Reply #115: DOn't sweat it you'll be fine... [View All]

[LeftHander]

My wife and I made less than 17K/year household income with a baby (in our 30's then) in the house and we survived and went on to make 150k per year for a few years until Dubya killed the economy. TO this day we live light. But extremely rich and rather joyus lives. Sure we get down and we rail against the injustices in the world but we work to bring joy others with her art and my music. And spending time with friends laughing and in service to our UU church we attend. And most of all in conversation with our daughter next to the wood stove after a good meal.

While we were "poor" we had a hand me down tv, no cable. A 50 year old fridge recovered from a old apartment that was destined to be junked. A stove from a coworker that we bought for $20. And a house we bought for 19,000 on a land contract from a person who let the taxes slip.

Sure it was hard. But we found that friends and neighbors stick together, help each other. All you have to to is extend a hand to help each other and talk to one another.

Corporations will ultimately do nothing for you. They don't care about you.

Keep you expectation set so you remember the important things in life....friends, family and helping others.

The trinkets, material wealth and trappings of our modern consumer society are hollow and empty and will offer no lasting source of fullfillment.

Love is what matters. Modest living facilitates happiness as much of your anxiety comes from not having the ability to pay for the "things" we seem to feel are neccesary. They aren't. All you really need is food, shelter, water and love. The rest is just a bonus.

peace to you....

I know you will find what really matters in life and you will be happy.