What You Consume Influence You

We're shaped by what we consume. What goes through our senses, our eyes and ears, shape our mind while what goes through our mouth shape our body.

“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.”

-As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

Years ago, I was told that if you filled a bottle with mustard the only thing that could get out of it is mustard. We ought to be mindful about what we consume as it can either pull us in a positive, or negative, direction. Consuming junk isn't as likely to have a positive impact on our bodies/mind than consuming good things.

You are who you are today partly by what you've consumed up to this point. If you like things as they are then continue on that path. If you don't, then make a change.

Pay Yourself First?

The origin of "Pay yourself first" is perhaps the most important lesson from the "The Richest Man in Babylon" book by George S. Clason.  The novel, with lessons on finances, takes place in Babylon where working class individuals are inquiring to their wealthy friends on how to become wealthy. One said advice was to "pay yourself first".

What does it mean?

It doesn't mean spending money on yourself but to save it for your future self. According to the book, we ought to put aside 10% of money earned on our future self. Once we've accumulated enough, then we can use some of that money for investing - only investing the money we can afford to loose.

A friend of mine spends all her money because "she doesn't know how long she has to live" and was using that as an excuse. Her philosophy isn't wrong but it's not uncommon for people today to live well into their 80s.

"You can be young without money, but you can't be old without it" 

-Tennessee Williams

Today, not only are people not saving (sometimes they can't) they borrow from their future selves instead - putting themselves in a situation they can't get out of. 

How you live is up to you but I would encourage you to find ways to save money. You'll sleep better at night with a nest egg than without one.

Would Philosophy/Science Come Back?

I once argued that Philosophy, like Science, would eventually come back following a catastrophe that would wipeout all human knowledge. However, if we look throughout our history we understand that the stars would need to be perfectly aligned for either to come back...

• For thousands of years of recorded history people who have pursued ideas that were against the status quo, or religious beliefs, of their time could be prosecuted and put to death.
• For ideas to flourish, we must be living where our survival needs are met.
• It's rare for a civilization to allow, or consider, the pursuit of wisdom as a valuable endeavor.
• It's rare for an individual to want to pursue wisdom (even today) - only a small fraction of the billions of humans that have ever existed have been known for their contribution to science/philosophy.
• The event that caused the destruction of knowledge could deter future generations of attempting the pursuit of science/philosophy as to not replicate said catastrophe.

I hope we never loose the knowledge that we've acquired as it could take thousands of years to reach this point again - this is assuming that humans would still be around following the even that wipe out all of our knowledge.

Wisdom Is The Most Important Thing?

"...those who live without being consumed by business or distractions can find their lives to be more than sufficient."
-Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

Seneca believed that pursuing wisdom was the most important exercise of the human experience. I'm of the opinion that health and relationship are also important to live a fulfilling life as without those life becomes an annoyance and lonely.

“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
-Seneca

Monetary gains is important to live but one shouldn't dedicate their lives to it as it's relatively meaningless. There's no limit to the amount of things we can acquire and we carry nothing with us when we die.

Savings Could Be The Plan

“Why should God bring an opportunity your way if you are not in a position to take advantage of it? If you were God, to whom would you give opportunities? Wishful thinkers? Dreamers? Or planners?”
-Andy Stanley

If you don't have a plan for your life then being able to save money may open opportunities you otherwise wouldn't of had.

Years ago, I moved to a new city and the word on the street was that the local I.T. company had been sold. Before signing the papers, the owner had given his employees the opportunity to buy shares of the company - many became overnight millionaires in the deal.
I always wondered what happened to those that weren't able to take advantage of the opportunity... 

While life is short, and we only have the one, we ought to save part of what we earn. If an opportunity ever present itself then we'll be ready.