Transcript

I'm doing this (interview) at the age of 38 so I'm hoping I'm going to know you for another 10 more years and you'll ask me again.

If you asked me five years ago, it would have been about money and finding a partner who values me and respects me and health and the reason why it was money was because I was wanted to stay by the M25 eventually where I grew up and buy a house. I saw the property Market going up month by month and it was important to me where I live so I'm around my social support and networks. Five Years on I've got my house, I've met my wife and we've got two kids and the third one on the way and now I look at my children. I think I really want to be around to see them smile for as long as possible so I'm looking at my financial commitments and looking at how can I maximize my income with limited stress. It has limited impact on my health and I can maintain my well-being and a successful marriage which results in me being happy.

So that's where I'm at right now. Maybe in 10 years’ time, it'll be a different stance and when I say well-being it does impact on finance as well because if you're not well and you're stressed and things at home aren't good… the average marriage length in the UK is three years now somebody told me the other day. You know I could be in a divorce and then my kids can be living you know in one place and not be living in another place and I'll have to start again and scrape to buy a house again because I'd have to move out so financially it's important but it's that balance between stress and not impacting on things in the home and being happy.

I think being valued as well and being able to sleep at night is becoming more and more important. Previously I'd be up working all night or looking for more income. Time spent with my family is very important to me as well and values shared with people. I think the world is a very difficult place and a lot of people aren't honest and it's quite hard to find those genuine people and when you do find those genuine people to keep hold of them and keep them in your life and build on those relationships. Most people you meet these days have agendas and from my experience I've just been unfortunate.

It's a really deep question which has triggered a lot of reflective points.