I think it is safe to say that I have reached an age and stage in my life where my priorities are completely shifting! (Oh dear, I think this means I am old! Haha) We all spend good portions of our lives in a “conditioned state of mind” – between the education system and the working world there really isn’t much time for the exploration of anything else. We are taught to conform during our school years and then we enter the working world and exercise a whole lot more of that. As adults, we sacrifice massive portions of our lives all in aid of, well… MONEY! How bloody SAD is that!!

If I look at my own “life-style” – I consider myself very blessed! I was a business owner for seventeen years, so “answering to a boss” was a concept almost foreign to me. I had complete freedom and flexibility time wise - which allowed me to come and go as I pleased, therefore being able to partake in my sons life the way a mother should and it also afforded me social opportunities that many others do not have… but all of this too, came at a cost - with enormous amounts of stress (as any business owner would know) as well as the fact that even though you are “available” – you are ALWAYS working! – ALWAYS!!!

_SOURCE

I was not able to walk out of work and leave it behind - completely donating myself to my son and family. My laptop was always open and we juggled it most days with a bit of work and then a bit of play… and then once he went to bed, I would continue to work. I will say this… despite the fact that I was exceptionally financially stressed on most days of any given month – I was still in a much more fortunate financial situation than many others, but it came with about ten truckloads worth of stress… and stress depletes the quality of life. True story - and the older I get, the more I question its worth. I would often look at those with FAR simpler lives. No, they did not have as much as some, materialistically - but they had SO MUCH MORE in terms of quality and were therefore a lot happier.

Happiness should be our wealth, not money - and I cannot help but beg the question… I know money is necessary – but is it all really worth it at the end of the day?

_SOURCE

As most of you know, I made the decision to walk away from all of that “stress” at the beginning of 2018 when I hopped onto Steemit full time, and as Murphy would have it… it proved to be the most financially challenging year I have ever had compliments of the markets – but you know what?! I would not change it for the world!!!! It was the most STRESS FREE year I have had in almost 20 years! I have been able to wake up without having anxiety attacks or going to sleep wishing I could just slip into a coma! I have had TRUE freedom and now know what I had been sacrificing all of those years and I will NEVER do that again! Not for any amount of money! If we do not live a life that makes us happy, then our life serves absolutely NO purpose to us whatsoever…