There is more to life than just an impressive title at work, a nice car and a house full of “toys”, but yet most people seem to lose sight of that reality. Are you working, 10, 12, or 16 hours a day, just to accumulate more? What about your family, are you investing time with them?

Those questions need serious reflections by anyone who would like to get out of the rat race, stop chasing things and start living. If your prime motivation in possessing bigger and more things is Happiness, you are in it for a big surprise! Happiness is an inside job and can not be found in adding more to your worldly possessions. Usually the more people have the more they want, and this is how they enter the never-ending race with nowhere to quench their thirst, thus becoming slaves to their life-style and a stranger to their own family.

Bob was just promoted General Manager of a big company. He seemed very happy and successful. He drives a nice Mercedes E-Class 500 and lives in a beautiful 6 bedroom-house with his wife and three small children. He was really envied by many of his neighbors but what they don’t know is that Bob was really hurting of guilt and dissatisfaction inside. Guilt, because he was working fifty to sixty hours a week, was not part of his children’s lives, and was just a roommate to his wife. Dissatisfaction, because he had his eyes on the presidency of the company he was working for. In his mind, being the president of that company would give him the power and prestige that he always wanted, he would be more successful and happier and most of all, that would give him extra breathing room after he pays and his car loan and his mortgage, but that was, of course, just an illusion! One night, he arrived home to find that his nine-year old staying up late waiting for him. The boy wanted to ask something to his dad for his dad, whom he hasn’t seen in days. – Daddy, how much do they pay you an hour at work? Bob was furious about his boy’s question. – What is that kind of question? Why do you want to know? The boy was afraid to answer seeing the anger in his Dad’s face. He started to walk away when his dad called him back and said to him: – I am sorry if I yelled at you, I am just tired. Tell me why do you ask? – Well, well, stuttered the boy, I just wanted to know how much I can pay you so that you can spend one hour with us tomorrow. Bob could not believe his ears, he just sunk in a couch nearby.

I am sure you can imagine the rest of the conversation, but that was a wake up call for Bob. He knew he was owned by his possessions at the detriment of his own family. He knew it was time to make changes. He wanted to get out of the rat race and “live” with his children before it was too late. But how one can get out of the rat race? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Know why are you here. What is the purpose of you life? It is very crucial that you find out what you came to this life to do and where are you going with it. As it is often said, the best navigation system can not guide you if you do not know where you are going.

2. Do what you love. Do not just find a job, chase your passion! Doing what you love for work will eliminate stress out of your life and gives you freedom to choose.

3. Be content with what you’ve got. There will never be enough of anything. “Abundance” is a state of mind. No matter what you have or what you lack, it is up to you to make it work.

4. Give, give and give some more because whatever is sent out returns to source. Whatever you want to have more of, you have to give it away.

Winston Churchill once said”

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

I would love to hear other perspectives on this subject, so please feel free to share your comments below!