04-23-2010, 04:27 PM
I think the whole "financial reserves" thing is very relative. What seems like the bare bones at 45 is luxury for a 20 year old. If you don't have all that much to start with you also don't have much to lose, and much to gain in experience just by going outside of the box.
I once sold everything I owned that didn't fit in a backpack, and moved across the country to drastically change my lifestyle. I am so grateful that instead of trying to gather evidence of why I was going to fail, or shouldn't even try, my parents had enough faith in me that they gave me a one way ticket for Christmas and kissed me goodbye at the airport. I had virtually no "financial reserves" when I started, but I built a life for myself there that grew to encompass successfully raising 2 daughters in a happy marriage, owning a home outright before I turned 30, starting a business with less than $100 that I ran profitably for over 20 years, and getting an education that resulted in two degrees, BA and Masters. I am a stronger, wiser, and more confident person for having put it all on the line, and succeeding through hard work and perseverance. The best gift my parents ever gave me was the chance to fly or fall flat on my face.
We again liquidated everything (a much more complicated process this time)and came here over 4 years ago. Again, the best thing I could have ever done was putting it all on the line to drastically change my life. This was not an easy place to find a toe hold, but neither was Oregon in the depths of the early 80s recession/depression.
Carol
I once sold everything I owned that didn't fit in a backpack, and moved across the country to drastically change my lifestyle. I am so grateful that instead of trying to gather evidence of why I was going to fail, or shouldn't even try, my parents had enough faith in me that they gave me a one way ticket for Christmas and kissed me goodbye at the airport. I had virtually no "financial reserves" when I started, but I built a life for myself there that grew to encompass successfully raising 2 daughters in a happy marriage, owning a home outright before I turned 30, starting a business with less than $100 that I ran profitably for over 20 years, and getting an education that resulted in two degrees, BA and Masters. I am a stronger, wiser, and more confident person for having put it all on the line, and succeeding through hard work and perseverance. The best gift my parents ever gave me was the chance to fly or fall flat on my face.
We again liquidated everything (a much more complicated process this time)and came here over 4 years ago. Again, the best thing I could have ever done was putting it all on the line to drastically change my life. This was not an easy place to find a toe hold, but neither was Oregon in the depths of the early 80s recession/depression.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb