Hello my friendly Splinterlandians and Hive Denizens!
First thing - for all those who celebrate Easter, in all of its iterations, I would love to wish you a very Happy Easter 😄
Second - I am approaching a significant life goal, one I have worked diligently towards for many years. Long story super short... Made bad decisions, personal & business, ended up about $250k in debt. Worked my ass off for 4+ years and I am almost out of debt.
But here's the catch - I SACRIFICED those four years... I worked 6-7 days a week, living the two job grind, losing friends, missing family... for what? To have a hope at a future?
I had a plan to restart my business (and not do the things that cost me)... but recent events have made me question that... so let's look at the overview of the plan, Splinterlands, Peak'd and perhaps some revisions...
Splinterlands to me, is the culmination of what I have spent my life searching for - a way to trade digital time/goods/skills for income... Ever since I "bling'd" that first Mario Coin back in 1990, I was exposed to Digital Currency... Fast forward to the days of Ultima Online, Magic The Gathering Online, Diablo III and games like Clash of Clans...
I made money on UO, MTGO and D3 but always wanted to find a way to "fix" the Money Flow with Clash of Clans or games like it... $$ in -> Gems -> stuff...
That was it... the end... but you could also EARN Clash Gems for rewards, Tournaments etc... Since I knew Bitcoin existed... I thought... "Why can't there be a "secondary market" like the Crypto Exchanges for a game like this"... you know, where players could buy/sell Gems/Elixir/Stuff... for $$?
Anyway - fast forward to Splinterlands, Hive Engine and ta-daaa! You have all of that and more in a neat little package and it's fun too!
Over the last four years, I worked, worked, worked - like the Rihanna song... you know...
My goal - reopen my restaurant, reinvest into Crypto... I took some major L's avoiding Bankruptcy and losing my house/car and other stuff... in retrospect, I shoulda just taken the Bankruptcy lol...
When I started over, my business was losing money and thus I had a NEGATIVE income on my final Tax Return... In Nov 2018 I had essentially $0 Income, Debts/Bills out the ass and a Mortgage ($1,100/m)... I thought to myself "well - I got myself into this so I gotta get myself out... time to go to work..."
I had just started selling cars but hadn't even gotten my sales license yet... so picked up a second job, working weekends bouncing, then moved back into bartending...
For years, I slogged through it... day in, day out... week after week... year after year... never losing sight of my goals: Pay off debt, reopen restaurant.
In the "worker" world, we have been indoctrinated to trade our time for money - but this sucks because that means we then trade our Money for Stuff... and never seem to have enough Time to enjoy our Stuff... oddly - we often don't ever seem to have enough money either...
In the "wealthy" world... they earn money via various investments, businesses, etc etc etc... They have Stuff... which earns them Money... giving them Time and thus FREEDOM.
On the most rudimentary scale - $1,000,000 at 5% Interest = $50,000/year in "income"... which is a decent living in the US!!! Collect enough Money... and your MONEY WILL WORK FOR YOU... more on this in a bit...
Starting from essentially $0/month in Nov 2018 (-$ for the year), I have learned to trade my time for money to the tune of roughly $135k/year... but this still sucks because I am not trying to GET AHEAD... I am literally trying to get back to ZERO 😞 and trust me when I say BURNOUT IS A REAL THING.
I don't quite know what that feels like but I have about $17k of the $250k left... I'm so close I can TASTE it...
On top of the debt reduction I started reinvesting and growing my Splinterlands collection, Staked SPS, Hive DeFi investments and other Crypto investments very slowly... but compounding them along the way...
The Bear Market has been depressing... but DCA all the way and next Bull Market should be fun... I hope.
My Goal with Splinterlands was to play a fun game, utilize NFTs for what I see as their main benefit and set up a Digital Business to earn a Passive Income with so I don't have to keep trading my Time for Money so fanatically...
Goals for Splinterlands:
I want to hit 100k DEC/d in Rental Income at the LOW POINT in the season
I want to hit 100 SPS/day in Staked SPS Rewards
I want to hit 100 SPS/day in Node Rewards
I want to hit 100 SPS/day in Pool Rewards
So far:
5.5k DEC/day in Rentals or 5.5%
40 SPS/day in Staked Rewards or 40%
60 SPS/day in Node Rewards or 60%
16 SPS/day in Pool Rewards or 16%
As you can see - a long way to go... but a heck of a lot better than 0!
In addition to this, I discovered something else - I really ENJOY writing the Rental Market/Passive Income/Financial Freedom pieces here on Peak'd because the whole entire system has been created to MAINTAIN OUR POSITION AS WAGE/TAX SLAVES AND I AM FUCKING TIRED OF BEING A GODDAMN SLAVE... I have FOUGHT my entire life to escape the bonds of a system set to keep up living paycheck to paycheck... while 5% enjoy a good life and .5% enjoy life beyond our wildest dreams...
I don't want to exist to work - I just want to live... TRULY live... and to do that, I will trade SOME of my time, showing others how to escape the Time -> Money -> Stuff cycle we are trapped in...
With Peak'd I have found I don't have to charge others... I can write things, share insights and lessons learned with bitter experience to help others... and receive Hive for it... which I can stake/delegate/power up/save and more...
Enter - NEW GOAL: Earn 100 Hive per Article/avg... So I will do that - I will write. I will increase my ability, share my knowledge and HELP OTHERS... and earn Hive doing it.
Goal: 100 Hive/Article
Current: 1.5 Hive/Article or 1.5%... time to start creating better content!
Last and certainly not least... the reason I have taken a long hard look at my life and goals this week is a man called Tommy (name changed for privacy)
I met Tommy and his wife a few years ago. They are the most amazing couple I have ever met... they lived EXTRAORDINARY lives, traveled the world, did incredible things and spent 50+ years doing it.
I met them selling cars, sold them a REALLY cool car and over the years got to know them... Whenever they'd come to town - whether it was just Tommy or both of them, they'd ALWAYS call ahead and ask if I would be free to go to lunch...
They would stop in occasionally, randomly... but many times (except Covid years 20/21) they'd make a special trip to town on/near my Birthday to take me to lunch as I have no family near me and not many friends due to my hellacious work schedule...
They'd take me out for lunch, invite my gf when we were together and ask how life was...
I'd be positive as possible but invariably share my woes and pitfalls - they kept telling me how impressed they were that I stay so positive and work so hard... never doubting my ability to "right the ship"... we spoke of their kids and grandkids and how one of their daughters faced similar troubles before and they asked me to trust them that it DOES get better - just keep at it and stay positive :)
Two weeks ago... Tommy called me and asked me to lunch, apologizing that it had been too long! Apologizing. To. Me. That he hadn't come for a visit in too long... 😳
Tommy and his wife are one of two couples I have met in the past 5 years... where they or individually as friends - have asked me to do something... without WANTING something from me in return... Tommy and his wife do it regularly whereas the others are just as nice but I don't see them as much.
My mom? Nope - hasn't visited me in 10+ years...
Grandma? Never visited before she passed AND SHE TRAVELED THE WORLD but couldn't stop in to see me... yet oddly I felt guilty when she passed that I didn't GO SEE HER MORE (WTF)
Brother - nope, dudes a hermit and doesn't call/message unless it's to bitch about mom... haven't had him visit in 10+ years...
Dad - my father is my best friend and we speak regularly... but unfortunately, I don't see him much and he does visit... but rarely... again, oddly enough I go see him more than he comes up here... AND HE IS THE RETIRED ONE... 😡
But Tommy... Tommy and his wife... They are like adopted parents lol... They call, message me, stop in, take me to lunch or dinner... invite me and ex gf over for wine/tea/relax for just an afternoon...
Yet I was always too busy... I never made time. I traded it ALL for a goal of being debt free... and the time I did have, do have... I am exhausted from working so much... so I take my Sunday and prepare for the next 6 days...
Two weeks ago... Tommy takes me to lunch and he lets me drive his kickass car I sold him... like he does every time... "Can I maybe take one good rip in it?" I ask... "Well of course Jim, it's meant to be DRIVEN!" he replies...
One burst of high G acceleration and ear splitting grin as we go TO the restaurant... and one back... the rest of the time, I drive with reverence, as if not to disrespect him or the vehicle.
We sit down at Buffalo Wild Wings and order lunch. He asks how I'm doing... I look him in the eyes and I beam a smile as wide as my face...
I said "Tommy... for four years... you've heard my plight... well guess what... over the last three weeks... THREE WEEKS!!! I have paid off the last of my business debt... I paid off a credit card... and I sold my car... that eliminated FORTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS of my debt!! I have less than $20k left and I am so CLOSE Tommy! When you called, I was excited to see you for more than one reason - this time... I had GREAT news for you... This time... it wouldn't be the "life is hard but I'm hanging on and staying positive" conversation... you heard four YEARS of my "negative" experiences... and I really, REALLY wanted you to hear about my MAJOR POSITIVE ONE!!!"
He was very excited, he told me how proud they were and he promised to tell his wife and that he looked forward to my future and wanted to eat at my restaurant when I relaunched it...
We enjoyed the meal, etc etc, drove back - weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
Man... I was so glad to see Tommy... elated.
Earlier this week... Tommy fell. He's older so he damaged something serious that left him without feeling in his legs.
I got an email from a colleague. I immediately called his wife and asked what she needed. Food? Blankets? Errands? Anything - I would do anything. Please. Just let me know how I can help!
We spoke on Wednesday and he had just finished the surgery. She told me things were going well. Recovery looked good. Dealing with some complications due to the respirator but antibiotics were working. She told me they'd get through it as they had for 50+ years.
I told her how much they meant to me and I'd do ANYTHING in my power to help them... I told her to pass along that I called to Tommy when he was able to hear it and that I'd be praying for them - and I couldn't wait to see them after they left (or when they could have visitors)...
Friday I woke up around 8am after 5 hours of sleep from working the night before. I went to my day job... On the way to my second job I thought about calling back on Friday while I drove to Blacksburg but I didn't want to bug her, I was certain she was busy. I called my father instead and chatted about life... plans... Goals. Debts. Restaurant. Work. Work. Work. Work... I worked until 2:15am and got home at 3am... another 19 hour day in the books...
Saturday (yesterday), I woke up again around 8am after 4-5 hours of sleep and prepared for another grueling 19 hour day...
I went to work. Morning sales meeting. Check my phone after the meeting... a message from Tommy's wife...
"Last night, Tommy went to be reunited with the Lord. He is no longer with us..." there was more but I'll spare you
I sat in stunned silence most of the day. I stared into space. Pulled myself together long enough to help two customers... cried alone in an empty breakroom while I ate lunch...
Then it hit me last night - I have spent 38 years FIGHTING the system. Fighting for others. HELPING everyone while not truly focusing on me...
I celebrate birthdays alone, no friends or family... so what has my life been for? Why have I worked zealously for others when obviously no one wants to be part of my life?
Except my ex gf who loves me (and I her) but yet we never seem to work as a couple but mesh well as friends...
So for the last 24 hours I have contemplated life... what I have left... and if I don't plan on reopening my restaurant... how soon could I "retire" to actually ENJOY my time here on Earth... and honestly... what does that even MEAN to me anymore?
Truthfully, I don't know... but I DO know this:
Regardless of what you WANT from life... if you constantly trade your Time for Money... you're going to miss MOST of it...
I know... in order to achieve whatever I decide... a strong foundation of Passive Income will ALLOW me to have the FREEDOM to accomplish it...
So if you made it this far... I was once told and it rings more true today than ever...
"Don't get so busy making a life... that you forget to LIVE"...
With that, I'll leave you (should anyone have made it this far). I hope you can ask yourself the same questions - what do YOU want from life... and what are you doing to get there...
I hope you have a blessed Easter, for me - there can be no joy today... even though I know Tommy would encourage me otherwise...
Cheers in loving memory of "Tommy", an amazing Human... a great friend and the best Adopted Grandparent I have ever had... and who I will miss every day 🥀
- CaptainDingus
Until next time "Tommy"... ðŸ˜