I've borrowed a book from the library called "The Joy of NOT Working" by Ernie J. Zelinski. It makes interesting reading and many of the views expressed by the author concur with mine. His views on money, begging, the environment and the work ethic are all spot on.
Our society seems to value people only by their capacity for work and their assets rather than their character and intellect. This is in sharp contrast to the Greeks or Romans asserts the book who valued thinking and leisure activities above labour. This obsession with work, money and wealth is destroying the planet at an alarming rate. As more and more nations copy the American model of consumerism and selfishness so the damage being done to the planet is spiralling out of control.
I feel a crisis of natural resources is looming.
The answer is to adopt a new model based on knowledge and generosity.
We should all take a close look at the way we live and make the necessary changes. The first step is to cut expenditure and wastage to the minimum possible and start saving. Look at your activities and assess the damage they do to the environment and well-being of others. Open your mind to alternative ways of living which do not rely on the accumulation of goods and money to achieve personal success.
Learn a new language, help others, talk to your neighbours and make sure they are alright.
Once you have saved sufficient money to give you financial freedom resign from your job. Offer your services by advertising freely on the internet or by distributing leaflets. Offer a useful service that people need, not some scam designed only to separate them from their money. Offer your services free of charge or accept only donations or presents. Donations are better than presents as people often tend to give inappropriate gifts.
If you see somebody in trouble going through the rubbish approach them cautiously and strike up a conversation. Try to assess if their need is genuine or self-inflicted. If they seem to be the victims of bad luck offer them some food or money. If they refuse or react in a hostile manner walk away.
Keep calm at all times even when others around you get angry. Your alternative lifestyle will often provoke incomprehensible reactions from people whose minds have been trained to blindly accept the rules of society. Be prepared to be shunned by people who only value you for what you have not for what you are.
So, good luck in your new venture. The world needs more people like you. If you have read this far there is hope that you might be able to make the changes necessary to achieve true happiness whilst at the same time making a valuable contribution to the greater good. People will call you crazy, they might even drive you to a period of temporary insanity by the pressure they put on you to work harder and conform to the norms set by governments and big business which are only designed to further their own interests.
Look to the example of countries like Bhutan where collective happiness is put above economic targets. Talk to religious people like Buddhists or Christians about their beliefs and values and design your own set of principles adopting the best parts of each.
Most of all start to enjoy life - look on the bright side, be optimistic. If economic collapse is really on the horizon think of this as a good thing that will reduce the damage to the planet and allow more leisure time so long as it can be effectively managed and true misery avoided. Accept your situation, be satisfied with your standard of living. Ignore the rich and avoid making them richer. Do not buy their products unless you know that they live a modest lifestyle and make valuable contributions to eradicating poverty and inequality.
If we all start to change our value systems we can turn this situation around. Things like housing may become cheaper once again and people may start to value the truly important things in life.
Good luck and don't work too hard!
