I think it’s more about finding what activities you enjoy, rather than working for a charity. After all, you can always donate time and money outside your work if you really want to help. And a great deal of charity work is administrative and bureaucratic, as you’d expect in any organisation.

I often dream about living an even simpler life, but I’m also REALLY REALLY glad that I’ve gotten a head start on financial security. (I’m in my mid 30′s now.)

I also think that as you get older, it becomes harder to live and work as hard as you did when you were in your teens and 20′s. I spent years going to school full time and working full time. I worked 80+ hours/week during summer break. I find it difficult to envision doing that now with 2 kids and a 75 year old mom to care for.

Like anything, it’s a balance. One of my Uni professors was an incredibly interesting guy. He was in his 50′s, still single and spent 25 years travelling the world. He would work a job, save for 2 years, then travel for 2 years. He had such wonderful memories, but he was stressed about having no money for retirement and yearned for a family of his own.

For me, it’s somewhere in between. Work a day job that you don’t hate, save money for the future, but still leave some for today to experience life.

We need courage no matter what we choose to do in life. Which is why God doesn’t give up polishing for any of us. Even if we don’t see, he doesn’t stop. It’s there if we need it.

It can be so, so hard to let go of all those notions and “values” you’ve been taught since you were a young child, so difficult to fashion your own beliefs and ideas about true success. But, on the other hand, it’s completely worth it.

Mr Chiots and I own a business and we work long long hours. We make a good wage and we choose to spend this on meaningful things. We buy all local food, support local food systems and invest in local and overseas charities. I also work for a non-profit and I find satisfaction in my work in this area.

We often get snide and negative comments from people we know. Most people that react negatively are doing so because your choices make them feel bad about their choices. They feel threatened by what we choose to do.