Everything Has a Price
Dear America,
Things are going pretty well considering we're still in the middle of an international pandemic. I am fortunate enough to find myself at a crossroads where I have options on where I want to take my life. I've spoken before about starting a new chapter, but I don't know what to figuratively write about. Do I take the safe bet that continues my story where I am now with the possibility of building something great on a foundation I am familiar with? The other path leads me down a newer path full of unfelt experiences and a new locale with unknown pitfalls and possibilities.
This quandary has made me revisit my personal philosophy that everything has a price, and - if you're willing to pay it - it can be yours. Being an American, the most common wish I hear from colleagues, strangers, and friends is that they'd like to be rich. I suppose that some people have a bit of a head-start in such aspirations, like the children of entertainment figures, business tycoons, and politicians (especially). That world isn't necessarily walled off to us mere plebs though. I'll argue that any person can be rich if they are simply willing to pay the price for it. An example I'd present would be Pablo Escobar who vowed to be a millionaire before the age of 30 or else he'd kill himself. Being a poor kid in Colombia, he truly was willing to pay the price by murdering countless others and dealing in cocaine so that he became one of the richest people in the world. Of course, he became wanted by a bunch of countries and was inevitably gunned down on the roof of an obscure building in a truly anticlimactic fashion. The price for his wealth and fame was pretty expensive, I'd say.
Of course, I'd like to bring this conversation down a couple of notches to the everyman that isn't willing to go that far. Everything we do has a price, and it's not necessarily money that is the accepted currency. A man who leaves his wife and family for another woman will certainly pay one helluva price and it won't just be alimony and court fees. The kids are messed up and another woman's life is in shambles. Nobody ever said that only one person pays for dreams to come true.
Personally, I have always found time to be the most precious currency on this planet. You taking the time to read this means far more to me than subscribing to some paid following account like YouTube or Patreon. The only two things I can think of that can't be "bought" is a person's love and immortality. No amount of effort, gifts, and sheer willpower is ever going to win someone's heart. On the same level, historical dudes like ancient Egyptian emperors and industrial giants like Steve Jobs are proof that every story has an end.
What are your dreams and aspirations? Think about them for a moment and consider the price. Are you willing to actually pay it? If not, is it honestly something you want? Maybe you'll learn something by having this honest conversation with yourself. I know I have.
Sincerely,
Calhoun
Things are going pretty well considering we're still in the middle of an international pandemic. I am fortunate enough to find myself at a crossroads where I have options on where I want to take my life. I've spoken before about starting a new chapter, but I don't know what to figuratively write about. Do I take the safe bet that continues my story where I am now with the possibility of building something great on a foundation I am familiar with? The other path leads me down a newer path full of unfelt experiences and a new locale with unknown pitfalls and possibilities.
This quandary has made me revisit my personal philosophy that everything has a price, and - if you're willing to pay it - it can be yours. Being an American, the most common wish I hear from colleagues, strangers, and friends is that they'd like to be rich. I suppose that some people have a bit of a head-start in such aspirations, like the children of entertainment figures, business tycoons, and politicians (especially). That world isn't necessarily walled off to us mere plebs though. I'll argue that any person can be rich if they are simply willing to pay the price for it. An example I'd present would be Pablo Escobar who vowed to be a millionaire before the age of 30 or else he'd kill himself. Being a poor kid in Colombia, he truly was willing to pay the price by murdering countless others and dealing in cocaine so that he became one of the richest people in the world. Of course, he became wanted by a bunch of countries and was inevitably gunned down on the roof of an obscure building in a truly anticlimactic fashion. The price for his wealth and fame was pretty expensive, I'd say.
Of course, I'd like to bring this conversation down a couple of notches to the everyman that isn't willing to go that far. Everything we do has a price, and it's not necessarily money that is the accepted currency. A man who leaves his wife and family for another woman will certainly pay one helluva price and it won't just be alimony and court fees. The kids are messed up and another woman's life is in shambles. Nobody ever said that only one person pays for dreams to come true.
Personally, I have always found time to be the most precious currency on this planet. You taking the time to read this means far more to me than subscribing to some paid following account like YouTube or Patreon. The only two things I can think of that can't be "bought" is a person's love and immortality. No amount of effort, gifts, and sheer willpower is ever going to win someone's heart. On the same level, historical dudes like ancient Egyptian emperors and industrial giants like Steve Jobs are proof that every story has an end.
What are your dreams and aspirations? Think about them for a moment and consider the price. Are you willing to actually pay it? If not, is it honestly something you want? Maybe you'll learn something by having this honest conversation with yourself. I know I have.
Sincerely,
Calhoun
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