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The thing is, I am sitting here all misty eyed because I know I should quit my job. That's not a joke. But I am strung out on the paychecks.

Quit your job and think outside the box; do something risky!

Live in the moment!

Be Ever Vigilant!

Key here is that he did a lot of his risk taking when he was young with very little in the way or responsibilities outside of taking care of himself.

It is much more difficult to make these life altering decisions when you have kids and a spouse. Not saying it can't be done, but it is much harder to cross that bridge.

Overall, a very poignant speech for the occassion....

Sometimes the best thing to do is to accept what you know to be the right thing. I am an ex-Engineer from out of Silicon Valley, and have worked with some of the biggest names out there in My day. Not that long ago, events came together in such a way that I wound up leaving all that behind and found Myself living very far away from My hometown, family, and friends to live way up here in the mountains of Northern California. Having walked the path, I can tell you honestly that there were times when I was hungry for long periods, cold and worried about shelter, and facing some major health problems that were eventually estimated to be as a result of the stress I had undergone over the years in My chosen career path.

The best things in life, I now understand, are not measured by how much can be purchased with an ever-more-sizeable paycheck. It lies in personal contentment and acceptance of one's existence. Yes those periods of extreme hunger were not fun, but on the flip side I know that if I ever get lost out in the wilderness it really does not take all that much to survive on a daily basis. I know I probably will survive. Going from three large meals a day to a single can of Chunky Soup per day (sometimes only every other day) teaches that quite effectively.

Too, I no longer work in some of the highest-tech areas in the world, but anytime I feel as if that somehow leaves Me deprived in some manner, I just open up the side door and go sit outside for awhile to take deep draughts of all this fresh mountain air and watch the (sometimes still snow-frosted) tree-covered hills around Me and appreciate the silence. I am also free to explore at will all those areas of personal interest that I had so few opportunities to follow when I was working all those +/- 100 hour workweeks.

There are no gang-bangers here. No gang warfare or racial clashes. There is no smog. Traffic sounds are limited instead of being 24/7, and if an occasional snowplow has to clear the street in the wintertime, there is no Hallmark Card that can match the beauty of the scenery outside of either My front or back windows. People do not look down upon you because you are working at the local supermarket, or helping out in some little business's office, and everyone looks out for each other. There is still some crime here, of course, but there is no place in this world that does not have it.

Sometimes I have indeed worried about how to make ends meet, and more than once had a momentary pang of regret that I could not afford to splurge and buy a bottle of soda on My limited income when work was scarce, but upon reflection I have simply accepted such 'hardship' and moved on. It has not killed Me to only rarely taste a soda at times and having to 'survive' with just a glass of water. LOL.

And anytime I feel the need, I can talk a quiet walk in the mountains and just appreciate the trees, the grass, the creeks, and the occasional animals. Whatever time of the day that might turn out to be... In short, I realize one overall fact: I would rather live My life happy, than rich. Perhaps if I had not made this radical change I would have only realize that simple concept when it was too late.

May you too come to find the peace you seek.