The ship that already came in.

There was a time I wanted to be a lawyer. A long time, really. I wanted to be a lawyer for all the wrong reasons. I wanted the money, nice suits, and a Jaguar. I wanted a three-car garage to park it in. I wanted the nicest house on the block and the nicest shit to put in it. I thought that these things were the currency of life.

I'm not going to lie to you. Some days, I still do. Some days, I get wrapped up the race to the nicest, best, fastest fill-in-the-blank. I obsess over what a few dollars more could do, what a difference it could make. I think it's only natural. I accept that. But I fight it anyway.

Listening to Tim Ferriss' podcast, I'm reminded that there are other currencies in life: family, experiences, knowledge, whom you choose as friends. Wealth in these areas, to me, is more important than money. Assessing life with these currencies in mind shifts balances into the black.

I also remind myself that this mine is a distinctly middle-class problem. The fact that I'm able to entertain these thoughts on this platform, and don't have to worry about where my next meal or clean drinking water is coming from goes a long way.

When I think about it like that, it's impossible to complain. It's impossible not to appreciate what I've received.