Comparisons (Ch. 1)

When looking at a person's life and what they're working towards, Ferriss explains that a person can be put into one of two categories, Deferrers and the New Rich. Deferrers are those that save their money for a "glorious" retirement once they've done their time and can finally relax in the later years of life. These people attempt to save up to eventually life a happy life free from the chains that have bound them to their work lives. Then, you have the New Rich. The New Rich stand out from the others based on their goals, hobbies, and life philosophies. These people often go into "mini-retirements" or frequent breaks in order to keep their life moving simply. This doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor necessarily like a trip to Europe, but humans need time to recharge and relax. This is something that is less common in the Deferrers, the ones that work an 80-hour job or work 9-5. Many of these people are defined by their occupation. It should be the other way around, you should define your job and your life. As a brief aside to my readers, I neither criticize nor look down on this type of life, I merely don't want that for myself as it seems unfulfilling.

This chapter is handy since it states a few things that are so often forgotten or unrealized. The first is if you can free yourself of the constraints of time and being completely tied down to a location, your money is worth a whole lot more than you realize. You don't have to be a millionaire to live like one. The millionaire just has the ability to do this while being tied to a location. There are many however, that are unhappy with this lifestyle. The amount of money is definitely not a good figure of personal wealth or happiness. It's practical value is a much better measure meaning what you want to do, when, where, and with whom. Having the freedom to have options, to choose what you want is what gives you power.