Reno, you have gotten right to the heart of the matter, at least as far as my motivation goes. I have to know if I can make a go of it, and grow as you have. I also used to envy the well employed. However, during the early part of this decade things were very tough for my wife and I, we lost everything we owned, and I filed Chapter 7. We came very close to being homeless. We survived without the "stuff" that we used to think we needed. Things have turned around, and I have been lucky enough to work in environments where I had to be my own foreman, designer, and troubleshooter of last resort. I had to step out of my comfort zone to do this, and now I am going to go a little further. It is not just for the freedom from dependence on one employer, it is to challenge myself to succeed on my own in a trade that I genuinely enjoy. I hope to experience the personal changes that you have undergone over the past year. Who knows, I might actually make it. Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
