Family, Friends, and Fun
I am so filled with gratitude for the time spent with Family, Friends and Fun. As I gracefully entered this new decade of life, I was reminded about all the people in my life that bring me joy and laughter. When my husband asked if I wanted to go somewhere tropical and get away for this milestone Birthday…I told him that my heart is filled when I’m around people I love and care about. We decided to have a big 80’s Style Party instead, and then go for a week’s adventure in our van.
Entertaining Makes Me Happy
When my mother was alive she could entertain like nobody else! She had such a flare for color, details, and always found a way to make guests feel welcome and comfortable in her home. I guess that was one characteristic I inherited from her because there is just something fun about having a huge house filled with people who get to enjoy the “Nelson Bed and Breakfast” experience. We had 12 people spend the weekend at our house and utilized all spaces including our airstream van in order to accommodate them all.
Even though the chaos can get a bit overwhelming, I’ve learned to just breathe and let the mess go, in exchange for the creation of memories and the joy that we all experienced. There was a time when my perfectionism would have got the best of me…and I would have been so particular about all that needed to be perfect. But this time, I catered out most of the party so we could just sit in our PJs around a fire pit enjoying coffee, good food, and conversation.
Wisdom, Security, and Enough
There’s a lot my 50-year-old self would love to tell my younger self. 5 decades of wisdom along with great mentors and a lot of mistakes has taught me that defining “What is enough” is something we all should do. Sure, like most people, I have many “Wants” on my bucket list, yet I’m learning that in order to feel my best physically, while balancing financial security, I need to stop and reflect on “What is my Enough?”
While traveling on vacation this week, my husband and I were listening to Suze Orman’s book The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+, because I’m now old enough to join AARP! Now Suze has a lot of stellar advice…much of which makes a lot of sense to me. Yet we laughed at all the recommendations and suggestions of how to Not help our adult children, from someone who has never known the love, responsibility, or the desire as a parent to launch kids into adulthood with a chance of success.
I’m not a perfect parent…and we’ve made some financial sacrifices for our kids in order to pay for college, etc., that Suze would cringe at, but I don’t regret setting them up with reasonable support to better their future. I wouldn’t be where I am today had my parents not helped pay for my undergraduate education. We chose to leave all 3 kids debt free from their undergraduate degrees and let them finance anything beyond that.
While Suze is a wealthy woman, with I’m sure a fantastic bank account…I can’t help but feel that I’d rather have my enough and the love and joy of providing experiences and opportunities to those I love, rather than a huge pile of money we never touched.
So What’s Your Enough?
My business coach Rebecca does a spectacular job at making me look at my monthly and yearly goals and ensure that they match up to what I define as “my enough.” As a business owner with the potential for many growth opportunities, I find myself constantly having to ask myself whether “a decision” is in alignment with my values of “What is Enough?”
It’s a constant practice for me, but it is really something that helps me to live into my Value of Freedom, which encompasses both financial security to live well and retire, and the flexibility to take time off to play hard with the money I work hard for.
So I’ll leave you with this daunting question for you to ponder yourself! What is your enough? Spend some time really pondering this, and let your own values help guide you along your path for defining “What is Enough?”
