Sometimes it’s not that easy to get things in perspective. I’ve never accepted the “other people are worse off than you” as an excuse for being treated badly, but, in the great scheme of things, Helen and I are way better off than the majority of people on the planet.

That knowledge isn’t a great help when things get a bit much, and it’s still very easy to be angry and upset when people hurt you. I must be mellowing in my old age though, because I can accept that people who hurt others for their own gain need a miracle to become truly happy. For them, someone else is always getting a better deal, and must be punished for it.

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about what I should have done in situations, or what I will do, instead of what I am actually doing. I’m a lot better at not beating myself up about past “failures”, but still like to be prepared for a range of contingencies. Being present to “now” still takes practice.

So, on the plus side, I have a wonderful wife, amazing kids and a great mother and brother. I’m able to pay the bills, unless something (again) unforeseen occurs, for at least the next three years. Helen and I get to do some really nice stuff, and we are in pretty good shape for our ages.

It will be hard, though, to leave Martini and our “boys” behind in a few months. Martini has the skills to look after herself, economically. The boys will be in for a change of lifestyle. I’m not sure if village life with Martini’s family will be the same as the luxury and safety to which they have become accustomed. They should be able to satisfy their love of the great outdoors though.

They say that the four most traumatic things to face (for the affluent) are the death of a loved one, relationship break up, job loss and moving house. We’ve got the last two, and keep having to remind each other that, when things seem bad, it is only current circumstance, and, that, as Robert Kiyosaki puts it, we are not poor in any meaning of the word.

  

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