Simple and Powerful

 "Success is largely the failures you avoid

  Health is the injuries you don't sustain

  Wealth is the purchases you don't make

  Happiness is the object you don't desire

  Peace of mind is the arguments you don't engage

  Avoid the bad to protect the good"

James Clear, inspired by a column by Morgan Housel - "Wealth Is What You Don't Spend"

I don't usually dig stuff like this - seems too simple. But this year I have begun to embrace the less is more approach. James Clear has inspired me - I am reading him a lot. At its essence his philosophy is that if you are trying to change or improve, you should shoot for a 1% improvement every day.

You need to think about what you want to accomplish and establish a way of achieving that, and then attack it every day - in small increments. In other words, be realistic. Not apocalyptic.

This is perfect for me because I am The King of Apocalyptic. Every problem is the end of the world for me. If I drop a piece of meat off the barbecue grill I might as well fashion myself a noose - it's all over, baby.

My brain aches like an overused muscle; I have been beating on it all year. I have truly changed the way I look at a lot of things and the way I think. And I am happier.

Some shit still sets me off; I am only human for Christ sake (although Carol still refers to me as God). After all, I am digging out from under a lifetime of uncertainty and anger - that shit is heavy, baby. Almost smothered me and I am happy to begin to see the light - I never thought I would.

It gives me hope.

My relationship with Carol is better, my relationship with myself is better, I handle myself better at work - these are tangible things and they contribute to a growing sense of well being.

How bizarre, no?

Anyway, I am getting a bit off track. Wealth is the purchases you don't make; Happiness is the object you don't desire; Peace of mind is the arguments you don't engage. Powerful statements. They bring me peace just reading them.

Carol and I accumulated a chunk of change this year and I am proud of how we are managing it. We are using it carefully to grease our way towards retirement. Full retirement.

I am so sick of using the phrase semi-retired. Been saying that since 2016 and it tastes like shit in my mouth. There is no dignity in it. I'm sure Carol feels the same way; she is now semi-retired as well.

To be blunt - if you are doing anything in a "semi" kind of way, you ain't doing it at all.

In the old days I would have bought a Ferrari Testarossa. I actually did something as stupid as that when we had the business. We were forced to withdraw money from our retirement account just to survive. That money should have been carefully managed. Instead, I spent a chunk of it on a TransAm.

I was driving by a house, it was for sale on the lawn, I took it for a test drive - to the bakery - and told Carol I was buying it. I knew our world was about to fall apart and felt that I deserved the fucking car.

How stupid. She should have killed me on the spot.

Happiness is the object you don't desire. I feel that in my bones now.

I think we are going to be all right. All I'm looking for is some peace and dignity and independence in the years we have left.

I believe that is within our grasp.