Jim Dey
Jim Day lives in Tucson, Arizona, and says, "My first summer in Tucson, AZ, where I've lived now for four years was a record-breaker: 110 consecutive days with no measurable rain - and some number of days above 100° F, which I care not to remember.
"My first winter in Alaska 8 years ago was also a record breaker with some number of days below 0° F. But hot or cold, what Alaskan mushers say is true: Unless you're the lead dog, the view is always the same. The better choice is to not race at all, and just play in the yard. Because what they call the ladder of success is leaning against the wrong building, and no one says on their deathbed, 'I wish I spent more time at work.'
"I was in the center of the dot-com boom when anyone standing in downtown Menlo Park could just yell, 'Java, B2B, distributed apps, push technology!' and venture capitalists would throw money at you from the second-story windows. A business plan written in crayons could be worth first-round funding of 20 million.
"Don't share your opinions with anyone about what happened unless it's from personal experience, or else someone else my say to you, like a Vietnam veteran, 'You weren't there, man, you don't know nothin'!'
"Okay, so, why low-end living? Because I know the great lie: They say that if you are hardworking, educated, and intelligent, you will be successful. You know it's a lie because you've worked for people who are more successful than you, but they may be lazy, ignorant, and stupid. Haven't you? Come on.
"We can beat them! We can beat them by ignoring them. Become a citizen - not a 'consumer'. Then once you are a citizen and not a consumer, give-up citizenship as well. Become a free agent, live free on this great Earth.
"Think about it: Material growth will rot with your corpse, and all your possessions will go looking for new owners - but if anything goes with you, spiritual growth does. Be wise, be compassion, and be free. Use your intelligence, education and hard work for that!"
Articles by Jim Day
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