What is the secret to a good life? Just when I think I'm ahead, something comes along and hits me two steps back. Life .... isn't easy. 馃槄馃馃槀馃槩馃槳馃檪馃槶 #fml
I've been privileged throughout my life. Just by being born where I was in the world gave me free good education, free good health care etc
I was however for years dissatisfied and felt ingratitude.
Then I learnt acceptance is the best way to happiness and to look for gratitude where I can every day. I'm not in Ukraine under attack, on the sea in a dinghy trying to get to a better life, I have food, somewhere to live and people who love me. What else could I need? I used to then tell you this, that, the other etc. But really I don't need them at all to be happy.
I鈥檝e always had it easy. I鈥檝e never gone without basic necessities and have always lived in a place where, if I tried hard enough, I could find a way to improve myself and my circumstances. I don鈥檛 think life is ever easy in the context of not requiring effort, but compared to so many places where the struggle to simply survive in the most basic terms squeezes out the hope of anything more, I have to feel the ease of my life.
I think the big change came for me when I was able (fortunate enough) to pay off the vast majority of my debt. IE: it was extremely stressful to have to service ($$) debt every month and once I added up how much interest I was paying every month to maintain a lifestyle I had become accustomed to ..... I knew I had to get rid of those interest payments. So I started throwing a lot more money at my debt every month .... worked a lot of overtime, refinanced the house at a much lower interest rate and took out a bunch of equity cash to pay off as much other debt as possible, then raided my retirement account to kill of the rest of accounts and cards with higher interest rates.
After all that I only owed on the house and I made a vow to myself to never pay any other interest.
It has worked so far (>10 years) and my life is much easier knowing that I don't have all that debt hanging over my head every month.
appreciate what you have and dont compare yourself to other people. look at the bright side and try your best to stay optimistic. stay curious, be creative if you are so inclined and dont give up so easily on things
No of course I do not have it easy in life..[/c][/b] [c=4C0073][b]some days are harder than others..I think Thursday might not be great though! 馃槱馃し馃徏鈥嶁檧锔廩/b][/c]
hmm I dont know about easy. I grew up very poor and when moved to another country I seen my parents work their asses off to better things for me and my siblings. I think that is the greatest thing i took from my parents and that is working hard and not expecting handouts. If you want a good life, you work for it. I work 2 jobs and have my own small growing business and out of that i have a very comfortable life now and have much comfort in knowing i am providing for my child and hopefully he will take what i did from my parents and pass that down to his children when the time comes
Compared to where I started out with no indoor plumbing and no electricity? You betcha. Recently buried my second partner, living alone, and have stage four prostate cancer, but have my own and a steady retirement income so compared to those living homeless in the streets? You betcha. Getting there? Not always fun, and many a twist and turn. But it is the journey, not the destination. Enjoy it even when the ride becomes bumpy due to air turbulence.
I have a roof over my head, people who love me, plenty of food, no need to collect water from a well in the heat everyday, not in a war zone, beautifully natural surroundings, better health care than many in the world and an income that meets my needs. Sometimes I have stresses, but I cope with help from others. I probably do have it easy.