My letter from an online stranger

Raymond,

Now I am going to meddle in your life. It is Saturday morning, and you are a youngster. What the heck are you doing writing in the middle of the night and on Saturday morning. All work and no play is a pathetic way to live. I expect that you have at least one day a week, and if at all possible 2 days a week (no compromise) where you go out and have fun. Live life to the fullest. I figure you have a job since you are so young. Bust your butts working. I averaged 70 hours a week for over 30 years, but when I was off I... played and lived life. If you don’t work hard and play hard, you will never enjoy life to the fullest. When it is time for you to die, will you have regrets? Now is the time to set up your life so you won’t regret. Darn, go out and have a great time. Go places, see things that most people will never see. Take flying lessons, scuba lessons, learn an instrument, join a club, do it alone or with a friend or family member, but just freakin do it, and do it with gusto. Whatever you do, do it seriously and with purpose. When you walk, walk with purpose, when you talk with someone, do it with purpose. Make life positive. I swear to you, you will not regret it.

I speak from experience. I have been close to death a few times and I know how I will think of my life when I go. I worked hard and serious all my life and each week I spent playing just as hard. I expected a lot from myself and never felt sorry. I took risks, they were calculated, but risks none the less. Some failed but I won more than lost. You will never go anywhere without risks. My last few years working, I worked about 50 hours for a large computer company and at the same time I owned a small restaurant and worked there about 70 to 80 hours a week. I invested in my part time. I averaged about 3 hours of sleep over those past 2 years, and yet I went places and did things that people can only dream about. I am now totally retired and have been successfully been investing, which more than pays for my living in a nice country club home in a nice resort area. My wife and I go everywhere and anywhere we want and do whatever we want at a moments notice. The only work requirement I have is that I seriously pay attention to my investments, which I do faithfully.

You can have this type of life. 15, 20, 30 years seems like a long time, but I implore you to make it happen. But if you try to do it without having a great weekend, then you accomplish NOTHING. PLAY HARD. If I get anything across to you it is to find a purpose in fun and PLAY HARD! Take the risk with your life, you only get one shot. Accept the defeat when it happens, and learn from it, and get back on the horse and risk again. With planning, you will win more than lose. But most of all, PLAY HARD!

Jim M. (been there, done that, and I love it…)

Raymond

Raymond is the co-founder and co-author of AwfulMind!