“You can have anything you want in life, , you just can’t have everything.” – Ray Dalio

I once heard an analogy of life that has stuck with me for many years. The speaker talked about our life as a triangle.

The bottom of the triangle represents our life at the beginning. Our choices are unlimited. As the years progress and we move up the triangle to the pinnacle our choices narrow. One day as we approach the end of life, many things have been discarded. When we reach this point, what is that one thing we hold so dear? I think it will be relationships. I have sat with several people at the end of their lives. They do not want money, cars or a vacation to Europe. The thing they want most is the people they love and the one’s that have meant the most to them. We should not wait until the end of life to realize the most important things in life are at arm’s length in many cases. Value your relationships with friends and family. In the end, they will be there when you reach the pinnacle.