Difficult situations

I didn’t expect this.

For 30 years, my life had structure — goals, promotions, deadlines, problems to solve, and a ladder to climb. Even when it was stressful, it was familiar. I knew who I was in that world. Then I stepped away.

Financially, we’re okay. We’ve been frugal. We’ve diversified. Even with market downturns, I’m not lying awake worried about money. And yet… I’m lying awake. At 5:00 a.m., grinding my teeth for the first time in ten years, my body burning like a furnace (thank you, perimenopause), covers on, covers off, sometimes moving to the leather couch just to cool down. ...  read more

It’s been two weeks since I officially said farewell to full-time work. You would think I’d be living the dream right now — waking up whenever I want, traveling the world, feeling nothing but freedom. After all, I worked 28 years for this. And yet, reality looks a little different.

The weirdest part? I’m actually having trouble sleeping.  I use to sleep soundly for at least 7-8 hours.  Now I find myself waking up at 5 or 6 am, thinking.  It’s like my brain is floating around, searching for a new anchor now that the old one — work — is gone.  Yes, financial freedom means I can have vocational freedom now – work with who I want, how I want, and on what I want.    But what is that?    I have some ideas but nothing concrete.  Freedom sounds amazing in theory, but in practice? It’s a lot. ...  read more