Navigating Your Life While Never Losing Sight Of What’s Most Important

When asked the most surprising thing about humanity, the Dalai Lama is said to have replied: 

 “Man! Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.'” 

In my almost twenty years working as a financial advisor, I have worked with a wide variety of people on achieving their financial goals. And those goals have varied wildly from person to person, family to family.  However there have been three things that I have come to see as essential to a happy retirement (indeed, to a happy life at any age!), namely, health, some amount of wealth, and meaningful connections to people. 

I have watched far too many people journey through life, caught in a relentless cycle of work, responsibilities, and the pursuit of financial security. Yet, as the wise words of the Dalai Lama remind us, this quest often comes at the expense of their health, peace of mind, and the joy of living in the moment. 

There are countless financial blogs you can read that go into great detail on the financial aspects of planning your life.  And doing the financial part right is indeed essential. However, ponder for a moment the question asked by Morgan Housel in his 2020 bestselling book The Psychology of Money: would you trade places with (famed investor) Warren Buffet if it meant being 90 years old with $90 billion? 

The question has only grown more interesting. As of the end of April 2025, Forbes Magazine lists Buffet as the fifth richest person on Earth, with a fortune of over $165 billion. Even among my most wealthy clients, this would be viewed as an unimaginable amount of wealth. Buffet can quite literally do anything he wants, at any time, with anyone else, and not have to worry about how to afford it. 

Except that he really can’t. Buffet could well afford to take six months away from work to trek in Nepal, bicycle across the USA, or train for a marathon.  But even as a healthy 94-year-old, can he actually physically do any of those things that he has both the time and the money to do? How many of us would accept Buffet’s money, knowing that our time remaining with our loved ones is might be measured in months to several years, rather than decades? 

In his 2020 book Die With Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Your Life, former hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and high-stakes poker player Bill Perkins presents a provocative philosophy on personal finance: instead of accumulating wealth indefinitely, aim to maximize life experiences by strategically spending your money throughout your lifetime, even – or especially – when you are young and your future success seems less certain. 

I believe that there is a lot of value in this philosophy of spending – if you get my monthly The Lunin-Pack Report email newsletter, you already know that I make sure I schedule downtime doing things I love with my family and friends, creating memories. But how do you balance the need to secure your financial future with your need to live your life and create lasting memories through amazing experiences? 

That’s the question I will explore in this blog. 

I hope you will join me as we together uncover the secrets to a fulfilling and balanced life and retirement. Together, we will learn how to live fully in the present, cherish and protect our health, enjoy our hard-earned wealth, and strengthen the connections that truly matter. 

Stay tuned for insightful articles, expert interviews, and inspiring stories that will guide you on your path to a healthy, wealthy, and connected life. Let’s embark on this adventure together and make the most of every moment. None of us want to be the person who sacrifices their health for wealth, only to then be forced to spend their amassed wealth on the pursuit of regaining their lost health. And few of us want to go through life alone, without the connections to family, friends, and community that add so much richness to all experiences. 

Health, wealth, and connections – these are the pillars on which a life well lived is built. Let’s explore them together.