Figuring out how to enjoy life

[*zap*]

being in the woods and fields will rejuvenate your soul, go with no agenda but to be there for a while, bring a book and a dog.

 

[InteriorAKPopsicle]

One of the reasons I love (and hate) backpack hunting. I can leave the truck for days at a time with all I need to survive and thrive in the wilderness, have a great f****** time, challenge my body and my mind, thank the good Lord for my blessings, and then I drive home to a house full of worthless sh*t that I probably would prefer if it were just gone.

I'm going to start selling stuff. I have.
I'm mostly down to Knives, Books and Hunting gear. But I know that I'm collecting alot more gear than I need. I want to figure out what I'm going to pass to my kids and start getting rid of the rest of it.

 

[49ereric]

being in the woods and fields will rejuvenate your soul, go with no agenda but to be there for a while, bring a book and a dog.

^^^^

 

[akcabin]

One of the reasons I love (and hate) backpack hunting. I can leave the truck for days at a time with all I need to survive and thrive in the wilderness, have a great f****** time, challenge my body and my mind, thank the good Lord for my blessings, and then I drive home to a house full of worthless sh*t that I probably would prefer if it were just gone.

I'm kinda fortunate in that our 2 kids and their families are our neighbors. And as homeschooling parents and now homeschooling grandparents. My kids n grandkids will have all tools and toys that will ever need. For me. I still buy used tools n such at garage sales so someone can use them some day. So for me it's real nice to know that my grandkids will grow up and hopefully get into learning how to fix their own cars or hunting cabin.

 

[KBUM440]

I was working a job that was 50-60 hours a week that didn’t pay what it should and a friend told me “they’re are a lot easier ways to make money!” Shortly later I left and got a new job with a lot less stress and a few years later making more money and spending much more time with the family! Spending time with family is so underrated these days. I know someone that take all the overtime they can and their kids barley know them! When he comes home they just leave him alone because he is so tired. Mine run to the door when I come home and love all they time we spend together! Stop working your life away.

 

[tann435]

I worked construction and the oil patch as a equipment mechanic. Most of my career was spent doing 60-84 hr weeks. We maxed out the wife's state retirement plans and lived off my income. Now we're both retired and can do whatever we want within reason. But even working as much as I did I very seldom missed moose season unless I was on the slope or overseas, got to have priorities.

Just retired from Army and looking for another career that affords more time hunting and the ability to raise a family. Any advice on slop opportunities for a 40 Y/O?

 

[tann435]

Climbing the corporate ladder and work/life balance do not have to be mutually exclusive. Just don't work for shitty companies. I work hard, but never miss a thing with my family and hunt more than

What is your profession? Humble question*

 

[j_volt]

@tann435 I am an ex-public accountant/CPA now working in private industry in Accounting & Finance.

 

[tann435]

Don’t get caught up in climbing the corporate ladder.

That’s where i messed up. I wanted to advance. More money, more power.

That was stupid. I work too much and have lost free time to do the things I love. I’m seriously considering stepping down and going back to working in the trenches. I’ll take a pay cut. But if I go by the hours that I work, it’s probably not a pay cut at all.

Amen, i learned this in the Army

Climbing the corporate ladder and work/life balance do not have to be mutually exclusive. Just don't work for shitty companies. I work hard, but never miss a thing with my family and hunt more than most.

@tann435 I am an ex-public accountant/CPA now working in private industry in Accounting & Finance.

Great profession choice, Thank you for sharing.

 

[Yoder]

How much joy and happiness do you get from buying something? How about from helping someone?

 

[j_volt]

How much joy and happiness do you get from buying something? How about from helping someone?

Have you ever bought a new rifle?

 

[cjdewese]

I think the two biggest lessons I have learned are 1: life is just easier when you make more than you spend and 2: You can either make more $ or spend less to achieve the same level of happiness.

Find things that bring you joy and do whatever you need to make it happen as much as possible.

We all have life responsibilities it's just finding a good balance between what you do to make your $ and how you prioritize the time outside of that for yourself and what you love. I personally prioritize family time as much as I can when I am not earning $.

 

[Don Fischer]

Way to many folks chase the almighty dollar way to hard. Got a buddy that is a bit overweight. He almost died from covid at the beginning. I have tried to get him to just walk but he needs to work and make $....meanwhile he has between 1.5-2 mil in assets. Won't join t a gym or buy healthier foods because he cannot afford it.
Now he has covid again and is very worried...

That basic same scenario will repeat millions of times especially if they are older. No fitness or physical ability but lots of $ and material things...

May not be the exact same thing your talking about but it is so illogical to me....part of it is that so many folks are not willing to suffer even the slightest...except if they will get $.

Anyway, I would suggest working to need less instead of gather $ to buy more..

rant over.

Sounds like my stepdad. In his youth he was a lifeguard and seen photo of him back then, he was fit. But he went to making money and seemed nothing else mattered. His ting for taking time off and doing something was to go to Las Vegas gambling. In his late 50's when he died and really bad physical shape. :-(

 

[Don Fischer]

I think the two biggest lessons I have learned are 1: life is just easier when you make more than you spend and 2: You can either make more $ or spend less to achieve the same level of happiness.

Find things that bring you joy and do whatever you need to make it happen as much as possible.

We all have life responsibilities it's just finding a good balance between what you do to make your $ and how you prioritize the time outside of that for yourself and what you love. I personally prioritize family time as much as I can when I am not earning $.

I made pretty good money in my working life but made it driving road trucks. For the most part I was lucky to get home a day or two every few months. I can't imagine a worse life anymore. On the up side, I don't get a great S.S. check but alone anymore and have learned to live on it. Actually, far less than when I drove for a living and now do more fishing than in those days and even time to go hunting more!

 

[bozeman]

Too many people wandering around with no purpose.....the good Lord created me to serve, that's my purpose. Serve my wife, my kids, my family, my co-workers, my church.........finding purpose makes ALL the difference in whatever you do.......I hope yall find the peace and enjoyment only Christ can bring. John 10:10.

 

[northernmadman]

I work lots, long hours and the pay is good. I really like my job and LOVE the locations they send me. I work on hydro generators and they are not located anywhere near town or city's in the north. 10-12 hours a day, 1-2 weeks at a stretch. Argo's, quads, boats, choppers and float planes are all a normal means of transportation to get to and from the job site. after work I go fishing for pike, trout, pickerel or grayling. in the fall I can call moose to practice for my mountain hunts.

if you find something you like doing it makes all the difference.

that being said, I will be shutting it down in my early 50's to spend even more time in the bush while my health allows. -45 and dark in the winter is hard on my wife so it sounds like we will be snowbirds in the next few years during the winter months. looking forward to exploring the southern states without any time restrictions and not having my face hurt when I walk outside in January

 

[stv117]

it sounds to me you have got a keeper (lucky). and it's true we never make time for ourselves cause the hassle is endless..

 

[waspocrew]

For the past decade, the hussle was all I knew. First step was getting an acceptance to Med school, then bust my ass to match to a competitive residency , then fellowship. I’m finally on the other side of training and enjoying more time with family and hunting more than I was able to over the last decade.

I really enjoy my job and get a lot of satisfaction taking care of my patients. There can be some challenging days, but for the most part, it’s been awesome. The temptation to spend is definitely there, but also trying to be responsible and save for the future too.

 

[Yoder]

Have you ever bought a new rifle?

I've bought a mountain of nonsense over the years, and it's only left me feeling empty inside. The only things that I look back on that actually bring me joy are experiences, friends, family and little things I've done to try to help people.

I do love my rifles, because they allow me to hunt and shoot. The rifle itself doesn't matter.

 

[Poser]

Lived a little bit of a variable life. If you want to place people into 2 primary groups where they may not end up happy, it is this:

1. Presents
2. Futures

The "presents" get a lot of common criticism for living too much in the present with litter consideration for the future. There are definitely many positives to this approach and some people do manage to squeeze through and live a successful and fulfilling life having taken this approach. The odds are stacked against you, but for those that pull it off, its difficult to argue with the outcome. Its inspiring, its tempting, but it often doesn't end so great. Nonetheless, one has to applaud the risk vs. reward for that manage to pull it off.

The "futures" however, often do not receive much common criticism, though many of them burn out and fail at life. "futures" are always planning for the future, which, of course, is responsible, but constantly pushing, being concerned creates anxiety. If you are too deep in the future, you may end up with a failed life pursuit just as much as the "presents" end up in the same boat with the only real difference being financial. You can "future" yourself right into stress, poor health, poor relationship health, divorce, no friends and no social connections. Hunting forums, for whatever reason, tend to attract a lot of these types. Its cool that your you're hyper focused on the future and all, but I'm not really interested in taking any type of advice from a miserable person. These folks, deep down inside, recognize they aren't happy, but will almost never address it because "future." When they do finally arrive in this future, they never learned how to not be miserable so they remain miserable.

Somehow, you have to figure out how to balance aspects of these 2 philosophies and that may be a constantly shifting polarity that you'll have to navigate throughout life with considerations for those around you, spouse, family and children. You probably default more to one vs. the other, and you may have to learn some difficult lessons, make some terrible mistakes and even suffer a great deal to find the balance.

On occasion, you'll meet someone who has lived a very charmed life where, for various reasons, they had some kind of perfect balance between these 2 aspects from the get-go. They lived in the moment yet planned for the future without having to experience much the associated discomforts. Its by far the exception, but, somehow these folks just naviated through life with great outcomes, an array of experiences, a secure future, and consistent happiness, fulfillment and inspiration and it just doesn't seem to make sense to anyone who has struggled at either end of the spectrum. You can learn a great deal from these folks.