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| A Risky Move? |
RISK is everywhere. It is around every corner, every decision every minute. THE.CoNTeNDer may have been "trained" to consider risks in his project management days. Unfortunately RISK training is one thing being good at handling risk and executing a plan is a completely different matter altogether.
CoNTeNDeR'S RiSKY PaST...Or Not...
CoNTeNDeR just as everyone else has taken risks in life. To name a modest few:
Jumping out of a tree and ONLY breaking his arm. Hitching a car ride at one o'clock in the morning in the middle of the countryside. Hospitalised several times whilst playing rugby. Living in Wales after coming from England and speaking with an English accent. Going to university. Getting in debt with a brand new German automobile. Choosing a job in a completely different field a long way from home, getting married and having kids with his French wife. Working towards financial independence and moving to France.
Was any of that really risky? More on that below.
THE.CoNTeNDeR could have fallen on any number of swords in THE.PaST. Along the way he did slip on a few banana skins. He is none the worse for the 'experiences' and perhaps a bit more humble and wiser for the c*** ups!
There were several times of getting lost in alien countries Spain and Italy, incurring speeding and fare avoidance fines as well as avoiding a major car crash in Poland. Messing up an update to a planning system that wiped out all of the production and distribution plans for the day. Getting the jeep stuck in a game reserve in and running back through the reserve (containing several dangerous animals such as Rhino and Hyenas) to get help and jumping into a crocodile infested lake in Zimbabwe - yes it's true!
At least C is still here and still legal. It has been quite a ride as Bill Hicks said:
The Tribes RiSKY move to France
This blog has covered some of the challenges with striving for financial independence and the topics of downsizing, downshifting and opting out. All are risky and all have drawbacks like everything in life.
Some options are possibly more resilient than others. Being financially independent and have a job is one example where your pay can go straight into savings increasing your resilience. Having multiple income streams reduces risk. Having disaster insurance reduces risk even if the risk is low.
Alternatively being an avid consumer of goods, a large amount of debt and only one source of income could be considered risky. Having to work long stressful hours and travel a lot can be considered as a risk to ones health.
RISK is everywhere FACT.
Let's consider some of the risks we are currently dealing with.
Currency risk - We have an income paid in multiple currencies biased towards Canadian dollars, British pounds and Euros. Currencies go up and down against each other but our future costs are in Euro. If the Euro becomes very strong versus the British pound and the Canadian dollar and our outgoings remain fixed in Euros we will potentially start to erode our capital.
Country risk - We are moving from a tax system we are very familiar with and a country we would like to say we understand (a little) to a completely different system. The pseudo Capitalist Welfare British state is being exchanged for the more socialist biased French state.
France actually offers very good opportunities to a family in our position. These include a better health care system, cleaner environment, more academic education system, lower class sizes for our tax bad.
We will contribute to this system through the Social Tax which currently stands at 15.5% regardless of income (as we understand it) To counter that there will be some tax free allowable deductions and some benefits as we will be classified as "poor" on an income of only 1,150 Euros per month.
Does a financially independent family fit in in France or will we be off to the gallows......
Investment risk - We have a diversified portfolio of income stocks but when did that prevent them falling massively in value (to recover) in the last financial crisis. IT will happen AGAIN and it is definitely NOT FAR OFF.
We know they will fall in value in THE.FuTURe we believe they will keep on paying the same or more dividends.
Oh then I saw her face, now I'm a believerFamily Risk - Mr C has not been "working" / "had a job" since February 2012 Mrs C will be out of a job from September. Work for the tribe has been part of our lives. We have been conditioned to do it since high school. We have worked hard to excel at it.
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I'm in love, I'm a believer
I couldn't leave her if I tried
It has defined a HUGE part of our lives.
Now we will not be working... What will be the effect on us? At least the "you are not working" phrase will be history soon. Will the statement be replaced by "why are we not working".
We cannot dream the "good life" we cannot just transition into it we have to expect some demons to perch on our shoulders like a bad repeating recorded parrot. You cannot just give up your past and move on that is bull****. Your past has defined who you are and who you are going to be. A striver is a striver it just depends what he/she strives for?
Mr and Mrs C have both worked in competitive professions just switching off overnight to loaf, skive, chill, meditate, switch off, disconnect and hide in our abode just won't happen overnight.
Being together 24/7 will be new. We will both need time out to zone in on what our new life means to us. We will both need space. This may seem un-natural. We have always cherished the time we get together due to being "separated" by work.
Risky Fun
Crikey this risk thing is becoming fun. Yea we are creating risks in our lives. The routine is being messed up. The culture is completely different
Heck this risk thing is making us happy because it is making us alive. It is shaking us up. It is keeping us on edge. Are we just guessing what THE.FuTuRe holds or are we masters of our own destiny. Only time will tell.
RiSK is part of being alive?
So the point of this post is: Take on some RiSK. Take him on face to face. Do it when you are young, unafraid and unencumbered. Heck F*** UP then smell the roses, take the heat and most of all learn from it and move on. You will be stronger and perhaps a bit wiser for it.
Heck The C still makes a mess on a regular basis. Is the move to France on risk too far? but life would be dull and he would be dull if played everything safe?“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”THE.CoNTeNDer: "Show your face risk. I want you here in the room with me. I want to hear your every breath because you are what makes me get up every morning feeling alive."
― Thomas A. Edison
Life is not a linear experience
Monotony, routine etc we have been told are good. A 9-5 job. The daily commute, regular holidays of a maximum of 2 weeks when everyone else is on holiday as well. Looking from the outside how can this be seen as normal for a human being.
RiSK / Change / Experiences are what life is about isn't it? Jumping into that crocodile infested lake, white water rafting and investing all arouse the senses.
We once roamed the land as hunter gatherers taking each day and season as it came. In time we "developed" to become the masters / reapers of this planet automating everything around us including ourselves. Is it time we got back to nature more?
Peace, prosperity and happiness
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Are you planning for financial independence and wondering what to do with it. If so is any of the content on this blog of use to you? I would appreciate any comments you have. All the best C