“I’m new to money. I spent most of my existence without it. I know how to live frugally. If we were to lose it all tomorrow, we’d change our hours, move out of the city, and make other adjustments, just like my parents did. Money removes many stressors, but it has not changed my level of happiness, nor who I am. It changes how I spend my time.”

“I love my job and the excitement and challenges it offers. But my job does not define me. If this job ended tomorrow I’d find another way to find that glorious feeling of accomplishment. No employer or career choice “made” me. I made me…”

“…the Cupcake Nation mentality – “Everyone’s a winner!” – is so dangerous. When we try to protect the young from any vaguely uncomfortable ideas or encounters, we do them a grave disservice. Being tested by different viewpoints in my life, being sometimes offended or occasionally hurt, or even targeted, is a big part of what prepared me for the challenged I’ve faced in my career..,”

“But if something that was good morphs into something that’s not good – and is not changing back – one has to stay conscious of that too. Settling for more is not an endgame – it’s an active process. It means staying aware of one’s surroundings, because “more” is a fluid concept. Life changes, and requires that we change too.”