22/12/2022
When we talk about any type of reality, we naturally exclude the exceptions. The talking heads, and about everyone else you see on screens. They make 6 months of your salary in 1 month. Or more. Their reality is as mind-boggling to us as ours is to them. They wonโt understand us. They can't pretend to talk about a problem they don't have.
Now lets talk about reality.
๐ญ) ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
That is about 40 years of your life, while you are healthy and keen, and have control over every limb. Along the way you will do everything else in your limited time โ getting married, raising children, hobbies, meaningful time with friends, enjoying things only time can buy.
Yet at the end of 40 years working, most of us wonโt have much to show for it, except an overpriced bird cage and maybe a car.
๐ฎ) ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐
๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Anxiety is a useful feature of the body, telling us that something is not quite right with the picture here. But what is it?
Most seniors over-estimate their spending powers. Let us remind ourselves our fine country is consistently ranked as the top 10 most expensive city in the world. As of this writing, we are no.7 most expensive. Inflation will climb. Your savings will not. Rabbit and the turtle, except this time the turtle is a rock โ it doesnโt move.
Where does the anxiety come from?
a) Can you afford to stop working?
b) Do you have enough just to survive? We mean just paying for food and utilities, and not much else.
c) Does the children have enough to spend?
d) Does the children have enough for their education?
Remember that a Singaporean is economically helpless in their first 21-24 years. No substantial job offer until a university degree. And even if that is gotten, they face the increasingly barrier- less global competition. But letโs not worry about that for now.
3) ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ณ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐
There are 2 realities that can happen. Both possible, yet strangely very different.
Reality A = You lived a working life far longer than you wanted, and you did not leave much behind. Lived, worked and died. Your survivors fend for their own.
Reality B = You have a comfortable life of happy experiences with family and friends. You were as happy as you could be. You had a wonderful life with your wife. Your children were able to mature strongly without taking on stress prematurely in their studying years.
You left enough behind that your survivors do not lead anxious lives. You lived, saw the world, experienced the world for yourself (as opposed to viewing it on the screen). As much as possible, you had the fruits life has to offer.
We all make the choices to lead to one of these realities. Whether our choice is intentional or not will not change the reality. It is what it is. We have what we have.
You might ask if your CPF gives you enough to avoid Reality A. We can only answer โLook around and talk to peopleโ. You can start by talking to your relatives of that age.
We hope you are choosing Reality B. You can still make the choice now if you are before 50 years old. We assume you want to have reality B by 65. It takes time to make a big difference.
โItโs never too lateโ is not feasible โ it is a claim often made by snake-oil salesmen. It takes time to buy back control over your own life.
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