Hi all,
I’ve taken some time off from the course and I’ve just finished Week 3 and the Passion Profile bonus episode. I have read all the comments and feel really great that we are all in this together. I know that I don’t know anyone personally but it is amazing how one of my CDFs is connection and I’m getting a lot of it here. I don’t feel like it is “misery loves company” but more like “birds of a feather flock together” – we are all trying our best to self-improve and it ain’t easy.
I have taken the PP quiz 4 times over the last year. Once before the personal IED that exploded in my life, and three times since then. So in one year I came out with Thriver – 3, Side Hustler – 1. I really connected (haha no pun intended, re: CDF) the part in the bonus episode about missing lunch and having to eat at my desk. I have always hated that and in my last job there was probably one time every two months that I got to eat outside or with a co-worker instead of rush through lunch at my desk. The best part was that the school cafeteria is amazing and the food was free. I also recognized that I am the second type of Thriver, the one without a discernible passion who just likes to live life to the fullest. I was getting scared that I needed a passion to occupy my time outside of work, since work is definitely not my passion, so it was reassuring to hear that I am okay without that. The parts of side-hustler (which I think I am like 15%) that resonated with me are the focus on learning and newness, difficulty maintaining balance, and analysis paralysis. I combine that with my enneagram type 8 which is really a soul child 2, but I thought I was more like a type 5 in this area. The soul child of type 5 is 8 so maybe I really am a somewhat developed 8 with 5 parts and 2 parts? I digress….
The money exercises were interesting but this past year has been so strange financially that I can’t really count on it as a reflection of what I am truly like. I’ve spent more on myself this past year than I have in the previous 8 years combined and it felt good, but a little like controlled recklessness. March 14 marks one year to the day that my (now ex-) husband returned and completely upended my life. I’ve got a foothold again emotionally, spiritually and financially so I am sure I’ll get back to my old patterns of behavior for the most part. One thing that will continue on is the money I spend on going out at night, to sporting events, traveling, fitness classes, theater, and travel. Now that I on’t have my kids for 5 day stretches I occupy my time with friends and dates and travel in a way I just never did before. So that is here to stay 🙂 My money story is unique as I am sure all of ours is, but it isn’t anything that I’ll share here since I don’t believe there are too many issues with it. I will say that the exercises have proven to confirm what I already suspected, but they were worthwhile and I am glad I did them.
I really liked the question of what does wealth/richness/abundance mean to me, and I’ve shared my answers below. + means I am meeting that part of the definition, 1/2 means I am sort-of meeting it, and – means I am not meeting it at all.
1. I can do what I want without worrying +
2. I am getting paid to do work I like –
3. Having my health +
4. Making sure the kids can do the activities they want 1/2
5. Being able to give my kids the experiences I want 1/2
6. Knowing what is happening with the money I do have, being smart again and not ignorant 1/2
7. Saving for retirement –
8. Having gratitude for what we *do* have +
March 14 is on Saturday so let the final weekend of extravagance begin (on Thursday night, when the kids are with their dad!)
As always, thank you for reading 🙂