F.I.R.E. Gill's Practical Bookkeeping

F.I.R.E., Life Hacks, Novels and Creative Writing, politics

Labour Day: Three poems about corporate life

30th Sep 2021 Gill's Practical Bookkeeping

Poem 1:

Late in the evening, I lean against the window of the train,

Warmed by the glancing bands of sunset.

The train is cold, full of suited prospectors on their phones

Panning for a better tomorrow.

The clean thought lines of my day stretch behind me.

This evening? Hungry managers have eaten my time,

I know I’ll be working.

I can taste the freedom that the gold I am earning will give me.

I can hear the music of my portfolio growing.

I can sense the shining nuggets hidden in the shallow stream,

The pyrite turning up in my pan just spurs me on.

Just one more step. Just one more push. Just one more day.

Tomorrow.

Poem 2:

I’m proud of my life. Hard work is a challenge

Accepted and met.

But my body, my creativity–the tiny joyfilled child my soul recognises,

My companions, my capacity for bliss,

Are waiting.

They live in an imaginary future.

Filled with time.

Sunday afternoon the sun slants across the surface of the desk.

Bound by duty, responsibilities call out to me.

I’m caught, trapped, in a net of obligations.

Time my most precious asset, spent devoted to

Someone else’s children.

Poem 3:

This night is deep and full of strange noises–

Bats crying out, the creak of a branch scraping

Against the balcony railing, soft murmers of sleep.

Spirit rises up within as my relaxed body awakens–

Joyfull, alert, alive, vibrating with life force,

Almost– not quite– time for my alarm.

Later, dressed and ready, coffeed, combed, and smoothed,

I trundle my body towards the 9am meeting,

Glad when my bosses at ***** look at me and say

That’s right, Gill. 40 hours per week.

A fair days work for a fair days pay.

Happy Labour Day Everyone

F.I.R.E., Life Hacks, politics, Uncategorised

Free speech in Australia.

15th Sep 2021 Gill's Practical Bookkeeping

I was having a conversation with the adonis who I train with recently. He was talking about how we have freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Australia, and how that was great.

I was interested in this because I disagree that we currently have those freedoms.

Yes, I’m aware of the irony of sitting in a comfortable Sydney home, on the internet, writing that we don’t have freedom of speech or freedom of the press in Australia.

But you don’t know what I would be writing about if we did have those freedoms.

This week Australia’s High Court made a decision that means that any company in Australia that has an internet presence, is liable for the comments on their social media accounts or website.

One of the consequences of this is that ordinary people who do try to speak out about the things going wrong in Australia may well be moderated out of the discourse.

Australia updated secrecy laws in 2018, making it illegal to talk about certain things, either in Australia or overseas (if you’re interested, read part 5.6 of the federal Criminal Code (1995)).

This year Australia appointed a High Court judge Justice Simon Steward who stated that freedom of speech and freedom of political communication are not “settled law”.

This is part of a long term trend in Australia to pass laws that punish or criminalize people for having opinions, exposing government wrongdoing, and speaking out in the public interest.

So? What can you do?

Here’s the problems, what are the solutions?

Write to your local member, asking for more political freedoms and asking them to uphold your right to political communication and freedom of speech
Write a blog post about your thoughts
Write something on social media about freedom of speech in Australia, tag your local member, the Attorney General’s Department and the federal parliament
Write to the editor of your favourite newspaper
Read and share blog posts like this one
Participate in public discourse– bring it up at dinner, bring it up at a public forum, talk about what’s going on
Start or sign a petition asking for change like this one asking for the right to protest.
Start a T-shirt Campaign
Make Art about it
Write a story about it
Express yourself through poetry
Make some rocking music
Put your thoughts into photos
Meditate on healing the world
Send good wishes into the lives of other people
Connect with people in your community so that we can lift the cohort
Get a qualification or do a short course to keep yourself fresh and keep your brain working
Meditate on having love in your heart
Learn a language
Become F.I.R.E so you’re not a slave to a job any more.

It might not think that these will change things politically, but every time you lift yourself out of fatalistic, nihilistic depression, you remind yourself of the truth:

You have power. You have creativity. You can do something. Change is possible.

Remember: Always be kind.

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This blog is fiction. By reading this blog, you agree that you read it under your own risk, and Gill’s Practical Bookkeeping is in no way responsible for any harm or prejudice to yourself, your business, or any fictional examples above.

I am not a financial advisor. I do not have an AFSL. I am a chick who likes to read, think, write, and has access to google. You should treat this blog with the same seriousness that you would treat anyone whose main qualification is access to google. This blog is for entertainment purposes only. It’s a little like watching Big Bang Theory for nerds or artists.

Anything you take from this blog is your responsibility. Nothing in this blog, even if you are mentioned by name, address, and telephone number, pertains to your personal situation. Anything you agree with, or disagree with, you are welcome to comment on, but your opinions belong to you. You are responsible for your comments. If they are offensive, I will remove them.

http://www.nuancedtruths.com

https://www.patreon.com/gillspracticalbookkeeping

F.I.R.E., More experienced Investors, New To Finance

What am I going to do with myself when I retire?

5th Aug 20217th Aug 2021 Gill's Practical Bookkeeping

For some people, retirement is a slow, depressing slide towards death. That’s certainly one option. But for others, retirement is the second flowering of their life. For those in the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) community who can expect to spend 40-50 years in retirement, they spend it pursuing their own interests and becoming better at things they choose to do, instead of things they’re forced to do by the need for money.

Many people in the FIRE community still work part time—not because they need the money, but because they find passion projects to keep them young and fresh. Or because they find a cause they’re interested in volunteering their time to. Retirement is the best years of their lives, and they live happily pursuing hobbies, interests, exercising, cooking, socialising, travelling, and generally enjoying themselves.

So here’s a list of some of the amazing things you can do when you reach your financial goals and retire (or not) but when money doesn’t count any more.

Create Art—Yeah! Have you ever wanted to learn to draw? Or paint? Or create sculptures? Why don’t you take a class? Or just grab some materials and practise. Retirement is the perfect time to get lost in creativity.
Learn a musical instrument—Wouldn’t it be great to be able to play piano like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? Enjoy your sensitive side, and the subtlety and mystery of good music. Even if it’s all squeeks and squwaks at first, you’ll improve over time, and eventually you’ll sound amazing.
Learn a language—Want to be able to speak Pu Tong Hua to your Chinese neighbours? Want to go to South America on holidays for 6 months and be able to speak in Spanish or Portuguese to the people there? Want to be able to bargain in Hindi in an Indian market? The world of languages is your oyster. Go for it!
Exercise—There’s no reason you can’t take up surfing or run a marathon if you want to. Or just go for a long walk every day, and lift a few weights once per week. Developing your fitness and increasing your body’s endurance and flexibility is a great goal for retirement.
Cook—Good food is good at any stage of life, but when you’ve got time to savour and really take the slow path to food which tastes great and is healthy, life becomes amazing.
Grow a garden—Have you always wanted to feel the earth in your hands, and cultivate new life in your home? Never had time? Guess what? Now’s your time!
Travel—Want to live 6 months per year in Thailand? Or split your time between Australia and Europe? When you take the need to earn money off the table, this is entirely possible.

These are just a few ideas of what you can do when you retire. Put your own ideas in the comments below, and start yourself thinking about FIRE.

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By reading this blog, you agree that you read it under your own risk, and Gill’s Practical Bookkeeping is in no way responsible for any harm or prejudice to yourself, your business, or any fictional examples above.

http://www.nuancedtruths.com

https://www.patreon.com/gillspracticalbookkeeping