The one way to get everything you've ever wanted

When I was growing up I never had grand ideas of how I wanted my life to go and the older I got the easier it was to figure out what I wanted.

Like a lot of Americans I started my journey at 18, two hours away from home, and all alone on the new adventure of college.  And although several people in my extended family attended college, I was hoping to be the first one to graduate.  

College was good.  I got a job as a Resident Assistant and worked in housing the rest of my college career after freshman year.  My mom and I made 3 payments a semester towards tuition.  My family would help me out here and there in ways that I would have never imagined.  And the coveted mail box was filled weekly with letters from the boy at home (later to become My Dude).  It was good.  The only goal I had was to finish.

Halfway through my 4th year I started to feel it.  

Pressure.
Disappointment. 

All in all it would take me a full 5 years to finish my degree, but I did it.  We did it.

After graduating college I joined My Dude in The Great State of TEXAS.  (I only say it that way because living in TX teaches you something about pride for where you're from and often I miss it's ways) I had my first full time job.  Had insurance for what felt like the first time in my life. I'm sure it wasn't but I can't remember ever having it...or ever using it. And life was good.  This, was a definite peak.

And again, it started coming up.  This nagging feeling like I needed more.  Like I wanted more.  If I could just....  Just what?  I could fill in the blanks with a lot of different things

- Finally own my own car

- Get married (I mean, we had already dated a long 4.5 years)

- Know what I wanted to do with my life

But I couldn't quite figure it out.  What did I need to do to get what I wanted?

We eventually got married and moved to Ft Worth, and as we took a look around we were falling further and further behind.  It was 2008.  We were now 27.  We lived in an 800 square foot apartment, had a 1996 GMC Jimmy, 2005 Murano (at $405 monthly payments), I wasn't working a job for the first time since 15 (I was excited about this!) and My Dude was working in commercial real estate.

Our friends were driving nice cars, living in great apartments or had already purchased homes, were a few years into their careers, some married, and some of those already having children.  

And as hard as we tried....we couldn't keep up.

Then.  Then the market crashed.

And we all have our stories from that.  

Commercial real estate slowed to a non-existent trickle.  We were clipping more and more coupons and started working valet jobs.  

This.  This period of time helped me to realize that I was trying to keep up.  That we were constantly feeling the pressure to have, do, and be everything that people in our friendship circles were having. This is when we finally started to do the thing that would lead us to get everything we ever wanted...

WE STARTED LETTING GO.

We started to let go of the pressure to keep up.  Which allowed us to do things in our time and at our pace.  Do we still get caught up in our thoughts and comparing ourselves to others?  ABSOLUTELY.  And as soon as we quiet the noise of society we are able to appreciate where we are.

We still have debt.
We don't own a house.
Our one car is now 10 years old with new noises

BUT...

My Dude got his masters in something he's excited about. 
We have 2 pretty cool kids.
I am finally listening to the voice that makes me happy.

Don't know where it will go, but I am excited about the ride. 

What's your noise?  Has it been there so long that you think it's your own voice?