About richness, colour and life
Today we will meet Frank and Alberto. Frank has a drab, grey, repetitious life. He followed the advice his parents and teachers gave him: “Study hard”, “go to university” and “get a well-paying job”. He married and got two children. Alberto, on the other hand, was the kid who could never sit still. Often times he missed school. He preferred being out in the woods exploring the wildlife. Or riding his bike through the city admiring the outstanding architecture. He travels the world, has a huge network of influential people and knows himself well. Making decisions is easy for him because he has made a lot of them in the past.
Even though Frank is well educated, he does not know much about finance, love or adventure. He saves money the same way everybody else does because nobody ever taught him any different. The marriage with his wife is on its decline and he thinks that is how it is supposed to be. When he craves diversion he fires up Netflix or Social Media. He imagines himself as the hero in the movie or living this influencer lifestyle on the beach. How you actually go about living like that? Frank has no idea. He does not waste his energy finding out. In the end, he would be too afraid or he could not afford it or ___________________ (fill in your generic reason).
Alberto never got a formal degree. Instead of memorising hundreds of pages of information he travelled the world. Wherever he went he did the work that was available. He earned money as a waiter, farmer, entertainer, receptionist, assistant; he even worked for an embassy.
He worked only enough hours to get by. The major part of his time he spent on exploring the culture, getting to know local people, or trying new things. Learning skills, reading, or meditating. Sometimes supporting social movements or simply admiring the beauty around him. He attended many events and got invited to the best parties. Talking to many different people from all around the globe gave him a vast variety of opinions. This made him realise how rich and diverse our lives are.
Now we must not make the mistake to think that Alberto’s life was always only happy shiny rainbows. Having a colourful life is not always a happy life. To experience the whole range of colours means encountering challenges. Speaking in colour, those are the ugly shades like dirt brown or drab grey. Working through a severe case of food poisoning, while navigating through a new city is not that much fun. Losing all your money in a robbery or scam is not nice, either.
Punishing Frank with bad grades for every misstep he made changed his way of thinking. It etched risk/failure aversion tactics into his mind. He thinks taking risks is unreasonable. In contrast, Alberto knows: those bad experiences do not happen to him. They happen for him. He has learned, that they are a necessity for him to learn and grow. Great minds taught him that every step involves risk. One just might not always be aware of them. He came to see the great value in taking calculated risks.
Frank gets up at 5 am every morning to drive to work even before his kids get up. He does not enjoy his work, but he gets paid well and his parents are proud of him. When you would ask Frank, why he works he would answer “Because I have to, jerk!” or “So I can support my family”. Albeit the latter might be a noble reason, ask what life he is giving to his family. He is (unconsciously) teaching his children that life is all about work. That you should never get out of line. And that you have to fulfil your duty. Is this a life you would wish for your offspring? Is this a life you wish for yourself?
When Frank receives a bonus or gets a pay-raise he jumps out of happiness. Finally, he can buy this new car. He can buy his daughter a new dress. He can take his son on a biking weekend with his new bike. The only problem with this is one week later he has already forgotten about the joy. The new car is not more fun than the old in the daily traffic jam. His daughter has seen a dress more pretty in the display window. When he comes back home he is annoyed seeing the new bike blocking his garage. His wife suggests with a passive-aggressive undertone to get a new promotion. It has been a while since he last climbed that corporate ladder. Yes, the next promotion will solve their problems. He is sure.
Alberto is not blinded by his desires for a bigger house or a faster car. We already heard that he merely worked enough to get to his next destination. From a materialistic point of view, he lived a meek life. He possessed only as much as could fit into his backpack. This traveller did not accumulate stuff he did not need. Instead, he filled his treasury with experiences and friendships. On his journey, he learned about different ways of making money. Trading your time for money is only one of several ways to magnify the amount in the bank account. His income streams are as colourful as his life.
To wrap up this introduction we could summarise it by looking at the meaning of life for our new friends. Frank does not feel a strong sense of purpose. He lives his life following the choices others have made for him. He is stuck in this endless chase of greater sensations. Alberto felt a deep need to explore and scrutinise his environment. He dedicated his youth to discover his favourite colours. His experience enables him now to paint the most beautiful life for himself. This beauty even spreads across others around him and inspires them to pick up the brush. What are your favourite colours? How will you tint your life?
Do not get me wrong: not everyone should adopt the lifestyle of Alberto. My hopes for this story are humble. It aims to make you think and reevaluate your life. It might open your eyes to the ocean of possibilities, varieties and colours. Perhaps it even emboldens you to take the leap into your dream life.
This was my introduction article to my colour analogy for a richer life. In future articles, I will go into more depth of the various parts of Frank’s and Alberto’s lives. Comment below what aspects you would like to read next and follow me so you will not miss any of my stories.
About richness, colour and life
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