A couple of things come to mind...
Paying off my mortgage early! Woo hoo!
Completing settling my parents’ estate after they passed away. Because of snafus, it took three years!
What was yours @missy ? I quite am sure you’ll feel this way when RWgate is over.
Staying home with both newborns. Decided to live as simply as possible and take care of those wee babies. Stayed home for 14 years cuz youngest needed additional support. We aren’t in the best shape financially (I’ll always have to work), but those lads are positively lovely.
Joining a gym at 53 (after never having been in one!) to try to strengthen my osteoporotic bones, and my core (major back issues). Making some gains!
Having the strength to help Mum leave the world, after she helped me into the world.
Keeping my late partner's dog as my own after his sudden death.
I shall always remember how happy he was when I went to collect him, and from that moment on, I decided to keep him.
To this day, I believe the dog survived the accident and asked to stay alive to look after me by my late partner.
A picture of him taken by me on my late partner's canal boat on a fine and happy day.
I probably needed him more than he needed me at the time of my late partner's death, however I know I had made the right decision to keep him as he is such a good and happy dog!
DK
Well idk about huge relief - but I think doing premarital counseling and doing couples’ counseling periodically has been amazing for my marriage. Whenever we start feeling any strain we go back and learn to improve our communication and working together, and truly our partnership is SO much stronger for it.
Likewise personal therapy has been amazingly helpful at difficult times in my life.
Recently - talking to my friend who joined the cult about “hi did you notice you joined a cult? Here are all the reasons this looks like a cult to me and seems like a very unhealthy group to be involved in” as gently as possible utilizing the strategies cult researchers suggest to talk about that sort of thing. She did not particularly listen to me - but I felt relieved for having done it, because if she gets further in and worse stuff starts happening I would always feel guilty if I hadn’t talked to her and wondered if I could have prevented her getting further involved. In fact I learned more alarming details the day after I talked to her but I was still so much less stressed out since I had said my piece. For several weeks until I spoke to her it had been occupying about 90% of my mind and now it’s only occupying about 1%.
I'm not there yet but I'm sure I'll feel this way when I finish paying my student loans!
Going abroad during my studies.
First time REALLY on my own. New country, foreign language, no phone, no bank account, no friends no clue how things worked. After I set up all necessary stuff within a couple of days, I made great friends and had a blast for a year. It gave me the confidence that I'll always have the option to start over. It helped me realize that an outside perspective on anything (my own life, country, goals) is always helpful. Opened my mind in an accelerated fashion.
Plus I met my DH there . Can't beat that!! Led to the other best decision in my life: marrying my DH.
Not losing my mind three years ago when my company went through a restructure and my job changed. I took a back seat and decided to stay. I was promoted this year and given my dream job. So glad I took a deep breath and looked for the silver lining. It was a time when my mom was sick and the step back gave me more flexibility. My mom would call it a God moment. I lost my mom January of 2018. Those last couple of years I was free to fly across the country to see her. Had I changed companies I would likely have needed to take leave to be by her side as often as I was. I stayed where I had seniority and plenty of vacation time and I could also work remotely. Best decision ever to be patient and believe some things happen for a reason.
Dear Mary so glad you had the wisdom to take that step back when your mom was ill. And pleased you had that valuable time with her. I am so sorry for your loss.
Patience is indeed a virtue and so glad it paid off for you. Thrilled for you that you got the promotion you deserved and now have your dream job. You earned that and deserve it. (((Hugs))).
Yes you will! Chipping away at it a little bit at a time and before you know it you will be free!
you are all amazing
i don't think i have done anything as note worthy in my life
ive always wanted a career but ive only ever just had jobs that bearly paid the bills
Going from 39 and just divorced with numerous health issues to 40 and remarried with a miracle baby in my arms.
Miracle baby is now 18 and will start her university studies 2020 and while I still doubt my mothering capability she has turned out very well!
She is a gifted one and intends to make her mark in medical research and I believe she will.
Quitting a job I'd worked my entire professional career to achieve. It's still kind of fresh....Friday was my last day. I've always said I had the best job in the world because I had a job that loved me back. Not many people can say that. (I work in higher education and I've always felt I've made a significant difference in the lives of young people.) But in the last 2.5 years (coincidently the same exact amount of time I've had a new boss), I have absolutely hated my job. It's hard to work for a narcissist who is mentally abusive and throws you under the bus. A lot.
I'm detoxing from the stress and I've slept better in the past week than I have in ages. I start a new job on Monday at another university. I'm not a senior executive anymore. I get to work directly with students. I took a 50%+ pay cut and I couldn't be happier. I've been the senior executive at three universities so I've reached the top of my game and validated all the work I did to get my Ph.D. Now I can coast into retirement doing what I love and not having to deal with the politics and personalities. Never been more sure of a decision in my life!!