My friend sent a link to a blog post today. She said it reminded her of some conversations we have had recently. The author is someone I haven’t read before. I took a minute to check out her site and quickly decided to follow her. Her name is Allison Vesterfelt and her blog is “Learning To Live With Less. ” You can find it on her website here.
The post my friend shared was called. “You’ll Never Have Enough Money for Your Dream.” I have been concerned about money and my financial future for about year now. It started when I quit my full time job with amazing benefits because…well, I was miserable. I won’t go into everything that happened that made me so unhappy at a job I had loved for more than 12 years. I prayed, I talked to friends and family as well as my therapist and I knew I had to leave. I decided the timing was right to pursue a lifelong dream of returning to college.
According to my well thought out plans, if I worked part time I would enough money to live comfortably until I was able to collect social security retirement the following year. Little did I know that my world was about to implode. My already shaky marriage ended. I moved in with family and cut expenses. Two major car repairs, several months of being ill, and a part time job that fell through at the last minute changed all the well laid plans I had in place. There is a saying, ” Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” (Yes, John Lennon did record a song with those lyrics but they came originally from Allen Sanders and were published in Readers’ Digest in 1957.)
I am still almost 4 months away from being able to collect my retirement and I basically out of money. I have started a part time job and I am grateful to be employed and back in the field that I enjoy. As of the end of last month, I am no longer able to afford the COBRA and keep my health insurance. I am living pay check to pay check and that is a place I swore I would never be again. Never say never.
The blog post made me stop and think about what is really important. It also reminded me that nothing is ever guaranteed to us. I have put off my dream of school for 40 years. If I wait until I have time and money, it will not happen. For the past few weeks, I have allowed fear to creep in. I have compared myself to others and felt that I fell short. It’s a place I visit far too often and I don’t want to stay there.
I hope you will take a moment and check out Allison’s website and blog. I am going to order her book, “Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage.” Well, I will as soon as I have enough money. For now, I will read her blog and see what I can learn.
So, what you don’t have “enough” money for your dream? Neither do I.
Let’s do it anyway.
– See more at: http://www.allisonvesterfelt.com/#sthash.fpcb8uk8.dpuf
So, what you don’t have “enough” money for your dream? Neither do I.
Let’s do it anyway.
– See more at: http://www.allisonvesterfelt.com/blog/enough-money-for-your-dream#sthash.gPMdJPal.dpuf
So, what you don’t have “enough” money for your dream? Neither do I.
Let’s do it anyway.
– See more at: http://www.allisonvesterfelt.com/blog/enough-money-for-your-dream#sthash.gPMdJPal.dpuf
Cathy's Voice Now 
Hi – stopping by from UBC and Facebook – first of all, {{HUGs!!}}
Secondly, I can relate to many of the issues you raised – I’ve lived some of them – and ironically (or not), I just felt like I was supposed to revise and re-post my series of blog posts from January on facing fears and moving forward. Perhaps that is a word for you!
You will be in my prayers – feel free to contact me if you would like – I might be able to give you some job leads. 😉
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Fear has been a constant companion in my life and I work at ending the relationship all the time! Thanks..
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thanks for sharing the link … interesting reading, both there, and here
learning to live with less, and figuring out how to survive on less than what you believe you need to get by … a lesson I’m learning all over again at the age of 54 … I never expected to be at this place again, and yet here I am … for now, for today, I’m still managing to get by … living like this, (as I’m sure you are already well aware), takes creativity, stamina, and a thread of hope that is strong enough to carry you through the scary parts … good luck on your own journey, and thanks again for the link.
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I have learned that living in this place takes all those things you named. I couldn’t do it without faith, family and friends.
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Hi Cathy, are you thinking of going back to school? Today on the radio in the UK there was a story about Coursera – free onlline courses from professors from prestigious universities around the world. Yes FREE courses from Johns Hopkins, Pennsylvania State, Brown, Stanford, Colombia, Yale, Duke. Maybe, that would be something good for you?
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I have read about that. I started college last January. The tuition is free if you are over 60 and work only part time. And they are classes for credit. I don’t believe the free online classes are for credit but they would be a great way to add to learning.
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I am so glad you are going to fight for your dream! I know you have been struggling for a while now, but you have not given up and that is such an inspiration to folks like me. Hang in there girl, the blessings are just around the bend!
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Thanks Tamara.
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