What if Money was no Object?

I recently came across a thought provoking video, narrated by the late philosopher Alan Watts (1915-1973). The video, which is just over three minutes long, discusses the question of how we would live life if money was no object. Watts says that it is "better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way." I really like that. We live in a society that is so focused on the workaholic ideal and making money so we can spend more money, that people rarely spend time doing the things that they love. It's a tricky balancing issue though. The things we love and would want to spend our lives doing, aren't necessarily things that will support us and our families. A certain level of income is necessary for survival.

I come from a fine arts background. I loved drawing and painting, and still do, but the term "starving artist" exists for a reason. I knew that pursuing a fine arts education was not going to get me employment. I didn't want to work freelance, with paychecks being a random and undependable occurrence. While money is nice to have, I have no desire to be rich. But I don't want to spend my life stressing about how I'm going to pay the bills either. My goal after school is to find a salaried job. That's why I got into graphic design. It's as close a balance as I can get to living creatively and having an income to support myself.

If money were no object, I would travel across Europe. I would visit castles and villas, and cathedrals and monuments. I would experience life in other cultures and draw inspiration from the natural surroundings that are as common to them as pine forests and squirrels are to me. I would live a slow life, savouring the good times with friends and family. I would restore antiques, renovate my home and have an extensive garden. I would make pottery, try glass-blowing and crochet on cold nights. I would have an extensive library and spend hours in it reading or adding to the shelves. Most of my dreams are far from grand, and are actually fairly attainable, but even if they weren't, I would try to make my life about doing what I love, and finding ways to make my dreams a reality, like Watts suggests we all do.

Video posted by Tragedyand Hope:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=siu6JYqOZ0g#!