“Dear Steve,
I feel as if I’m drowning in debt. My partner and I have reasonable jobs but we have taken loans to pay for three funerals, live in rented accommodation, have about £16k of debt and live beyond our means. I look at our monthly budget and despair. I’m getting overwhelmed and every conversation turns into a row.
I used to live in France on a farm with next to nothing and I was so happy. How can I get debt free and create a simpler life with my partner who will never move away?
How can I manage the chaos into debt free, simple living and be more at Peace with my world?
Saskia”
Dear Saskia,
I understand your quest and while the solution is not easy, there is one.
You once experienced the joy of serenity with simplicity. There is no substitute for that.
Financial peace can be obtained by allowing your income to grow to create the life you want to live and then hope to be able to sustain that, or change the path of your life to fit the goals and dreams you have for it under less income. More does not equal better.
It seems the crossroads you are at is the nearly opposing forces of the pull of simpler times and the pull of your partner in England who refuses to move. The tough answer is you may be forced to make a decision that is best for you moving forward.
The only way to dig yourself out of this hole is going to be to apply labor, to earn income, to repay your obligations. That’s pretty simple stuff. The tough part of remaining where you are is that the burden of the labor and stress of your environment is weighing on you and adding to the overall dissatisfaction you are experiencing.
So let me ask, which is less palatable for you:
- Staying in your current situation and continuing your life as it is with your partner as you continue to struggle.
- Or, to pursue your dream of a simpler life even if it meant walking away from your partner?
Please post your answers in the comments section below.
Now there are things that you might be able to do to find some peace with your situation, such as practicing gratitude for all the good things in your life and being grateful for the benefits of a good relationship and a loving partner. But those efforts will never result in the peace that you seek as long as your authentic self longs for a different path in life.
If you’d like to explore those issues further, download my free ebook The Path to Happiness and Wealth.
You are not alone. I'm here to help. There is no need to suffer in silence. We can get through this. Tomorrow can be better than today. Don't give up.
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