When observing the life and lifestyle choices of my older and successful friends, this is what I have learned: it seems that the beginning of their lives is all about accumulation. Accumulating wealth, accumulating stuff, accumulating homes, accumulating cars, accumulating watches and other totems of power.

But once they have reached the pinnacle of success, what do they do? They start to subtract. They sell their nice home, and prefer to live a more nomadic existence. Basically to simplify their stuff and equipment, selling off their race cars, and simplifying their car collection, and simplifying their watch collection. and ironically, the second chapter of their lives is about actually using their money and their wealth. What is the biggest flaw of Americans? We don’t know how to use our money, and we don’t know how to use our money wisely.