Figuring Out the Game of Life

This has been my quest for the past month or so... We spend the bulk of our days working to pay for things we are barely able to enjoy. We have homes that we don't spend much time in and cars that are mostly used to transport us to & from work. Think about it...there are 24 hours in a day. 8 of which we spend working, we sleep another 8 (if we're lucky), and the last 8 we spend doing the necessary things. These include eating and excreting which we have to do to live. The remainder of this 8 hour block is generally used for logistics and preparation...getting back & forth to work, dropping off & picking up kids, grocery shopping, cooking, and doing laundry. In many instances 8 hours is not enough to perform these duties so the extra time required is taken away from the 8 hours of sleep. Seems kinda unfair, doesn't it? Well as my mom told me often when I was growing up LIFE IS NOT FAIR. I agree with that statement in some ways and totally disagree in others, but that's another blog for another day. So the question remains, "How do we get out of the Matrix?" When I was searching google to find my blog (Yes, its been that long), I came across David Goines interpretation of Life Maintenance:

http://www.goines.net/Writing/Life_Maintenance.html

His version suggests that we spend most of our lives performing maintenance, much like mine. He concluded that this doesn't leave much time for forward movement. My reason for writing is learning to LIVE through it all. I'm learning as I go and hope that my experiences help others in their journey. Having somewhat mathematically broken down what a day consists of (above), I've created a somewhat mathematical expression to figuring out this game.

Option #1

Make due with less so that we can work less and have more leisure. (Have you ever noticed how happy poor people are? Not "U.S. poor" but people in less developed countries. I'm just saying?)

Option #2 (In theory, this is my preferred option. I go on a shopping hiatus every few months then the bug bites again!!! I need to unsubscribe from these marketing emails...who can resist "The Biggest Urban Outfitter's Sale Ever"?)

Make due with less but work the same amount or greater so that we have more leisure time in the future.

Option #3

Make due with the same and work more which leaves us with less leisure time.

The common thread in each of these is SACRIFICE. We have to live off less which can be difficult in many ways. There's also a psychological component...we spend most of our days working but can't take that vacay or buy those cute shoes c'mon we deserve it! The other sacrifice is time...time away from our families and the things we love. In all scenarios, it helps to love (or at least like) what you do so that work seems a little less like work. It is also very important in all cases NOT to spend whatever leisure time you have only on logistics & planning but to make time for those things you enjoy and the people you love because quality can out weigh quantity. The great thing about life is that how you live it is up to you!!!