One of the reflection questions from today's lesson was whether I place myself among the highly motivated 10% or among the sorta-slidin'-along 90%.

 I know I am in that 10%.  I can work with greater energy and focus than most of the people I know.  I have never missed a writing deadline, never been the type to just coast along.  Heck, I got a master's degree (4.0 GPA) AFTER my fourth child was born--while I was teaching part-time, teaching kindergarten Sunday school, and coordinating the local soccer league.

The thing is, I have been successful in a whole bunch of ways that have nothing to do with money.  And, for the last ten years or so, I didn't have to worry at all about money. 

And now I'm starting over--and what I'm really trying to find out is, am I in that 10% when it comes to succeeding financially?   I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that I am.  But I'd be lying if I said I felt supremely confident.  

 One other thing...and this part gets a mite personal.  But the thing about divorce is, some really terrible things are said.  I mean, the kinds of terrible things that could only be flung at you by someone who knows your vulnerable places well.  My very (financially) successful ex-husband said at the very end that my role, as far as he was concerned, was that of parasite.

Parasite?  Raising 4 kids and keeping everything running while he traveled all over the world?  Intellectually, I know that is pure crap.  (And of course that kind of attitude is a big part of why I left.)  But being a stay-at-home mom for the better part of 20 years, being dependent on a man, never did come naturally to me.  And, of course, he knew that....

So, I'm on a mission to prove some things to myself.  I already know I am successful.  I already know I've got that fire in my belly.  But can I be successful in the pure dollars-and-cents way.  No, it's not THE most important thing in the world--but when you've got college tuitions to help pay and law school tuition right around the corner, it's fairly high on the list.