let's for a moment assume we are among the lucky ones on the planet, with our current basic basic needs of food, water, shelter fulfilled. (no matter how smart or talented we are, if we were born in say zimbabwe, our chances of having basic basic needs are not so high).
our next goals become i) improving our basic basic needs to some appropriate level that satisfies our perceived basic needs, ii) securing a future, or some kind of guarantee that our perceived basic needs will continue to be fulfilled, and perhaps iii) rainy day money/resources for the yet-to-be-determined disaster.
then, we move on to satisfying our "actual" needs, nicely shaped by the 3,000 ads we are exposed to every day.
so how basic are our basic needs? what about our basic basic needs? how low can we go? what is the bare minimum? the bare bare minimum?
now, juxtaposing this against some particular dream we have (assuming for now it's not owning a ferrari or some equivalent). usually something we'd pursue when money was no longer an issue. there are two ways to satisfy the money problem. the first way is to make lots of it, to reach the mythical level of having "FU money". the second way is to find satisfaction in our true basic needs, as opposed to our "actual" needs. it is entirely possible that the former is easier for some of us.
if that dream requires large amounts of capital, then the added task is to find others who share your dream. if we truly are living on the bare minimum - we're actually giving ourselves a better chance of making that dream a reality.
but of course, we don't want our families to suffer. yes, we want the best for them. isn't it selfish to try to achieve whatever grand goal we have at the expense of their welfare, especially if you are the breadwinner of the family?
well, what about a conversation? what about their dreams? would you be willing to live on the bare minimum to fulfill their dreams?
