For many of us, our loved ones are the reason we wake up each day, work hard, and make sacrifices—to give them the best life possible. Throughout my career, I chased financial success to make my family proud and repay the wonderful life they had given me. But when I encountered Providend and their message to the world about how to live a good life, I questioned for the first time whether I was pursuing the right dream—one that truly aligned with what matters most to me.
I was fortunate to be a beneficiary of the Merdeka generation—a generation of young parents, like mine, who started their careers with meagre salaries of just a few hundred dollars. They scrimped and saved every cent to buy their first home, afford a car so they could chauffeur us around, and provide their children with the best education through tuition and enrichment classes. All of this to, as my parents often said, “Next time, you don’t have to work so hard and suffer like Papa and Mummy.” Their sacrifices shaped not just my childhood, but my entire approach to success and happiness—until recently.
Like many, I once measured success through future milestones: career progression, higher income, and the ability to provide a life of luxury for my loved ones. “Where do you see yourself in the next three to five years?”, “What is your desired income in the next five to 10 years?”, “How would you want to lead your perfect life?” When it comes to goal setting and figuring out what I want to do with my life today, these are the very common and important questions that come to mind. Answers to these questions can help many stay excited and motivated, as they look forward to what will come one day. It also helps justify some of the sacrifices that “must” happen today.
For me, envisioning a wealthy life where my loved ones could live a life of abundance and extravagance started becoming a dream for me probably around my late teens. It motivated me to choose careers that could give me the highest income, regardless of the sacrifices I had to make. Late nights, high stress, neglecting my health and relationships all seemed like small sacrifices compared to a future where we could finally live in “comfort and happiness” one day.
2024 became a turning point for both my fiancée and me. It was a difficult period in our careers. I felt stagnant and unable to grow in my field as I had hoped. She, on the other hand, was grappling with workplace exhaustion that drained her spirit daily. Our search led to many paths, but our hearts led us eventually to two discoveries: I found Providend, and she discovered her interest in becoming a pre-school teacher. The catch? Both paths required significant pay cuts—a prospect that terrified us at first.
Now in our thirties, we are in a world where we see our circle of friends and families progress in their lives. Getting promoted, upgrading houses, starting families. How could we ever make this move to start from ground zero again? And of course, there is also the fear of disappointing our parents, which we both particularly cared about. Especially for me, as they were the reasons why I worked hard throughout my career.
Fortunately, it was also this time last year that I would spend hours and days listening and reading the countless podcasts and articles dished out by Providend. It was the famous line “Making Life Decisions Before Financial Decisions” that I can very happily say, turned both of our lives around. For the first time, with limited resources, I had to ask myself, what is the life I want to live today? What are some things I can or want to do today that make me feel that life is worth living?
Very quickly, I discovered everything that meant the most to me was already within reach. The true measures of a rich life weren’t the distant dreams of luxury and abundance, but the delicious weekly family meals where we enjoy the company of each other, the quiet date nights with my fiancée where we chat the nights away and discover life together, the simple vacations with my family that I longed for as a child, and my passion for Brazilian Jiujitsu that I had been pushed aside for ‘more important things.’ These weren’t just activities—they were the essence of a life well-lived.
Reprioritising what truly mattered shifted our perspective on life. This didn’t just give us the courage to pursue our passions—it opened our eyes to the abundance that had always been within our reach. We discovered that what we could afford, and access today, was enough to live each day with purpose, contentment, and excitement. Now, while we still look forward to our future, we also find great joy in the present moments—the simple daily pleasures we once overlooked in our pursuit for ‘more.’
I’ve come to deeply appreciate Providend’s wisdom about what constitutes a good life, beautifully captured in Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro’s book ‘Repacking Your Bags’: living in the place you belong, with people you love, doing the right work, on purpose. This isn’t just a philosophy—it’s a roadmap to contentment that I’m grateful to have discovered.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that taking a step back to reprioritise what truly matters can be life changing. It doesn’t mean giving up on ambitions or success but rather defining it on your own terms. If you’ve ever felt caught in the endless chase for ‘more,’ perhaps it’s worth asking yourself: What if everything you truly need for a meaningful life is already within reach? You might just be surprised by what you discover.
At Providend, while we aim to provide our clients with honest, independent, and competent financial advice, it is our purpose that guides us to serve our families of clients in fulfilling their dreams and achieving their life purpose. True success isn’t just about accumulating wealth—it’s about living a life that is rich in meaning, joy, and the things that truly matter. We take pride in helping our clients discover their own versions of a good life, and are privileged to be part of this very special journey with them.
This is an original article written by Jaren Thun, Associate Adviser at Providend, the first fee-only wealth advisory firm in Southeast Asia and a leading wealth advisory firm in Asia.
If you are interested in joining our Providend Associate Adviser Programme, kindly visit this link to find out more: https://providend.com/careers
For more related resources, check out:
1. To Live the Good Life, Make Life Decision First Before Wealth Decisions
2. I’m in My 30s—Here’s the Advice I Wish I Knew in My 20s
3. Living a Life of Purpose With Loo Cheng Chuan, Founder of 1M65
To receive first-hand wealth insights from our team of experts, we invite you to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Through deep conversations with our advisers, you will gain clarity on what matters most in life and what needs to be done to live a good life, both financially and non-financially. Learn more about our investment philosophy here.
We do not charge a fee at the first consultation meeting. If you would like an honest second opinion on your current investment portfolio, financial and/or retirement plan, make an appointment with us today.
