It is funny to think of how much my typical day has changed as I grew up and got older. It wasn’t long ago that I would wake up, walk to the corner, maybe have a spinach bun and ham and cheese croissant maybe with a diet coke and then pick up the free newspaper and head home to spend a pleasant morning reading the news and trying my hand at the Sudoko.
Now, the free newspaper doesn’t exist, I have stopped buying high calorie breakfasts, and as the day starts, the main thing I do is to turn on the TV and look for songs, lectures, even news sometimes on Youtube.
One of the biggest things that has changed since that time (not more than 10 years ago I think) is that I have grown older and had to take a serious look at how I was treating my body. I was eating a lot of fatty salty snacks, I was eating out 2-3 times a day, and I wouldn’t go anywhere unless it was an easy bus ride or a convenient car ride away.
Some of the things that have changed is, I have grown to love walking and I owe a lot of that love to meditation. A while back, I was encouraged to try Transcendental Meditation but the cost was prohibitive. Instead, I tried to learn all the functions and aspects of the practice on my own. I was close at one point to consenting to take the proper training to do the meditation, but there were so many little weird things I learned about TM that scared me off. One thing I have to mention though is that I do my own version of meditation and it gives me incredible peace of mind and mental clarity. It also makes things like long, boring 6-mile walks in the city feel soothing, healing and healthy.
I had walked a lot before, my dad used to come to pick me up each day (he was retired, I was recovering from a hospital stay) and we would go for walks in River Valley Parks. (If you ever come to Edmonton, don’t just go the big mall, go hiking in the River Valley, have a look at our Zoo, and definitely experience Fort Edmonton Park).
These walks with my dad were so beneficial. They gave me joy, exercise, companionship, and fresh air. With time, I healed from the worst possible experience of my life and before I knew it, I was doing all the things I dreamed of—visiting Hawaii, flying to London, England. I even published my first book soon after then ended up writing and publishing 12 books in total and giving all kinds of talks to the public as well as writing over 60 newspaper and magazine articles.
I do have my regrets, it is worrisome that I am now 53 and won’t have a chance to build a major writing career before I become too old to enjoy it. Building a career often takes a lifetime.
Speaking of writing, I should link something very special to me here, it is a short story I wrote for The Saturday Evening Post that can be read online. I would be eternally grateful for anyone who likes it to contact me. Just click here to be taken to the story.
I think something wonderful has happened to me in the time I have spent living in my current apartment. I have come to find the work I love. I don’t have just one job either, I have a bunch of them where I go here and there and feel very honoured and respected by those who I work for and those who I work with.
I mentioned something in the podcast today that I feel is worth repeating. Right from the very start, even when you get your very first job, do your best to live BELOW your means. Keep up with your bills, avoid debts like the plague, and save all you can. It can also be very helpful to learn all you can about investing but don’t jump into it before you are ready. I also suggest that you keep a fair chunk of what you have saved in a place you can quickly access it. The thing many don’t realize is that in life, you really never know if you will need a big chunk of money for something critical. Think of your savings as something you don’t own, but as something for the good and wellbeing of your loved ones.
Speaking of investments, that is another thing that has drastically changed. Years ago I was a voracious reader of financial advice and books like “The Richest Man in Babylon” and “The Wealthy Barber” I was working, but only enough to provide for basic needs. I truly regret that I hadn’t taken advantage of some of the programs put out for people with disabilities to save and invest or even just to have build up some kind of reserve. But the truth is, there is no better time than now to start a financial plan. I have been doing mine now since Covid began and I am well on my way to a comfortable retirement where I will have many options.
Nothing you will experience in your life will compare to the concept of finding the work that you love (which includes of course being paid fairly for it). So many other things will melt away. It is almost embarrassing to think of it, but as a younger person, I really felt the most important thing I had to do was to meet someone I could fall in love with and marry. I haven’t totally given up on that idea, but I do know I put the cart before the horse. What I should have done was put my elbow to the grindstone and earned and saved enough money to be able to provide a decent life for a family. Despite looks, intelligence, or charm, without adequate resources to have something to offer, I kind of feel you are being unrealistic and irresponsible. I don’t feel that way about everyone, I have seen some incredible relationships happen with people who have nothing, but I also have seen good relationships fall apart or even lives being ruined because people thought their paycheques were enough and spent all they had on day to day living without even conceiving that the job would end, the money would run out, or one day a person may have to retire early for medical or other reasons.
So, as far as relationships go, my week looks a lot different than it did just a few short years ago. I don’t go out to night clubs or places where I think I will meet someone. I put everything into my work and my writing, and keep just a few very special friends who I can talk to about anything and trust with my life.
Well good readers, I appreciate you coming this far. As I said, I would love to hear from you. This post went a little funny because I digressed a lot when I started mentioning finance. I would like to do some more dedicated podcasts about finances, if you have any questions or would like to make any comments, please feel free to do so!
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