Is this you? WAKE UP.

Afternoon. Let me tell you a story. A sad story that really kills me. A story that is so real, because I know in reality, most fathers I meet do the same, just like the father in this story. Just for the sake of giving the best for their family.

Father was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes, hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best money could buy.

Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.

Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and vacation abroad.However, the family still did not get to see father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he enrolled for another course in the open university.

Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Jubilantly, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough, it would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

As expected, Father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take anymore courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to his family.Father did not wake up the next day.

THE END.

Sounds familiar? It is not wrong to work hard for your family. What wrong is when you have to work really hard for the rest of your life just to give luxuries to your family. It is wrong. Ever read the book Retire rich, Retire young? Read it. There are reasons why we have to retire young and be rich before we are too old. Time is valuable and is the only thing that you cant rewind. When we retire young, we can definitely have the time freedom to spend it with our loved ones. The most precious thing that any human would ask for is TIME. Yet most people love wasting their time doing nothing. And then complain of having not enough time.

And please stop the bullshit of "we don't have to be rich, it is not important. bla bla" I dare people who said that to be poor and broke and let their families suffer from it. Would they let their kids suffer because they don't have the money to buy them food? If they do, they are not human. Rethink your life's perspectives.