Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post

The Protagonist · 12-05-2006, 01:51 AM

This post is probably going to be a little long and winded, just a heads up.

Also I'm 17 and a pretty smart person, but that doesn't change the fact that I am only 17 and so a bit immature and I don't have the experience that most people have.

Anyway I was born to and raised by two very simple parents. My Dad came to this country $3,000 in debt and now has assets worth over $1,000,000. The answer in his success lies in two things: education & frugality. My Dad has never spent more then $30 on a pair of shoes, has at most spend $20,000 on a car, and will never throw money away. I on the other hand, spend over a $100 on a pair of shoes then go out the next month and buy more for a greater price, my watch cost me $300 while my Father's Casio which he got at Wal-Mart cost $15. The both of us were raised in different house holds. His family was poor and could barely afford to send him to school. I grew up with money present, but my Dad held onto his roots of not spending unless it was an educational expense or it was my birthday. So I missed out on a lot of the things that kids got growing up and I didn't , and now that I am old enough to work, I've gotten accustomed to treating my self. For the longest time when I think to the future I always see my self as a multi millionaire, tooling around in an Aston Martin, and dropping a few million on the apartment. I see an Omega on my left wrist and a pair of vintage cuff links on my right. I'm not sure why, but I've always wanted this. I have a thing for cars, not a gear head, but I just love to drive and the beauty of the car, so case in point I've always wanted a beautiful car to drive. Right now I have my eyes on a 1999 BMW 5 series. 4 years from now I will be 21 and I want to participate in the Gumball 3000 (it's a 3,000 mile luxury car rally starting in London and the point is to drive across the European continent to Turkey) in an AMG 55. I have a very grounded idea on how I plan to accumulate the money (goal is to have a net worth of $15,000,000 by 25), and my plan definitely plays to my passions and will be a reality - but that's not what I'm asking here. Is it wrong to want material things?

I mean there is a scale, on one hand there is Gandhi and Siddhartha Gautama (the Bhudda) who gave up material possessions in the quest to be enlightened. On the other hand is the life I see in front of me that seems just awesome thanks to I/M. I'm young. I want to spend these years riving around the track in a 16-4, spending the nights at Twist or just flying out to England so I can see the premiere of the Bond movie a day early.

Thoughts/Opinions?

12-05-2006, 01:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
The Protagonist Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Westchester Posts: 84	Is it wrong to desire material things? This post is probably going to be a little long and winded, just a heads up. Also I'm 17 and a pretty smart person, but that doesn't change the fact that I am only 17 and so a bit immature and I don't have the experience that most people have. Anyway I was born to and raised by two very simple parents. My Dad came to this country $3,000 in debt and now has assets worth over $1,000,000. The answer in his success lies in two things: education & frugality. My Dad has never spent more then $30 on a pair of shoes, has at most spend $20,000 on a car, and will never throw money away. I on the other hand, spend over a $100 on a pair of shoes then go out the next month and buy more for a greater price, my watch cost me $300 while my Father's Casio which he got at Wal-Mart cost $15. The both of us were raised in different house holds. His family was poor and could barely afford to send him to school. I grew up with money present, but my Dad held onto his roots of not spending unless it was an educational expense or it was my birthday. So I missed out on a lot of the things that kids got growing up and I didn't , and now that I am old enough to work, I've gotten accustomed to treating my self. For the longest time when I think to the future I always see my self as a multi millionaire, tooling around in an Aston Martin, and dropping a few million on the apartment. I see an Omega on my left wrist and a pair of vintage cuff links on my right. I'm not sure why, but I've always wanted this. I have a thing for cars, not a gear head, but I just love to drive and the beauty of the car, so case in point I've always wanted a beautiful car to drive. Right now I have my eyes on a 1999 BMW 5 series. 4 years from now I will be 21 and I want to participate in the Gumball 3000 (it's a 3,000 mile luxury car rally starting in London and the point is to drive across the European continent to Turkey) in an AMG 55. I have a very grounded idea on how I plan to accumulate the money (goal is to have a net worth of $15,000,000 by 25), and my plan definitely plays to my passions and will be a reality - but that's not what I'm asking here. Is it wrong to want material things? I mean there is a scale, on one hand there is Gandhi and Siddhartha Gautama (the Bhudda) who gave up material possessions in the quest to be enlightened. On the other hand is the life I see in front of me that seems just awesome thanks to I/M. I'm young. I want to spend these years riving around the track in a 16-4, spending the nights at Twist or just flying out to England so I can see the premiere of the Bond movie a day early. Thoughts/Opinions?