How does the homesteader measure success?

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In today’s society, the size of home you have, level of income, your stocks and retirement funds measure success. If one doesn’t measure up to today’s standard, you are considered less fortunate and poor, therefore government wants to step in and teach you how to get the 9-5 jobs, put your children in daycare and have a big, fat mortgage.

As for the homesteader, I believe we measure success from a totally different standard. God and family are very high on the list, along with self-sufficiency and simple living. The pursuit of money and wealth seem to be far from our minds, but yet, we seem to be happier that way. I would rather be poor financially and rich in spirit than the other way around.

So, what are your thoughts on success? Does the homesteader live a more rewarding life than those that live for power and wealth? Is the homesteader healthier, in body, mind and spirit?

-- Joy in Eastern WA (jparkes@spfarm.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

Hi Joy, I was raised in So. CA as a city kid. I have 2 brother that have stayed in the city and made lots of money with gorgeous homes and pools, etc. They're both married, 37 and 40 years. Each have 3 very well adjusted grown and married children. They're good Christians and are just all around nice people. Now comes the youngest child and only girl(me). I have been married 35 years, have 2 grown and well adjusted children also. Husband and I are both Christian BUT we do the homesteading thing. We've had many lambs, kids, baby chicks, baby ducks, etc. in the kitchen to bottle feed or just needed that little extra touch. We have big vegetable and flowers gardens and I can much of our food. We live on 50 acres in a 100+ year old house that needs lots of work. We are debt free, drive an old car and pickup and are as content as bugs in a rug.

My brothers would shoot themselves before living our lifestyle. They love to visit for a few days but that's it. We attended the wedding of my nephew in the L.A. area last fall and I would shoot myself if I had to live in that madhouse. Soooooo, I guess I'm saying there's nothing wrong with either lifestyle. It's simply what we want and what works for us.

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.


Success is working for pay at your own pace, when you want not because you have to. Owing as few resources (cash/labor) to others as possible. Knowing where the moon is in the sky. Noticing the bloom and insect cycles. Knowing where my food comes from. A safe place to sleep at night and enough to eat. Making goals and working towards them.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Success is not measured by anyone but yourself.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), April 08, 2002.

Having enough and some to share.

-- Bernie from Northern Ontario (bernadette_kerr@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Success: Enjoying the challenge.

-- Esther (realestatez@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.


Hello Joy,

Success to me is the progression of a worthwhile GOAL or DREAM. My family and I are successful.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.


Success? Success to me is when you have attained something that you have sought after, and knew that you could attain if you put out some of your time, and energy. In the parts of country life that I'm experienced in, there are many more successes in generally a positive atmosphere, whereas in urban life the successes are longer in coming, and are often produced by less than positive emotional time. If treated properly, the failures are lessons, in both cases. Wealth, and success, are terms for the individual to decide, otherwise we are just trying to 'keep up with the Joneses', or attain an unreachable goal. Anyone can come up with a system to define their situation. You could look at your situations and say, is this action/pursuit/ venture/purchase connected with my attempt to gain pecking order status in society, or is it connected with my own personal ideal of the way that I want to live? For me the second ideal contains the maximum available amount of time allowed to be self actualizing, which allows me the presence of being to work effectively among other people in my community. Wealth is not a necessarily a financial term. Success is realive to your goals. Rewards are rewards. If you feel genuinly that you are rewarded, than you are. But like most terms used by the money system, rewards are something that you must define yourself. Is it more rewarding for a man to follow his dream of owning a used bookstore in the city, or for him to follow my dreams of owning a self sufficient farm? Are homesteaders healthier, in body mind and spirit?-That is difficult to say. I've seen some pretty unhealthy homesteaders, but I would say on average, I would still want to be hanging out with them, than any ten people who have no homesteading skills when problems arise.

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.

I think besides the spritual, emotional, and physical rewards, I judge my homesteading success on how well the garden did this year, how many eggs we are getting, how many jars of canned goods line the basement walls and (the best indicator of all) is the pasture fence still standing at the end of the year! If you can answer yes to that one, it's been a great year!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition...

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded."

This quote is usually attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson but there is some debate about who the true author is. Whoever the author, I have taken it as my personal definition of success.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 08, 2002.


If you're happy, contented, and having fun at anything you do, then you're successful.

Russ

-- (imashortguy@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.



Joy,

Success is measured like wealth by homesteaders, Your success is measurable in the amount of time you must spend to achieve a level of comfortable living that you are satisfied with. The man who has many coins, and must work long hours to get them is a very poor man indeed!

-- Woodsbilly n.c. Pa. (coleenl@penn.com), April 09, 2002.


Bren and myself share the same definition of success. We have before, we do now, and it really does not matter who wrote it --for truth is ageless and ownership is a fault of the greedy !

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 10, 2002.

I don't think about it in terms of success (the way you describe). It is more a state of being or a philosophy to me. How can the pleasure of stopping a moment and watching a sunset or sunrise be measured? or watching the red tail hawks that nest out back in the woods?

Eating MY peaches, apples, plums, pears, cherries, bluberries, rasberries, vegetables, etc.

I do what I do because it is part of who I am. I suppose that if my crops failed and the water supply dried up and other bad things happened I might consider it a failure. My ability to live my life the way I choose is success enough for me.....no other measurements required.

Wealth and power are a whole nother discussion and may impact my ability to make the choices I make.....doesn't mean they are a goal unto themselves.

-- Mike (mhammer@ix.netcom.com), April 11, 2002.


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