They say there are two ways to learn: 1) by knowledge and 2) by consequences.

I have learned it all the hard way because I have wasted most of my life doing things people expected of me at the expense of my physical and mental health.

And I would like to share my knowledge with you so that you can save yourself the consequences, avoid blows, and go further than I did.

Maybe this article is one of those signals the universe sends you to wake up immediately.

So read on.

You need “Freedom money.”

We have to stop romanticizing poverty.

You need money, period.

How much?

That depends on the person.

Sometimes, being a millionaire is even worse than being poor because of the responsibility and the lack of time for other things.

(Ask Elon Musk; he knows what I’m talking about.)

But you don’t want to have an emergency and can’t handle it because of the money. 

You don’t have to be a mathematical genius; you must get off the hamster wheel, diversify your income, reinvest the money, and adapt to living on less than you earn.

I didn’t make up the rules. And believe me, if someone had explained this to me in my twenties, I would have gotten a lot further into my forties.

Remember, Money≠is Happiness, but Money=Freedom.

People change.

And you will.

In kindergarten, I met my first friend, Robert, and kept him until I was 30.

I started to change friends like a snake, changing its skin from that age on.

• Some friends got married and stopped calling.
• Other friends emigrated to another country, and I never saw them again.
• My friend Robert ended up in jail, but that’s another story 🙂

The point here is detachment.

In the words of Budha, “Happiness is in letting go of attachment to what surrounds us.”

Most people you relate to today will not be with you in 20 years. Some will be gone. Others you will be the ones to distance yourself from.

That’s okay.

It would be best to evolve, which implies meeting new people and separating from relationships that no longer contribute to you.

Don’t suffer unnecessarily. Changing people, things, situations, and places is the essence of this game called life.

If they see you as weak, they will go after you.

Criminals know it is not enough to desire to commit a crime. You also have to have occasion and opportunity.

Look around you. Many of the smiles you see are fake.

They are just waiting for the occasion and the opportunity to “metaphorically” finish you off.

• To take away your social position.
• To take economic advantage of you.
• To Use your contact network.
• [You name it]

Only 20% of the emperors died of old age in the ancient Roman Empire; the rest died in battles or were betrayed by their “supposed” collaborators and friends.

• Conspiracy theorists killed Caligula.
• Julius Caesar was stabbed two dozen times.
• Commodus was drowned by a former slave whom he made a freedman.

They were ancient warlords. The most influential people of their time, and when they showed weakness, the wolves finished them.

Tip: Be careful to tell your sorrows to everyone.

Many will want to take advantage of you in your low moments. Over the years, I have learned to distance myself when I feel weak so that they don’t have the chance and opportunity to hurt me.

Don’t decide in the heat of the moment. When you are weak, you tend to make rash decisions and mistakes. Don’t forget that.

There are no happy endings.

Everything that stops growing dies.

It’s like the law of gravity: no matter how high you jump, you will start going down when you stop going up.

The problem is that people over-dramatize things.

Do you know what Marcus Aurelius, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Marie Curie, and Rosa Parks have in common?

Despite being some of the most intelligent and valued people in history, they are all dead.

Does death seem like a happy ending to you?

No, it is not.

And the worst of all is that before death begins, old age and decadence.

My mother has worked for 30 years in a nursing home, caring for the elderly. She has met thousands of people over 80 years old throughout her working life, and she always tells me the same thing,

“My son, the people who make it to old age in good shape are the ones who meet three requirements: 1) they are always willing to help, 2) they love to learn about anything, and 3) they never say no to a good game of cards.”

Bottom line: helping to improve the lives of others improves your life at the end of your life. Curiosity is the best of medicines. And always use an opportunity to play a good game of cards.

I hope these four points have helped you to wake up and take advantage of the time you still have left.

Finally, do me a small favor and give yourself something,

Give yourself time.

Give yourself attention.

Give yourself company.

Because you take care of everyone, but you forget about yourself. And your inner child needs you, too.