T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 3

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #3!

Here are some things I really like and that you might too.

Finance Articles

The Longer I’m Away From Corporate Life, the More Ridiculous a 9-5 Schedule Seems. – Zach nailed it in this post.  The traditional 9-5 workday is ludicrous for modern day knowledge work.  Even Cal Newport who’s researched this topic extensively and written a few bestsellers about it agrees that people can’t be productive in knowledge work for 8 straight hours.

Financial Independence and The Courage To Rewrite Our Narrative – “Major change in life is often inspired by conflict. We reach a crux such that we can no longer continue down the path that we have crafted for ourselves.”  Well said Doc.

Video

“When you’re in the mountains on a big adventure, life is so incredibly simple. The superficial things evaporate” 

For outdoor sports junkies the annual Reel Rock Film tour is kind of the best thing ever.

Who’s Inspired Me

Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America.  “We’re gonna run around it”

Courtney Dauwalter understands that growth in life comes through struggle and suffering.  She often beats most of the elite men in her races and is a badass of the first order.  That is all.

What I’m Grateful For

Mountains.  For the lessons they’ve taught me through challenges, hardship, risk, and beauty.

Lyrically Speaking

“look alive, see these bones
what you are now, we were once
but just like we are, you’ll be dust
and just like we are, permanent”

From “See These Bones”, by Nada Surf

If you’ve never been to the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks in Rome, I’m not going to say it’s an uplifting experience, but it’s definitely chilling.  It’s scores of human bones, arranged to make a sort of macabre memorial.  Matthew Caws, the lead songwriter in Nada Surf, wrote this great song after visiting the crypt.  The lines quoted above in the pre-chorus are meant to be spoken from the bones themselves, to the tourist visitors of the crypt.  

I did a post recently about the fragility of life.  Money is a tool, nothing more.  Make the best tool you can but don’t spend your life focusing on the tool, use it to build something great.

Miscellaneous

The Absurd Primacy of the Automobile in American Life

Happiness Is Fleeting – I was a HUGE Peanuts fan growing up and still have a stack of vintage Peanuts books from the 1970’s. I identified with this great piece very much…

Sedentary Lifestyle For 20 Years Linked To Doubled Early Mortality Risk Compared To Being Active – There’s a reason I blog about doing your own chores, and moving as much as possible. This article title might sound kind of “duh”, but apparently most Americans don’t seem to want to live longer based on their behavior.