How
I Retired at 45 With No Capital
It
was simple. I was considering my situation carefully. I had tried
several careers with no feeling I was even close to enjoying my work.
Once again I was penniless and out of work. I wondered whether I was
just so out of whack that there was no hope for my success as a
person. Mostly, I thought of that, success, as being a respected
member of some group that had it together enough to feel proud of
themselves for what they did that brought sufficient wealth for an
enjoyable way of life, materially speaking. Honestly, I did not wish
for a lot of wealth, just enough. And it was definitely more
important to me to like myself when I looked in the mirror than what
car was parked in my drive. Still, I was not drawn to a life of doing
without expensive things. That's about as clear as I was thinking at
44. And narrow was my focus. Now, looking back, I admit it, I was
stupid. And for sure my vision for some glorious victory was chained
down and heavily guarded by what I thought other people thought of
me. You can probably feel how little respect I had for my existence
as only me without some tribe to give me the formula. Yet, when that
did come, as I will reveal, it was irony, complete irony and I
laughed out loud, then gave a holler for joy! The tribe was a bunch
of total losers, like me, with the wisdom to understand my needs, and
the formula, if you call it that, was, hey, be true to you. There
were no dues or fees.
My
trusted advisers implored me to run a private, very personal
experiment and if I did not find what I was looking for they would
refund my misery and I could go on my way. What did I have to lose?
What, indeed!
Am
I religious?
Life is my God.
Love is my God.
Life's love comes on
a breath of wind several times every minute of my existence.
I appreciate that
when I am aware. Life is in the wind I draw inside of me. To
appreciate a breath is the truest, most intimate, sacred expression
of the love of one's God. I appreciate my children, I do, and yet
when I remember that there is something that allows me to appreciate
anything at all I cannot go wrong. To remember my Lord in all things
bolsters me up to bear beams of love from that Giver.
Am I religious?
I
hope I have not frightened you away with language that might imply I
am in some organized religious group. I am not. Am I Religious?
If
it is a simple matter of appreciation for unconditional
love meant
for me alone which love
nobody can find to
destroy or steal I am.
Since
my decision at 45 to run that experiment I have always had work that
is gratifying.
Enough
and more has been mine by simply getting serious long enough to
discover my nature, what makes me tick, and live it. To live, I
discovered, absolutely requires a person to be present for life. Now.
Keenly aware. And there is no better feeling.
I
shall stop here. I want to give enough without meddling in your
affairs. It is your life you are living, not mine. Do not believe
what I have written above. Find out for yourself or else there is
nothing at all to be gained from my small effort.
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