THIS WEEK FROM MY LIFE SHERPA: Experiences

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they spend their time and money.

I paid a little over $2,800 each for each these in 2003, front row Pac Bell Park in San Francisco (SF Giants stadium)…I mean THE VERY front row.  And best of all…Metallica was opening.  I actually bought these to watch Metallica, but admittedly, I left a Stones fan forever.  Who should I invite though?

I called my best friend from elementary school, a kid named Billy G, who I really hadn’t spoken to in a few years.  We grew up playing guitar together, listening to music, and pretending we were navy seals around the neighborhood (Squad 1 Forever!).  I hadn’t spoken to Billy in quite some time, but knew he shared my love for music…and friendship. 

I knew the night would be more memorable with him there, he’d match my appreciation…and had no qualms playing air guitar. I told him to catch a flight…and I had a free ticket waiting for him. The smile I saw on his face that night, and the laughs we shared, were well worth the cost of that ticket.

Those two tickets represented about 50% of my net worth at the time, a solid financial decision coming from an financial advisor. Sarcasm or no?

Well, some were very quick to criticize me for spending so much money on something so extravagant, and rightfully so. It was a little extreme, admittedly…yet I am forever grateful that I ignored all the voices and bought them.  

Experiences are one of the few uses of our money, where it’s value will continue to grow. It’s an investment. That night, that show, was an experience I’ll never forget.  It’s value to me grows each day. I can look at this ticket and immediately smell the Gilroy Garlick Fries.

Time is our most valuable asset.  That is true irregardless of our financial net worth.  I have been close to death, been told I might not make it through the night…and I can tell you that its not your bank account, or second home, that you think about while your laying in that hospital bed.  In fact, you actually ponder why you focused on those things so much.

How we spend our free time and money, really does tell us a lot about ourselves.  By no means am I encouraging financial irresponsibility (there were other variables in the equation for me that I didn’t mentioned – I was a 23yr old kid, had no responsibilities, and had just spent the last year in and out of the hospital), but look at your income statement and how you allocate your time and money. Look at your allocation.

We can’t take any of this stuff with us anyways?

Get out and do something this weekend. Make a memory.

– Klarity

Klarity Lifestyle Company

“Simple Living for Complex People”

http://www.klaritylifestylecompany.com