Sol is wise indeed, thank you. I wish it worked that way mentally though. We have the opportunity to pull the plug and be ‘ok’ in our mid to late 30s, but it is the ‘fear’ of giving up this opportunity to make more and be more secure, that makes it hard to relate to being 65 and looking back.
I grew up in a very financially unstable home (father laid off for years, eventually parents lost everything in a messy divorce, ate at a soup kitchen for a while, etc.), and I guess this has been a driving force in my goal to accumulate and reach FIRE. But with each passing year, I still do not feel overly secure as I understand more and more about the intricacies of finance, markets, and those great unknowns (government intervention, politics, schooling costs, etc.).
My head gets the idea that I am lucky to have my health and time, but it feels like a big leap between understanding that, and trusting in it enough to release the golden handcuffs any time soon.
Very sorry to hear about your friend Daisy.