- Criminologist (or any other criminal investigator) – I do not have the time nor money to go back to college nowadays, but I have always been interested in the criminal justice field. Not necessarily the muscle of the field (I would not be successful as a cop lol) but those that are doing more of the brunt work in order to figure out who, what, when, where and why of a crime. I think my love for puzzles and trying to make things fit together in order to get the big picture is why I am attracted to this line of work. Plus, if you are successful, you assist in giving closure to the victims, as well as putting unsavory people off the streets.
- Writer – I have always had a connection and enjoyment for all things written word. Which is why I dove into this whole blogging thing finally. I have wanted a blog since I was a child, so this is a small dream I brought to life already lol. As far as what medium or genre I would write about, I have thought about children’s books, devotionals, and even novels. Those feel impossible to envision fully but I know if it is meant to be, it will happen. I just need more experience and more confidence in my writing abilities. Self-publishing would be my ideal route but that obviously takes money and connections that illude me at the moment.
- Owning a business – Working with my hands to create something worthy of selling, has been enlightening for me. Crocheting has been a decent part of my life the best several years. I have been commissioned by people at my church and in my own family to make plushies for holidays and birthdays. The fact somebody deems your work financially worthy, boosts your confidence and motivation exponentially. Where I would sell my creations would depend on how much money I could spare for fees and the time to be able to sell in person, like at markets or fairs.
11 responses to “My Future if Money Did Not Matter (DP#28)”
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Too often we think of what if’s (and looking forward to’s), instead of relishing the present. I know I’m guilty of this. I’m not frowning on ‘aspirations’ and ‘hope’ and it’s cool to ponder (but not linger) on thoughts like – what if I had more money, but there was a parable I read about this the other day in called the Mexican Fisherman vs. Businessman that I liked:
A fisherman in a small Mexican village returns from fishing early and has enough for his family’s needs. A wealthy businessman suggests he should fish more, buy a bigger boat, scale up, start a company, get rich, etc. The fisherman asks: “And then what?”The businessman says: work many years, make millions, retire, then live simply by the sea, enjoying life. The fisherman is left stumbled and bemused. Living simply now vs. postponing simplicity lol-
Yeah I have stopped having these visions of grandeur when it comes to life. It took me a long time to realize I do not really want to live for the purpose of having everything I wanted. In fact, I have seen more examples of how that is not a good thing lol How often do celebrities get involved and drugs and alcohol just because they can afford them?
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Making things ‘simple’ is an artform to my way of thinking and when you embrace it, it is most pleasurable way of experiencing life – not beholden to ‘desires’ such as money, things and impossible dreams. Re. your celebrity reference it reminded me when Jesus stated that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. The other part I find absolutely mesmerising is when Jesus tells his disciples Luke 9:3: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.” It has taken me almost all of my life to grasp the profound simplicity of this directive. And it will take the rest of my life to learn how to embody and ‘act out’ the spiritual principle of detachment—the idea that “less is more.”
I also love the quote from the movie ‘Vanilla Sky’ – “The little things… there’s nothing bigger, is there?’ -
If you feel as though everything you need is in the world, why look to God for guidance? I love those verses as well.
I hate those contests you can enter to win a car or even a house since they fail to mention how much taxes you are going to have to pay or how much insurance is going to cost you. Society is built and operated on overconsumption and materialism. If you are not having it and/or see the lies of the system, you are treated as the outcast. Being financially mature is dumb to the world.
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“Why look to God for guidance?”
There does seem to be a resurgence of the “God is dead” perspective that Nietzsche warned about in the 19th century — a consequence of Enlightenment rationalism and the rise of industrialization. Today, this rational-materialist outlook is especially prevalent among the young, many of whom have substituted God with a kind of quasi-socialist ideology. This new creed often relies on warm, fuzzy pseudo-language shaped by social media, marked by traits such as oversentimentality, moral exhibitionism, and virtue signaling. As you alluded to, contemporary society seems structured to reward precisely this rational-materialist perspective. Faith and God is frowned upon by society. -
Absolutely! I feel like a bunch of the anti-God rhetoric (particularly with the highly materialistic people in the world) comes from the fact that people have been viewing God as a Santa Clause character. They only pray when they want something from Him. Obviously, God is not in that business, so they become disappointed and start lashing out.
Society views success almost solely through the lens of glitter and gold. If it looks shiny, it is automatically valuable, even if it was found in the dumpster. They ignore and scoff at the “peons” who contribute to the true wealth of the world through consumerism and taxes of course. It is hideous.
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When people have a dig at Santa Claus and how’s he’s just a figment of little kids imaginations etc, I like to remind them Santa Claus is based on the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, who was renowned for his generosity and secret gift-giving. We act as if Santa Claus exists because he’s a cultural given. And that’s right. That’s true, and it is good. lol
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I have always preferred to teach Santa Claus as the historical figure he is based on, not the whole coming into your house and leaving you presents. I think that whole rhetoric causes issues, particularly amongst families who may struggle to afford what their kids want so there is a belief that if you do not get what you want, you must have been bad and that is not always the case. It has been strange since I grew up.
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I can see your reasoning in focusing on the historical figure rather than the whole “materialist” argument with its good and bad ramifications, threats, and so on—haha. As for the Santa Claus controversy and the question of belief, I’ll share the link below. It’s a funny yet eye-opening take (with plenty of truisms) on how Jordan Peterson might respond to the question: Do you believe in Santa Claus?
https://observationblogger.com/2022/12/23/do-you-believe-in-santa-claus-3/
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Well explained Ashley. I love your write up
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Thank you so much!
● About Me
Hello! I am Ashley and I simply love to read, and hope you do to!
I am currently 28 years old and living in the state of Texas, USA.
My favorite genres to read and review include romance, fantasy, mystery, and many subgenres of those as long as it is clean. I mainly get my books from my Kindle Unlimited membership, but I also found myself checking out library books on Libby as well.
As you can see, I do not solely post book reviews, I also love posting daily prompt writing, as well as stuff that is going on in my life currently. That being said, my passion is reading and reviewing books to my heart’s content, so hopefully that is something you are also interested in.
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