Long ago, there were two brothers who grew up side by side in a small villiage, wishing for something more. The elder brother left home first, recieved good schooling, and became a high-ranking bureaucrat for the king. He wore the finest robes, lived in a great house, and had many men to do his bidding, though his brow was furrowed with worry and frustration. Many years after he’d left home, now fat and with the first streaks of grey in his hair, the elder brother happened upon a monk sitting beneath a tree on the outskirts of the city. The monk sat next to his bedroll, his clothes in tatters - but the bureaucrat was shocked when he saw the monk was his own brother, who seemed to have barely aged over the many years since they’d last met. “Brother!” the aged bureaucrat exclaimed, “oh how many years since I’ve seen you! And to find you in such a wreched state! How have you come to be here?” The younger brother replied, smiling - “why, brother, I walked here. I carry my bed roll and my rice, and where ever I find myself where the sun sets, that is my home.” The elder started, confused, and said “My brother, truly you must turn your life around and rise above this terrible existence you have found yourself in. Why, just follow my example - if you learned to serve the king, you would not need to live on mere rice!” The younger replied with a cheerful smile, “Ah, but brother, if you learned to live on mere rice, you would not need to serve the king.”

I recommend the book Early Retirement Extreme, and the Mr Money Mustache blog.