👇WATCH EPISODE 👇

Live Your Life Now: A Message on Loss, Perspective, and What Truly Matters

This isn’t the kind of post I usually write.

Most of the time, I’m talking about cashflow, passive income, becoming work optional, and breaking free from the financial systems that keep people stuck. And don’t get me wrong those things matter deeply to me. Financial freedom creates choices, and choices create better lives.

But sometimes life forces you to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

Just before Christmas, my father passed away. Many of you have heard me talk about him on the Money Ripples Podcast or read about him in The Work Optional Blueprint. His passing came quickly, and like most losses, it hit harder than I expected.

As I’ve reflected on his life and my own it’s given me a clarity that no spreadsheet, investment strategy, or business win ever could.

The Best Things in Life Aren’t Things

After my dad passed, I started going through his belongings. Papers. Photos. Old items that once mattered to him at different stages of his life.

And what stood out wasn’t the stuff.

It was the people.

The memories. The relationships. The moments that can never be replaced or recreated.

We spend so much of our lives chasing things money, success, recognition, security—believing that once we finally “arrive,” we’ll slow down and enjoy life. But the truth is, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. And if we’re always waiting for someday, we risk missing today entirely.

A Question I Want You to Sit With

Here’s the question I’ve been asking myself, and I want you to ask it too:

If this were your last Christmas, how would you treat it differently?

If this were your final New Year, what would actually matter?

Who would you spend time with?
What conversations would you finally have?
What would you stop postponing?

Most of us live on autopilot running the same routines, stressing over the same problems, telling ourselves we’ll slow down later. But later isn’t promised. All we really have is now.

This Is Why Financial Freedom Still Matters

You might be wondering why I’m talking about this on a platform built around money and wealth.

Here’s why – I don’t believe financial freedom is about getting rich. I’ve never believed that. I believe it’s about buying back your time so you can live intentionally while you still can.

My dad worked hard his entire life. Toward the end, his world became smaller. More limited. And it reinforced something I’ve said for years: waiting until retirement to live is a dangerous gamble.

Becoming work optional isn’t about escaping work—it’s about having the freedom to say yes to what matters and no to what doesn’t.

Live With Intention, Not Autopilot

This holiday season, I want to challenge you to do something different.

Don’t just go through the motions.
Don’t just show up because it’s expected.
Don’t just check boxes and rush through moments.

Slow down.

Be present with your loved ones. Put the phone away. Listen more. Say the things that matter. Do the things you’ve been postponing because “life is busy.”

Because life will always be busy unless you choose otherwise.

Gratitude for This Community

I also want to take a moment to say thank you.

Because of you, the Money Ripples community has grown beyond anything I imagined over 5,000 subscribers on YouTube, thousands more listening on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and many of you who’ve been with me for years, even decades.

I know I don’t hear from all of you personally. And that’s okay. What matters is that I know you’re here because you want more than just surviving, paying bills, and waiting for life to be over.

You want a meaningful life.
You want purpose.
You want to create ripples for the people around you.

That tells me everything I need to know about you.

We’ll Be Back But For Now, Be Present

We’re pausing new podcast episodes until the new year. Not because we’re going anywhere—but because sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop, reflect, and be present.

When we come back, we’ll continue talking about money, wealth, and financial independence. But none of it matters if we forget why we’re doing it in the first place.

So as we close out this year and step into the next, my message to you is simple:

Live your life now. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Today.

Spend time with the people you love.
Do what matters.
Create moments you won’t regret missing.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here and I’ll see you in the new year.

Chris Miles