Whereas last week's Sentence That Will Change Your Life was more than a Sentence, this week's isn't even a Sentence. It's a Noun, really, modified by a bunch of phrases and clauses, and taken as a whole, it is so muddly and so derivative of other Life-Improving Exhortations that it seems Sad.
Here it is, in all its wordy glory, Life-Changing Sentence Number Four:
The most dangerous risk of all – The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.
And yes, it doth pain me much to put a period at the end of it.
Okay, first of all, let me tell you that I sourced this quote and found that it was said/written by a venture capitalist, which speaks volumes, I think, about two words used in the "Sentence" (spending, buying). It's easy to be glib about Following Your Dream when you have big bucks and investors to do so. Also ironic is that venture capitalists sometimes use their cash to buy up other people's failed dreams at a reduced price. Just saying.
Anyway, this Life-Changing Word Group isn't saying anything new. Lots of other people have said it, and far better. How about Nike? "Just Do It." What about "There's No Time Like The Present"? "He Who Hesitates Is Lost"? "Someday Is Not A Day Of The Week"? "If You Do What You Love, You'll Never Work A Day In Your Life"? All of these are just as valuable, yet just as open to criticism as Word Group Number Four.
We all can see the pitfalls of Word Group Four, right? What if Some Guy really wants to be a rap singer rather than a mechanic? What if Some Woman really wants to be a clothing designer instead of a department manager? Oh hey! Word Group Four says, Go do that thing right now! Don't wait until you've set aside some cash, paid your dues, or even looked into your chances of success. Not fulfilling YOUR dream is Dangerous! It Is All About YOU. No risk, no reward!
Piffle. And might I add, I did what I loved for 30+ years, and I worked every single day. Every Day. Some Days felt like entire Weeks. So baloney to all of that bullshit. Everybody--stick out your tongues and blow the raspberries to that kind of crap. Go!
Thank you. I feel better.
Here's the thing: I can definitely get on board with some kernel of Word Group Four. In the interest of Self-Care and Enjoying Life and Seizing The Day (and there's yet another nice, neat way of expressing the idea in Word Group Four), I think more people, Women especially, should look into making some Dreams and Desires reality. At the very least, we should recognize that if we don't go out and make things happen on our behalf, they simply won't. But it's not a matter for words like Danger and Risk.
Here is "Sentence" #4 again: The most dangerous risk of all – The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later
Have you found, thanks to its Wisdom, "the power to go on" since it changed "your life for the better"? Chat it up in Comments.
I can't relate to that sentence in any way, shape or form. I guess my head is still messed up from my cold. Now, you can mark my common the least valuable you'll get. LOL
ReplyDeleteJean--Okay! Will do. ;-)
DeleteThis makes me want to puke. I'm not the least surprised that a venture capitalist said it. They make me want to puke too.
ReplyDeleteBridget--It's not nearly as uplifting as "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music, is it?
DeleteWhenever I hear the term Venture Capitalist, I think of Mitt Romney.
Another one of “those sentences” that aren’t a sentence, I see. I like how you zeroed in on the venture capitalist’s financial world word selections. I’ve certainly seen this idea presented much more clearly. I think thar admonition requires a bit of investigation with consideration of some other factors before implementation. I do wonder if there’s an age limit or best if used by date on some of these “sentences”, especially this one?
ReplyDeleteJoared--This particular venture capitalist wrote a book and gives lectures. He probably has a lot more to say to explain this quote, but to yank it out and claim it will change lives is silly. I like your idea of a suggested age or use by date.
DeleteDee--Lots of Whiners do need to hear that little nugget. Have you ever seen the series of Demotivational Posters? They're hilarious. Do an image search for them (their store is temporarily closed except to members), and get ready to chuckle.
ReplyDeleteOMG - and I just read last week's too. Yikes! If it were not so sad it would make me laugh. And...don't get me started on venture capitalists (having dealt with a number of them in prior "jobs").
ReplyDeleteVera--I take it they have not changed your life, then. Ah, well. I would have bet that the Wise Words Of A Venture Capitalist About Life would have done it. NOT.
Delete;-)
Well hello, my friend; finally figured out how to get to your blog, lol.
ReplyDeleteHow goes life on your side of the county? Praying the warmer weather has helped you feel better.
I haven't been able to comment on any of the other little gems of wisdom... My two cents on #4...
Over the years, I have seen the same thing over and over again - people putting off what they would like to do, places they would like to see, and vacations they would like to go on; for when they retire. Unfortunately, they pass away before they retire... As I did, I also encouraged the younger generations in our family to pay your bills, save some money out of every paycheck for the future, and put some money aside so you can do what you'd like to do while you're young.
Tomorrow, is not promised to none of us; be responsible and seize the day...
Denise--Glad you found your way back. I've always been here! ;-)
DeleteThe up and down temps of our Spring are trying, but anything is better than the threat of sn*w! I'll take it.
I certainly do see the value and wisdom of your admonition. That's why I like the trend among younger people of valuing experiences over things. They Do Things rather than Buy/Collect Things. So much more interesting and smart. If you can afford it or have a solid plan to pay for it, Go Do It. As so many have observed, our generation and the one before it is drowning in Stuff. As we die or streamline, we have no one to give it to; charities like Goodwill are stuffed to the gills with things potential heirs simply do not want. My kids (and younger) travel light. They keep things simple and want to go places and do things and if an interesting job opportunity arises miles away, they want to be able to accept and just go with no anchor. They don't own Stuff, so Stuff doesn't own them.
Setting money aside so that you can "retire" a little every year by going and seeing/doing great things is terrific advice. As the old, old saying goes, "Time and tide wait for no man."
Only the most self-centered people with few responsibilities have the luxury to do what they want. When you factor in family and future the choices narrow. I must admit that I have enjoyed almost every job I have had with a single exception. (A crooked boss who was defrauding the government. I got out quickly.) My husband and I did indeed live well below our means, betting that we could buy freedom to do things later. We took nice family vacations twice a year and our children had very happy childhoods. We never had to have the latest gadgets, newest cars and we had a modest but most comfortable and spacious home. We never bought anything (except a house) that we didn't pay for at the time. As a result, we were able to retire early, build a new home without a mortgage, and have enough retirement income that we haven't had to use any of our 401K investments. We can buy what we want and go where we want and will still leave a considerable trust for our children. We could not have done that had we taken this axiom to heart. Best of all? I don't feel as if I missed a thing by working hard.
ReplyDeleteNCmountainwoman--Now THAT'S the American Dream!
DeleteAnd I think you're right: so many things must necessarily factor into our decisions when we decide upon our paths. It's not self-sacrificing to defer a dream, but necessity and responsibility and maturity or some combination or any one of those, and at any time.
And I don't think anyone has to abandon a dream to become a drudge. In this era of exposure via the Internet, it's easy to find out quickly if anyone thinks you have It.
Your last sentence says a great deal to me. When we work hard for a reward, it's like a labour of love.
RE: “The most dangerous risk of all – The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.”
ReplyDeleteI cannot personally relate to that because I have always been motivated by what I wanted to do in life— even if I wasn’t sure of what that was, I never considered putting off that decision out of fear of the consequences. When I graduated from college, it suddenly occurred to me: “Is that all there is?” I wasn’t sure of anything, but I knew I wanted to see the world, become proficient in another language and engage in another culture. I *did* have a distinct advantage in achieving this goal: I was long-distance dating a Brit who made it possible for me to get my start overseas.
That said, even without that advantage, it never occurred to me to put this off so that I would have the ‘freedom’ to do it later; it was always eminently clear to me that if I waited to do this… I could easily end up in an ill-advised marriage with a couple of kids, working at a job I didn’t like just to make ends meet, and… driving a station wagon around the suburbs so I could take kids to scout meetings, attend PTA meetings, etc., etc., and that my dream of getting the hell out of Dodge would never come true if I put it off. The thought of that was frankly horrifying as an immediate endgame after my college studies. I guess I was weird. A lot of my friends wanted nothing more than to get married, have kids, and also have their dream job. I just didn’t count on being successful at all three right off the bat… and I wanted to see the world before I was a senior citizen.
Ortizzle--You are the living embodiment of this Sentence! You just went off and Did That Thing That You Always Wanted To Do. Of course, you do make the distinction that you didn't hem-haw around and wonder if you should wait or put it off or anything. You made the decision when it was actually the perfect time for you to do it, unencumbred by kids, spouse, aging parents, the longevity of a career, etc.
DeleteYou made a great decision.
Well, my decision was clearly selfish, for sure. That said, and the reason I am baffled by Life-Changing Sentence Number Four is because, in spite of possible false starts and a few stumbles along the way, I think most people instinctively aim for whatever makes their heart sing. This doesn't mean that we won't choose a different path later in life, but I don't think it is due to waiting until it is too late. It's just that our priorities change over the course of our lives; making adjustments later on in the process is just not as easy. That said, I think most people end up happy with the path they have pursued, or at the least, feel they have met their basic goals, even if the way in which this is manifested is not what they originally imagined. I did imagine that one day I would have children, and regret that circumstances (complicated!) were never right for me, but I also get why my inner self was probably pushing me away from this for reasons I could not fathom at the time.
DeleteSome of these sayings are just ridiculous. That said I just read 3/4of a book that I found stupid. I should know better than to purchase a self help book written by a millennial blogger who thinks his ideas are golden. He didn't back up half of what he came up with. I'd donate the book to the library but I don't think I'd feel good about anyone reading his b.s.
ReplyDeletekathy b--Oh, I thought you were getting some enjoyment from that book! Ah, well. You were not his target audience, I'd say, so perhaps donating the book will reach someone who is.
DeleteI think Women Of A Certain Age are already pretty sharp. We have to be a pretty tough audience and are probably better off reading the helpful words of others more like us.
That quote just stinks. Look, I want to own a yarn store but guess what it isn't happening. I have to keep doing therapy as long as physically possible as that pays the bills, it is just that simple. Does it mean I don't like being a therapist, nope because I do, I'd just really like to own a yarn store in my dreams.
ReplyDeleteMeredith--How big is your stash? LOL. You might already sort of have that Yarn Shop!
DeleteAll silliness aside, it's absolutely true that in Real Life, some dreams have to be set aside for later or bow to necessities. In your case your Yarn Shop dream took a back seat to a different sort of dream--adding a new member to your family! I think we all do the Dream Tradeoff, and we just don't think of it that way.