The New Retirementality: Planning Your Life and Living Your Dreams...at Any Age You Want, 4th Edition

Chapter 11

Redefining Rich: Bridging the Gap between Means and Meaning

“To allow me to do what I want to do everyday.”

—Warren Buffett on the meaning of money

Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist, issued a challenge everywhere he went. He claimed he could be locked in any jail cell anywhere in the country and be able to free himself in a short time. He never failed in this challenge except for one isolated incident. One day Houdini walked into a jail cell and the door clanged shut behind him. From under his belt Houdini removed a strong but flexible piece of metal. He began to work, but something seemed odd about this particular lock. He worked for 30 minutes with no results. Frustrated, he labored for another hour and a half. By now he was soaked in sweat and exasperated at his inability to pick this lock. Completely drained from the experience, Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure and fell against the door. To his surprise, the door swung open—it had never been locked! The door was locked only in the mind of Houdini.

We would all do well to pause for a moment from our heated labors and lean against the philosophical door that can free us from feelings of futility, frustration, insignificance, and even failure. We lean against this door by asking ourselves what we must do to bring a greater sense of meaning to the means we gather in our working lives. Once that door is opened, everything else, including our material management, can be ordered in such a way as to accelerate ...