Living a good enough life: being more comfortable with achievements

[Catrin]

I certainly never planned on being where I am at 51, I will likely be one of those who are not able to retire...but that isn't a bad thing. I spent much of the first half of my adult life "off the grid", and then wound up in college and then graduate school in my late 30s and early 40's. Student loans became the bane of my existence and still are

My debt level is far higher than I would like at this stage of life, but it is what it is. I've a job I like that serves a basic need for everyone in the community, an apartment I love, and plenty of time to ride my bike(s) and some good friends. We don't get bonuses or cost of living raises, but I don't complain for there are many who have much less to live on than I do. In this economy I am not about to move to the private sector...though I might rethink that in a few more years. I've never been good at financial matters, but when I die that won't matter. I do wish that I had been taught how to manage money as a child though, it would have likely prevented some pretty big mistakes as an adult. At least I can stop from adding more debt and work on what I can. Certainly no more bike debt

So I keep putting one foot in front of the other and focus on today rather than what happened 10 or 20 or 30 years ago. I can't do anything about choices made then, only on the challenges that are given to me today - and hopefully never forget again to pay attention to the roses and zinnias around me. My bikes help a great deal with that!

I wish I could live outside of the county though, that would allow me to seriously cut my cost of living... I would seriously love to return to living off the grid, but I have to get out of debt to do that.