The death of his wife from cancer at the young age of thirty-seven had a profound, life-changing impact on Ron. A driven corporate executive, Ron decided he wanted to establish other priorities in his life and live more simply.

Ron quit his job to become a consultant who was paid on an hourly basis. That eliminated his seventy-hour workweeks and provided him with increased discretionary time. He sold his luxury car and traded down his house. Doing this reduced his monthly payments significantly, easing his financial obligations.

More interestingly, Ron applied the same attachment reduction to the emotional and spiritual areas his life. A highly opinionated, argumentative type, he reduced his need to dominate conversations. Ron started listening more and speaking less, and people began to like him more.