I’m a reader of Doug Casey, the International Man, who is a well-seasoned traveler and non-conformist contrarian. My kind of people.

He put out an article recently, How Much Money is Enough. It’s well worth the read and his life experiences, perspective and sharing of a friend’s journey out of the rat race to the other side of living is something we can relate to.

You can either live life intentionally or simply go with conventional wisdom. The problem with the latter is that the masses may buy into conventions like getting an education, living materialistically, getting the houses, cars and lifestyle that feel safe and working harder for your stuff, whatever life you have built.

And you can feel normal about it all because the social validation around you makes you feel like you are doing the right things.

However, there are some major truths that are immovable regardless of the comfort you perceive:

1. You own your life. Your neighbors and friends may hang with you and feel like they are in the same boat, but you live with your own consequences – your health, debt, stress, and contentment. Noone cares about you more than you. And they don’t have to.
2. Stuff. Your stuff rots, accumulates and demands management. It’s personal overhead. Doug Casey tells the story of his friend to share about someone who simply did the math. What if you did the math? Are you simply grinding it out to support your stuff? Does it own you?
3. Time. It is ticking and you are not getting younger. In fact, you are getting closer to death every day. Before death, your health will give out. Can you even enjoy things as much as today if your heart, lungs and knees falter? Again, do the math. Talk to older people. Sure they may have money, but we have run into plenty of people in our Freejourner travels that can’t enjoy their wealth because they can’t move. Bad gamble.
4. Purpose. Life is not meant to be grinded out in servitude and senselessness. It’s meant to be lived. And if you figure this out too late, then you only have your regrets. Too bad. I’m not trying to be harsh. It’s just reality.

What if you chose to take a look at the rat race and simply do the math? What if you lived a little more intentional. Don’t stress. Lower your overhead. Travel. Pursue experiences and adventures. Make the little time you have with your kids pure wonder.

The intentional life takes some courage and you have to think for yourself. And do the math.

It can be done, by the way. There’s too many success stories of people that overcome any objection (or fear) that you can articulate.

We’re still snowboarding and keeping it real out here at 10,000 feet. And it all started with a bit of intentionality and clarity on what we wanted.

By the way, the rat race absolutely sucks.