Here in the states, tomorrow we celebrate independence day. Ironically, we celebrate independence from one of our closets allies. Unexpected? Perhaps.
Most good things in life, especially on the financial front, come not from great expectations, but from becoming independent from our expectations.
Me...I was expected to die young, from a pulmonary problem. 25 would be old. I was expected to marry a minister, teach piano, and lead a quiet life in a small town. I was expected to be a good wife, a better mother, and an even better daughter.
At all the above, I've failed. Miserably. Beyond miserably, I'm afraid.
I overcame the medical problem when I was 16. Oops.
The other expectations didn't change. I taught piano from age 12, I modeled throughout my teens, I worked as a pianist, as a CNA, all bringing home money to support my family before I was 18. I went to a local college while taking care of my mom and her businesses. Not easy to find a minister to marry, so the family planned for me to attend Oral Roberts university.
Only that didn't happen. Mom had some problems, I continued at a California university, staying at home, working 3 jobs. Caring for Mom and her businesses, being the good daughter. Expected to move out after graduation, get some trivial degree while I found that minister, got married, and got making babies!
Ooops, failed to meet that expectation too. Instead, I fell in love with a laser jock, a rocket scientist headed to grad school, and we were engaged within a week.
FAILURE.
But wait...what I *didn't* expect...
[*]Happily married for 25 years
[*]Ph.D. in medical research
[*]Discovering the cure for a disease
[*]Helping develop the original MRI technology (NMRi)
[*]Becoming a professor
[*]Becoming a senior scientist in an IT company, destined to fail, but which grew to purchase several companies, and be purchased itself by a Fortune 500.
[*]Traveling around the world as an "internationally recognized expert", with my company being paid $4000 a day for my time.
[*]Being whisked and relocated across country, taking a low level technical position, supporting my husbands reassignment.
[*]Rising to become a female SVP in a Fortune 500 company.
[*]Growing from poverty to wealth in 5 years of hard work and focus...while DH and DS fought unexpected cancers.
[*]Being assaulted, and retiring at 40.
[*]leading a Board of Directors for a non-profit organization, that finally succeeded, supporting hundreds of abused children
By my "expectations", total failure.
By my family's "expectations", beyond total failure.
But by going with the flow, and accepting the unexpected as an expected part of life, taking advantage of opportunities as they were presented, and learning to define my success as it comes, I feel okay about myself 
Oh, yeah, and a few others seem to believe I'm a success too. Don't disillusion them!
Seriously, the greatest gift you can give yourself in reaching for financial independence, is to become independent of expectations. Go with the flow. You never know where it will take you.
Happy Independence Day!
financial musings on Independence Day
July 3rd, 2006 at 11:22 pm
6 Responses to “financial musings on Independence Day”
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July 4th, 2006 at 12:45 am 1151973921
July 4th, 2006 at 01:58 am 1151978330
July 4th, 2006 at 03:29 am 1151983793
I looked and Flash is nowhere in the verbiage for failure....nope...however...she can be found under the following:
Lead by example...
Help Others...
Never quit...
Mind over matter...
and finally...Make Lemonade
July 4th, 2006 at 04:29 pm 1152030599
July 5th, 2006 at 10:52 pm 1152139977
I am sending a copy to my inbox so it will be close at hand to lift me up when I feel like a disappointment !!!
July 6th, 2006 at 03:02 pm 1152198157