Life in the fast lane

 How I long for a sportcar now, not that I don't have a fast car. It's only that my car is a bit like a bus, and I remember the pleasure of my small car with an open roof and an engine at the back, where you can go around bends without really having to slow down, listing to music, while you get to where you want to go faster than anyone else.

In a developing country where there is enough traffic in the fast lane to slow you down, the best approach is to keep left. When you learn and practice the little rules of road, then nothing can get you down. For now, I'm on top of the world with my bus, and I don't stop dreaming of getting another sportscar again.

Right now I don't have a single house to sell, this for almost a month now. A huge building in my portfolio is the only property I offer for sale, and although I've been unable to secure the right buyer yet, market conditions are becoming more conducive to a successful sale sooner than later. Tomorrow I'm doing an assessment of the value of a new property going on the market; more income in the making with a little bit of luck on my side. A friend introduced me last week to the seller of a hotel premises where the owner has been struggling to find a buyer. Business is not dead, it's just most unusual, and because I have experience of this over the last more than 30 years in this area, I love every moment of it.

What do I mean by life in the fast lane? It is not only the experience of getting where you want to be, faster than before, or faster than others. Going fast also involves a level of stress - you need to keep focused, keep on doing the right thing, making sure that you are on the right track. All of these requirements in turn fill up your days, contributing to a fuller and happier life.

Whether it is a massage that your body calls for, eating healthy food or getting regular exercise, whether it is investing in your own home or in another property, whether it is investing an hour a day to find a different way of doing business, or paying attention to a challenge you face, whether it is reading a book, or conciously cutting down on scrolling on your phone, when you have a plan, or working on a plan, and know where you are going, then nobody can stops you. You may encounter setbacks along the way, and here your health is something to be so thankful for, but when you have a little luck on your side, then every step along your road to success puts you in a better place than where you were before.

I've been thinking of what to do when I get older. A hobbie or something that is fun and creative, and where I can add value, not only to my time and life, but also to the lives of others. Something that will increase my wealth rather than deplete my resources. And so, I have an ideas book; my diary also sometimes serves as a place where I write down new ideas. 

A long standing idea is a match-making machine, making quality matches in pretty boxes, although this idea is fading. A great idea is to invest in a small piece of land where you can live and grow animals, fruit and vegetables, and have a little cottage to rent out to visitors. You shouldn't be too stressed running a business like this when you are old one day. A new idea that popped up about a week ago is to make delicious, healthy nut-bites, beautifully packaged. My first tasting, this past week, went very well, but there are more work to be done to perfect the recipe. What a pleasure when you can literally taste the success of your work. But, this is only the start, as I have not given much thought yet of how viable the business of selling nut-bites can be.

I keep on generating new ideas. One study suggests that there is one great idea amongst every 3500 ideas. Looking at where we are, and where we are going, I see two fields where there are endless potential for growth. The one is the growing population of older people. They have worked most of their life-time, most likely have enough disposable money, and have needs that can be serviced. The other field with outstanding potential is the energy sector. The growth in Artificial Intelligence is putting new demands on existing energy infrastructure and generation. So, with every solar cell that you invest in, you are sure to find a source that will happily take your generated electricity. I have only 3000 Watts of solar panels on the roof of my house in Observatory, but I've had no electricity bill in October and I've been using less that 50 units over the last two months and since the winter ended. This is why I have another idea, and that is of buying a huge piece of land in the middle of no-where (because it will be cheaper), and sell or rent it on to an investor that specializes in solar or wind farming, when the time is right. A pity though that I don't have that money yet.. There is most likely other ways to also tap into the supply of energy to the world that needs brainstorming.

While I'm just on target after 10 months of the year, and with no holidays planned until next year June, I have an opportunity to achieve my income goal for 2025 in the less than 2 months remaining, and with the possibility of making it a record breaking year. I shall remain positive and committed.