Book Review: Love Your Life Not Theirs

As a continuance to my goal of reading a book a week, I had the pleasure to read ‘Love Your Life Not Theirs’ by Rachel Cruz.  The author is the daughter of personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, and many of the principles in the book focus on the same things he teaches: manage your expenses, stay out of debt, work a budget every month.

The key difference in this book was her emphasis on avoiding paying attention to how others are living their lives and comparing yourself to them, especially on social media.  This is a key differentiator given that many of us spend countless hours scrolling our social medias, only feeling empty and like we are behind are peers in many respects.  When was the last time you scroll your Instagram or Facebook page and felt genuinely happy, about your life or even others’?  Even the bozos on LinkedIn post things like, “Excited to announce I’ve been promoted to Vice President.”  In reality, the only people that care are themselves and probably their parents’ or spouses.

Next time you feel the urge to spend money on that Patagonia vest or take a loan out for the car you want, but don’t really need, ask yourself “Is this going to bring me happiness and peace of mind?”  Chances are that it won’t.  After reading this book, I’ve come to the conclusion that I just want a fully paid off house in the middle of nowhere with plenty of free time and excess cash.  What is it you really want?