Thank you for sharing your story and for another successful treatment.

I can no way relate to your experiences and perspective on life, but I agree with you on many levels. I personally don’t spend my life working in order to have freedom in the future. But making more money doesn’t necessarily mean working harder. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite for me. And being smart with your money and building wealth does not mean working 90 hour weeks.

I too travel internationally quite frequently, take a lot of “spare of the moment vacations” (been in New Orleans and Austin, TX just in the past 10 days for fun) and have what in my mind is a great life. If I were to die today, I would have no regrets.

I’m able to do all of these things beause I was lucky enough to learn about money. Unfortunately I have some friends that are too much in debt and only know how to blow through a paycheck. They, in my mind, are unable to enjoy the things they really want to because they are frequently inhibited by money - simply because there is a lack of discipline.

Amassing riches does not mean you have to sacrafice enjoying life. But I do see poeple that have so much drive that they do end up putting everything they have into reaching their goals.

I’ve recently finished treatment for my third primary cancer, and I don’t want to put off life, thinking, "someday I’ll….." My mom died of metastasized cancer at age 62–she didn’t retire.

I’m not advocating spending like a drunken Congressman and having the attitude, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!" The Bible calls that the attitude of a fool.

I still save for retirement, always have since age 22. It seems to be the ultimate defiant vote of hope against having three cancers–to shake a fist and say, I’m building wealth for my older years, because you’re not going to kill me! LOL I’m responsible, live within my means, and as of today I’m debt free.

But I’m not putting off my life. I will save up in sinking funds for the travels and experiences I value and cherish…I can’t defer my gratifications for years and years and years, because who knows how long my timeline is? But I will save up the cash for everything though, because I made the core decision–no debt, no matter what.

My parents were good role models for this–we made certain sacrifices, more humble "stuff" in this world, but traveled internationally frequently throughout their (our) lives. They still had built wealth for retirement. They didn’t fritter away their money, but spent it very intentionally so that their entire lives were rich and satisfying and pleasurable.

And really, I don’t regret anything I did in my youth, in terms of self-indulgence or not working 90 hour weeks to pile up plunder young. I enjoyed my life with the youth, beauty, energy, zest, strength I had then. I do my best now but you do really change as you grow older.

Because of the three primary cancers, I know that as long as we don’t have a national health insurance system, I am chained to a job with group health benefits because I’m uninsurable as a private buyer…so I count on working until Medicare age. The key is, I love my profession and it’s fun and I still have that feeling of, "They pay me to do this?!" after two decades. If your job isn’t a grind you don’t hate it. I get to help people, too, so I’m living out my mission and spreading the blessing.

Work is part of the path to sanctification, we are co-creators with God in our labors, we serve our fellow man through our efforts, and work is not a curse–it existed before the Fall. I don’t have a negative attitude towards work.

Vacations and that sense of timelessness is so enjoyable because it’s a break from the routine, but the enjoyment is heightened because we know we’re going back to the routine. I get bored and restless when a vacation runs too long, and I look forward to getting back to work. I don’t want the endless vacation of early retirement as long as I have something to offer the world and my fellow man in my work. Even if I were financially independent already, I would still work.

The concept of retirement as we know it was a brief modern blip, and it’s so twentieth century. Demographically it’s not really going to work–you can’t set up Social Security retirement benefits for yourself then refuse to have enough babies to work and pay taxes to fund it! It’s an unworkable scheme. Taxes are going to get worse as the chickens come home to roost. Our seniors are very expensive and it will be the greatest reverse transfer of wealth (child to parent) in the history of man. I shudder to think of it!