Being Free

Last Sunday, when we were driving out to the boat, the overwhelming feeling of being free came over me. Rolling along at 70 mph, my mind wandered to a thought: you know, I don't owe anybody any money, I have a boat I can live in, I have zero contractual obligations that can't be nullified with minimal money spend, and I have enough money that we could live without working for a long time. Talk about a sense of comfort and calm. The world got quiet, my thoughts expanded, the kids seemed happier, and a smile grew across my face. The thought put everything right in its right place. That feeling is only possible because we've adjusted our life to a style that consumes less than we create, and we've done so without the feeling of loss.