they do have the internet though), only just recently got cell phones... While they may not have a whole lot of money left over at the end of the day, they have what a lot of us don't have: being happy with who they are, where they are.

First things first, MY issue with the article isn't just Volvo, it's every example it brings up as evidence of good culture and philosophy. Just as I do my life, I believe in living a good quality life, and not some life that lasts forever and is mediocre.

But in terms of YOUR point, I do agree. However, the principle still stands true that eliminating waste out of one's life is critical to a good life. Sure, you SHOULD stop and smell the roses, but that in itself is not a waste of time. Sitting around wishing you could do other things and doing nothing about it IS a waste of time. And just the same, life is precious and should not be wasted. It's THE most valuable commodity you have; life, and subsequently time, especially reading some retarded article two times.

[TLyttle]

Every thing we do is a lesson if we are willing to learn it. Even reading that article twice has its own lesson, ie, pay attention the first time!

Devil Girl's post is very insightful. I have been retired for 6 years now, and I really don't know how I found the time to satisfy The Man. My house is smaller than most, my income is very small, my hobby is inexpensive, I live very well indeed, and we are just fine with our 19" tv (all the rest of the electronics are at the same level). Earlier someone said that they couldn't POSSIBLY live in a vehicle with no stereo: too bad they aren't seeing what is there to see, or to hear. There is lots more to life than what is being thrown at us, something about thinking for oneself maybe...