Against the grain…

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to live life by your own rules? Are you tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses?

I answered both questions with a big fat YES a couple of years ago! My little family and I have been going against the grain ever since.

We’re taught from a young age that success is measured by how much we have. It’s measured in money and status. How big our homes are, what kind of vehicles we drive, and what elite friends list we’re on.

We think that in order to be successful, productive, and happy in life, we MUST go to college and land a prestigious job. We MUST finance our dream home complete with a three car garage, granite countertops, and annual HOA dues.

My husband and I used to have that train of thought as well, at least we thought we did. A few years ago though, something changed. We realized that the more items we checked off our list, the less happy we were.

Turns out we don’t really like all the material things and I’m really bad at decorating the house and keeping up with the latest styles.

We didn’t enjoy trying to keep up with the Joneses, so we stopped.

My husband gave up wining and dining with city slicker big wigs and went into business for himself. Now he builds fence for a living and only wines and dines me on occasion. And by wine and dine I mean he brings home my favorite six pack and we share it on the porch after the kiddos go to bed. It’s marital bliss!

Side note: he looks much hotter in work boots and jeans than he ever did in business khakis!

We can’t speak for everyone, but the key to our own personal happiness is less THINGS and more FREEDOM!

We do not want to spend our lives working for someone who doesn’t give a damn about us. We don’t want a large mortgage or a new car every couple of years. I DO NOT enjoy making home decorating Pinterest boards and then charging a Target card for the entire Magnolia line. No offense if that’s your thing!

We LOVE the idea of working for ourselves. We WANT a modest home that we don’t have to mortgage our souls for. We CHOOSE to decorate it in out of date family heirlooms and thrift store finds. And best of all, we CAN take the coldest part of winter off work to enjoy life together!

We’re simplifying our lives and it feels great!

We work harder physically most days, but we’re gaining muscle and clarity instead of bogging down our minds. Fencing and farming is making us whole again.