The Sunk Cost of Life: Decisions, Legacy, and the Purpose of Our Existence

Imagine a young boy growing up with dreams of becoming powerful and wealthy. He starts his journey with all the energy and ambition of youth, making decisions, spending time, money, and effort on education, relationships, and career. He may choose to pursue a degree, perhaps in law, and invest years in mastering the subject. But what if, after some time, he feels a pull towards something else—say, entrepreneurship or art? His law degree suddenly feels like a sunk cost. What is a sunk cost? Simply put, it's an investment—be it money, time, or effort—that you can't recover. It’s already spent, and whether you continue down the path or not, it’s gone.

Life is full of sunk costs. The moment you decide to change your course after years of pursuing something, you face it. We see it in relationships that no longer work, careers that don’t satisfy us, and even in personal beliefs we hold on to simply because we’ve invested so much time. But the key lesson? Don't fall for it.

The Trap of Sunk Cost in Life Decisions

Let’s talk about this in simple terms. Imagine you’re halfway through building a house, and midway, you realize you don't like the neighborhood, the house design, or the construction process itself. Yet, because you've spent a fortune, you continue. You’re driven by the thought, “I’ve already invested so much.” But should you? The cost is already incurred, and forcing yourself to finish something just because you started it might prevent you from making the best decisions moving forward.

The law degree, the years in a job that isn’t fulfilling, or even time spent on relationships that are no longer healthy—all these are sunk costs. What we must realize is that the decision to walk away or shift paths isn’t a waste but a wise move toward using our limited time better. Life is finite. We all have an end date, and making smart choices is the only way to get the most out of this journey.

Legacy: What Do We Leave Behind?

One thing we often overlook is the legacy we leave behind. Those who are smart learn from the legacies of those before them. Look around—every person, every generation leaves a mark. The choices they made, the roads they took, and the paths they abandoned all contribute to what we learn from them. We are here for a reason.

But why are we here? Why did God create us? What is the purpose of our existence?

Think about it: the galaxy, the stars, and the universe itself are vast beyond our comprehension. They exist for reasons beyond our limited understanding, but perhaps it's all to remind us of something bigger—that we, too, have a purpose. And part of that purpose is learning to make the best choices, using the time and resources we have wisely, and understanding that everything has a cost. But not every cost should keep us chained to decisions that no longer serve us.

AI and the Future: Embrace, Don’t Resist

Now let’s talk about the modern era. We live in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Many are afraid, stuck in the mindset of the past, unknowingly falling for what I call the against-the-technology trap. Twenty years ago, people were learning how to optimize searches online, typing in queries for the best results—manually mastering SEO. Today, AI can do that for us, but many still resist it, clinging to old methods.

If we’re smart, we’ll use AI to our advantage. We’ll develop our minds to make the most of it, explore, learn, and ultimately leave behind a legacy that reflects not fear but wisdom. We weren’t created to resist change. We were created to grow, to question, to learn—and AI is a tool that can help us do that more effectively than ever before.

What Really Matters?

At the end of the day, all the money, power, and decisions we make are part of a temporary journey. We all die. The man with wealth, the person with knowledge, or the one who lived a simple life—they all face the same reality. But what remains after we’re gone is the impact we made, the lessons we left behind, and how we used the time we had.

Don’t be held back by the sunk cost of past decisions. Learn, explore, and evolve. We were created for more than merely accumulating wealth or knowledge—we were created to grow and leave something meaningful behind. And in this ever-changing world, the smartest thing we can do is embrace the tools we have, like AI, and use them for the purpose we were designed for: to learn, to grow, and to leave a legacy.... God bless us all!