money

If money were no object....

But is it an object?  Or is it only an object if you make it an object?

I arrived back home recently from a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico.  Blissful.  It was an amazing week that provided clarity and empowerment, and a whole lot of self reflection.

It crossed my mind that Chris and I could live in a simple home on the beach and be content.  What would you need money for?  The necessities like food.  Perhaps a surfboard, a yoga mat, and a kite surfing set up.  But in all reality, it could be done with little money.

Chris and I both have jobs that we adore, and although our combined income is far less than most people's, we are happy.  Friends sometimes insinuate that Chris is still a ski patroller at the spring chicken age of 40.  Yes he is.  It is what he loves.  And it is the quality of life over a large paycheck.

We do not need fancy cars. 

We do not need a large house.  Even when we brushed on the idea of having children (don't get excited, it is not happening mom), we figured we would have the baby in our walk in closet.  It didn't need an entire room for itself just yet.  Having smaller spaces can also cause creativity of the mind (furniture rearranging, interior design ideas to maximize space) and can spur on adventure (sleeping in a tent in your yard when you have guests).

And all of that, to us, is worth more than what money can buy.

Don't get me wrong, those who know me know that I enjoy a new yoga tank every now and again and take full advantage of other material items if on sale.  Those who also know me, know that I am trying to cut back on purchases because really, I could go shopping in my very own closet.  It's amazing what I have hanging on hangers that I forgot about. 

I could type for days about this topic.  Yet what I have concluded is that it is really what YOU value.  Some friends wonder why we won't go out for drinks or simply pack our own lunches when we go skiing - all those little things that add up.  Because we know those things add up.  FAST.  And those things are less valuable to us, then the endless opportunities of what we could do with the money we save over time (ah hem.... TRAVEL).  We value traveling and creating our own memories.  We value a simple cup of coffee at home and the coziness it presents.  We value breathing the air in while cross country skiing.  And spending time with each other as opposed to grinding away at a 60 + hour a week job.  Those are the little things in life that are the most important to us.

Clearly those things we value (especially travel) require money.  Therefore it has to be an object of some sort to us.  So perhaps this is the real question:  What do you value?  How much of an object is money to you?  What emphasis does it have on your life?

So if money was no object at all, what would you do?  I found this video through YogaScapes.  It got my brain thinking.  Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L_cGjQSR80