Life isn’t some equation you can solve on a whiteboard. Many have tried without success, believe me. Life is unquestionably dynamic and impossibly complex. It’s riddled with emotions that cannot be defined and outliers that can barely be explained. The moment you think you’ve figured it out is the moment you realize you know absolutely nothing. Such is life, or so they say.
Nonetheless, numbers are an integral part of our lives. We use them to record the countless experiences we face and memorialize the almost endless decisions we make. With the year (and decade) quickly coming to an end, I want to share some numbers that are significant to me with you.
292,660 – is the number of dollars that remain outstanding on our student loans. It’s a huge pile of debt, but I remember when it was even larger and the payments barely covered the interest accruing each month. Now our monthly payments take meaningful dents off the balance and they will be paid off while our kids are still under our roof instead of under their own (fingers crossed). Today, it’s a number that motivates us to achieve the great things in life instead of one that reminds us of questionable decisions rooted in financial ignorance.
12,817 – is the number of days I’ve been alive. No two have been the same. Each one unique. Yet, out of the thousands of days I’ve drawn breath, I’d be lucky if I could remember 500 of them. That means I can’t remember 96% of my life on earth. It sounds sad, but that’s just how our brains work. We string along major life events to attempt to understand the vastness of our time alive, which ironically is nothing more then a tiny little blip on an even longer, almost infinite timeline. Even though I can’t recall most of my days of existence, I am grateful for each and every one of them.
1,247 – is the (estimated) number of pour overs I have crafted for myself and others. My dedication/obsession to the art of coffee has taught me that mastering anything in life, whether preparing a cup of coffee or one’s cash flow, takes patience, practice and persistence. Also, there’s something about performing a chemistry experiment every morning that never gets old.
113 – is the number of households I serve. Helping people achieve their goals and dreams is why I have the best job in the world. When they win, I win. It’s as simple as that. Their trust in me is nothing short of humbling and, as much as I try, I can never thank them enough.
69 – is the number of consecutive weekly blog posts I have written. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Starting this blog has been one of the best decisions I have made both personally and professionally. To anyone nice enough to have reached out to me after reading a post, thank you. And to anyone looking to build an audience or following I highly recommend creating a writing schedule, sticking to it and sharing what’s going on in the world around you.
3 – is the number of years my business has been operating. Hazel’s birthday on the first of December which happens to also be the anniversary of Bone Fide Wealth. I am not 100% sure why I’ve entangled the launch of my firm on my daughter’s first birthday, but I’d like to believe it was because of the certainty she brings into my life. Going out on my own was by far my biggest risk outside of leaving Florida for New York. I suppose by tying the uncertainty of starting my own business to something as certain as my child’s existence, I felt confident about my decision to make the leap.
2 – is the number of children that make my life worth living. When Hazel was born, everything changed in profound ways. What was once important all of a sudden seemed insignificant. With my heart was filled to the brim, I couldn’t comprehend how any more love could possibly fit within its chambers. Then Ruby came into my life earlier this year and I quickly learned that your heart grows to accommodate the almost endless amount of love constantly being poured into it.
1 – is the number of people that helps me keep it all together. Here’s what I know. Ever since I met Heather, my life has been exponentially better. I noticed this within weeks of first meeting her during our freshman year at the University of Florida. That’s when my life went from a haphazard display of questionable decisions that landed me in a bit of trouble every now and then to that of a semi-organized human being capable of tapping his potential and sharing a beautiful life with the people that he loves. She is a shining example of how one person can make all the difference.
0 – is the number of words left to read in this post.
Come get loud using the megaphone known as Twitter:
Tsunami: T is silent
Honest: H is silent
Island: S is silent
Queue: ueue is silent
Inflation: Fed is silent
— Douglas A. Boneparth (@dougboneparth) December 2, 2019