Thank you all for sharing such thoughtful and kind ideas. :)
I feel she is not ready for MMM partly because she strongly dislikes reading and being 'nagged'. I also wager she does not like 'self-reflection' about where she is in life and what she has done thus far. She explained to me even if someone points out something can help her, she refuses to listen. I think after reading between the lines, I feel she basically does not like to be judged. Can't blame on that. However, I do feel she is doing herself a disservice by not even testing out the ideas shared by the people who deeply care about her. Also, I think she is struggling to find happiness while saving. I think we've all been here. I felt the same way before but what I found is striking 'balance' and practicing appreciation really helps. Well it works for me at least. :)
She tells me how much she feels like she is depriving herself. How she cannot do or buy what she wants, when she wants. She has extremely spendy friends, older sister and their lifestyle was her former lifestyle. In case your wondering what that lifestyle was, imagine someone MMM cautions each of us to identify and avoid. A person who buys impulsively. A person who shops online for fun and enjoys the actual act of shopping as a 'sport'. A person who prefers to eating out (sushi and happy hour), rather than enjoying a good home cooked meal. I think you get the picture. I will note however, she does not engage in most of those activities.
So after reading MMM over the years, I think I might understand some reasons why she feels this way. But rather than telling her I really want her to discover for herself, what truly matters. The thing is since she doesn't interact with many people outside of work and she since does not like to read, her exposure to contrary perspectives is greatly limited. In this sense, I feel she often times lives in a bubble. She has great difficulty practicing introspection and reflecting on her life (experiences and lessons learned). I feel this is possibly the top reason why she is conflicted. She seeks freedom from wage slavery and she understands it is tied to clawing towards financial freedom. But I wonder, could this be too much of a core personality change for someone who previously was not a saver and has not 'found' Mustachianism?
Other users have commented how she might be unhappy, I wholeheartedly agree. She does not interact with many people outside of work. Thus her circle of friends and circle of influence is extremely small. I have encouraged her to volunteer more doing something she cares about such as helping animals. However, after working 70+ hours/week, she tends to be physically and emotionally, spent. Oh, she practices a sedentary lifestyle. Maybe that contributes to her feeling blue?
Does anyone have specific articles you feel might help nudge her gently? I am working hard to remain supportive without expressing judgment towards her actions and thoughts. But I admit it is becoming extremely difficult. Thank you all for listening.