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Quackman 11 months ago
Apart from my wife, I have no bitcoiners in meatspace to relate this to, so I’m just gonna leave this here. No one will probably read it, but I just want to get this off my chest. Who knows, maybe it will do some good and inspire someone. I think one of the most underestimated aspects of bitcoin is how it secretly spills over into other parts of your life. Yes, bitcoin is money in the digital age, yes, it’s a finite black hole that will absorb other asset classes, yes, inflation is theft, yes, it can make a median income earner a massive millionaire when done right. But the most underrated aspect in my eyes, and this is propagated by fellas like @ODELL and @HODL, is it made me realize how insanely valuable my time is. When this realization occurred, I made it my number one priority to optimize for my time. So while working the fiat mines for the better part of the last decade, every time I earned a promotion or got a better job, my aim was not to earn more, but spend less time earning the same. Yes, I could have spent more time in the mines and easily earned 2x of what I did, bought more of the coin with said earnings and be a rich fella with a much bigger car and a much bigger house by now, but you know what? Fuck that! In stead, I got to be there for my parents, my wife and my kids, take care of them, watch them grow, do volunteer work in the local community, and pursue my hobbies, all while showing the kids that it’s OK to work for a living and contribute to society, and that it’s not normal to get retirement-rich off some crazy bet in your younger years. Understanding the value of my time, thanks to studying bitcoin, was a life altering moment for me, and I am forever grateful for this realization. No amount of money, bitcoin or otherwise, is worth this lesson learned and the life and experiences it provided. Who knows, with this in mind, you can look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself the extremely confrontational question: what am I doing with my time?!

Replies (57)

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Deleted Account 11 months ago
Amen Quackman, very well written! Time is our most precious and finite asset, but we have no idea how much of it we have left. Would rather be a time billionaire than a monetary one. You have lived a great life and that’s what counts the most
The most valuable lesson from Bitcoin was that the only resource more scarcer than Bitcoin is my time on this planet.
Renny's avatar
Renny 11 months ago
Quackman? More like Ba$3dman!
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npub1juus...kpd4 11 months ago
Oh man. I'm in the same boat. Have a very good job with a Fortune 50 company, and workload is pretty decent. I get to work from home and collect a very good salary. I am now at crossroads: move back to a city, where the company HQ is, pay a shit ton more on rent and food, and try and move up, or do I just spend more amazing time with my two kids under 5 by watching them grow and being a dad that's present and continue stacking sats. I obviously hope that I can one day retire on those sats. It's the fact that I feel like I have an OPTION to not just be in a rat race for more money that gives me some mental freedom. One day, I hope to quit the job when Bitcoin goes where I hope it does, pick up something I truly care about, help people, and live free! I think you made the right choice in your life :)
Thank you for writing this. Really powerful and makes me think about what I want to do with my time. I currently run a family business (with my family) and the expectation is to just work all hours as that’s what we have always done. I love the job but as I get more into bitcoin I do think I will be able to step back with the days worked and start living my life a bit more. Like you said. Thank you
One giant chest lift in more ways than your note. Thank you for the relatability. A lot of us here have come or are coming to the same realizations. Each one of us is the scariest thing in our life. Therefore, by extension, what we do in our life’s should be just as special.
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Quackman 11 months ago
I’m pretty sure the company and salary profile differ quite a bit, but I was weighing the same options, more or less. My thought process was expedited by a very sudden loss of a close friend, which made me think long and hard about those future goals (and “gains”). While I’m 100% on board with the low time preference ethos, and thinking long term, the cold hard fact of life is that we are alive *now* and there are absolutely zero guarantees that we get to enjoy tomorrow. In that light, I made the choices I made. It should be noted: I got lucky in life to be able to make those choices. Maybe your circumstances differ, and foremost: you shouldnt trust a random stranger on the internet to make those hard choices for you!
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Quackman 11 months ago
Either way, I hope you find the strength to make your decision and wish you the best of luck! 🙏🏻
Fabian's avatar
Fabian 11 months ago
Understanding the Value of time ❤️
FEW_BTC's avatar
FEW_BTC 11 months ago
Beautiful post @Quackman... congratulations to you! Makes me contemplate future legacy and the important things in life. I couldn't help but think of the following Harry Chapin classic, and how not to do it. IMO, if you have little kids, one of the best things you can do is sign them up for a local sport/club and then volunteer to coach/lead. They will only be young once... filling them with a solid foundation, fun memories, and good times is priceless.
Exactly. วันคืนล่วงไป ๆ บัดนี้เราทำอะไรอยู่
Quackman
Apart from my wife, I have no bitcoiners in meatspace to relate this to, so I’m just gonna leave this here. No one will probably read it, but I just want to get this off my chest. Who knows, maybe it will do some good and inspire someone. I think one of the most underestimated aspects of bitcoin is how it secretly spills over into other parts of your life. Yes, bitcoin is money in the digital age, yes, it’s a finite black hole that will absorb other asset classes, yes, inflation is theft, yes, it can make a median income earner a massive millionaire when done right. But the most underrated aspect in my eyes, and this is propagated by fellas like @ODELL and @HODL, is it made me realize how insanely valuable my time is. When this realization occurred, I made it my number one priority to optimize for my time. So while working the fiat mines for the better part of the last decade, every time I earned a promotion or got a better job, my aim was not to earn more, but spend less time earning the same. Yes, I could have spent more time in the mines and easily earned 2x of what I did, bought more of the coin with said earnings and be a rich fella with a much bigger car and a much bigger house by now, but you know what? Fuck that! In stead, I got to be there for my parents, my wife and my kids, take care of them, watch them grow, do volunteer work in the local community, and pursue my hobbies, all while showing the kids that it’s OK to work for a living and contribute to society, and that it’s not normal to get retirement-rich off some crazy bet in your younger years. Understanding the value of my time, thanks to studying bitcoin, was a life altering moment for me, and I am forever grateful for this realization. No amount of money, bitcoin or otherwise, is worth this lesson learned and the life and experiences it provided. Who knows, with this in mind, you can look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself the extremely confrontational question: what am I doing with my time?!
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J3's avatar
J3 11 months ago
Excellent perspective! Time is so valuable
This has been realized by the previous Bitcoin generations and brought to light, appreciate you sharing your relatable story as it resonates with so many!
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npub1s6zc...0rrl 11 months ago
completely underrated perspective on Bitcoin as you so very nicely articulated. more people will realize this along the way
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Quackman 11 months ago
Thank you, and I very much hope so! On a side note: set up your zaps, you’re missing out!
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Quackman 11 months ago
Funny how it all comes together, isn’t it? As they say: you don’t change bitcoin, bitcoin changes you.
Time gone by and is gone forever. It taught me to embrace the present, to embrace the moment right in front of you, and nothing lasts forever, as we are. To realize that I have limited time on this realm and it gave me a purpose to passing by the legacy.
gbs's avatar
gbs 11 months ago
the fucking pill;
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One 11 months ago
Assuming a typical lifespan, BTC stacked now is time saved in the future. Time spent not-fiat-mining now is less BTC stacked for the future. Glad you've found the balance between the two. Congratulationss. Enjoy
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Quackman 11 months ago
I hadn’t heard it in a while, but listening to the lyrics now really hits home.. I took up coaching for two of my kids’ sports teams and like you say, it’s a blast. I’m very grateful to be in such a position and hopefully exude some positivity into the lives of those kids! But also, just being able to take the kids to school, play with them outside, have small talk during car and bike rides.. I wouldn’t trade those moments for sats, no matter what. As is said often on Nostr: be the change you want to see!
💯 Time is the most valuable asset. Bitcoin is the best way to store that earned value of selling your time for a paycheque. Freeing up your time later for what you want to do vs what you have to do.
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npub1n45v...hgk0 11 months ago
Damn that song is perfect - and I haven’t heard it in ages. I should have meditated on it in my younger days. . .
FEW_BTC's avatar
FEW_BTC 11 months ago
Your comments resonate. I loved carpool time... having great discussions or playing music they would have never been exposed to. Yes, those moments are priceless. And I'm with you... very hopeful that btc helps us to influence a better future for our children and grandchildren.