[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Flyer: I think everything in life is part of a larger cycle and we’re now seeing the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction from self-involved materialism, which is soulless and lacks any sort of spiritual or humanitarian gratification.
I heard someone remark that, “Poor is the new rich”, and that comment really struck me in the sense that more and more people I know are embracing a simpler, smaller lifestyle and forsaking the trappings of consumerism.[/quote]
Allan, “Poor is the new rich,” could certainly be taken to mean many different things of late, but, in the way you intended, I agree, that achieving financial success that is soulless could create a very empty life.
As long as people take responsibility for their lives, and can financially take care of themselves all the way through their retirement years, I’m all for everyone creating whatever lifestyle is most fulfilling to them.
Personally, we’ve always been spiritually-based people, and believe the financial security we enjoy is something we need to get through this life, then pass along, and not an end unto itself.
Our lives have been enriched far beyond financial means via the many philanthropic and creative endeavors we’ve been involved in over the years, and I’m glad to hear more people might be following suit–it’s a very rewarding way to live!
