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Neill

10 karmaJoined

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6

Hi all, 

I came across the 80,000 hours initiative a few years ago and it 100% aligned with my purpose in life. 

I'm on track to give 50% of my salary to the top EA charity [We are downsizing our home] later this year. 

Just having this purpose has undoubtedly made me happier and I'd like to promote this benefit to others, as my second passion is increasing Happiness, the synergy between the two is fantastic. 

In the meantime, I've been adjusting some famous quotes to include an EA mindset, what thinks you? 

 

'If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.'

Booker T. Washington

To: ''If you want to lift yourself up as high as possible, lift up someone else as high as you can.'

 

'If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.'

Confucius

To: If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want maximum happiness for a lifetime, help someone else as best you can.'

 

'As the purse is emptied the heart is filled.'

Victor Hugo

'As the purse is emptied the heart is filled. But keep it filled enough to keep yourself. '

I love the point made during my study of Ikigai, that there is no word in Japanese for 'retirement'. 

Example explanation: 

There is No Japanese Word for Retirement – Your Work, Your Way (yourwork-yourway.com) 

Unfortunately I do broadly agree. 

I am quite open about the fact that doing good makes me feel good, my reasoning is that if I feel good then I perform better, therefore enabling me to make more money to do more good. I use the Kahneman Happiness model and Paul Zak's neuroeconomics research  to support my approach.  

Can we make doing good cool maybe?

Hi, many thanks for the opportunity to contribute. 

I am very much in the earn to give camp. 

My approach has been to get myself and my family financially sound before I start to give. This means I will give more in the long run as I am not paying interest on any debt. 

 I will be giving to the highest impact charity [whatever EA suggests at the time], this helps me free my mind to concentrate on earning as I don't have to spend time on the decision. 

I am fortunate in finally being financially sound as we purchase our first family home and pay off debt other than the mortgage, and our youngest child will be out of nursery soon.  

My quandary is whether to ask my current employer about taking a sabbatical year out and complete a MBA. The two main financial benefits will be that I will have a larger career safety net (I have 10+ years of experience as a senior manager)  and I am more likely, statistically, to have greater earnings over my career by having the MBA, so I could give more.  It also fits with my current responsibilities and will contribute well to my role.   

My question is are there any other negatives I am not considering in taking a sabbatical and completing the MBA?

PS, I have considered a EMBA where I would work and study, but at the moment we have a young family and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. 

Thanks in advance. 

Neill.