The Avocado Test

How many times have I sat in a Mexican restaurant, ordered an entrée, and watched the server point to “Add avocado: 50¢”? For years I said no. Extra felt unnecessary. Eating out already felt like a splurge.

So…what is wealth?

Money isn’t wealth. Money buys options. For most of my adult life—as a married woman and a teacher with a master’s degree—I felt like we had just enough. Never extra, but enough.

I love my house, my kids, my husband, my life. We live in the country with a lake in our backyard and about 300 feet of shoreline. My family has a Door County cottage on Lake Michigan and a rental next door. The rental brings in income—and work. That’s real life.

Here’s the big difference between being rich and being wealthy: freedom. My definition of wealth is freedom. I’m building that now. I retired from teaching and quit my day job at Wally World. These days I “work” on TikTok. I learn, explore, create, and grow. The money isn’t rolling in yet, but the potential is real—and I wake up excited about the day.

Not long ago, I woke up with dread—every day. No gentle whisper telling me what to do. Just a loud voice yelling, “Get out. Get out NOW.” When I told the universe I didn’t want to go back to Wally World, I meant it: Get me out of there—now—and don’t make me go back.

Now I have time, energy, and options—and that feels like wealth. Freedom looks like picking up my daughter from school without begging a sub. It looks like heading to the cottage for the weekend because the lake is calling. It looks like coffee with a friend on a Wednesday at 9 a.m., no permission slip required. Back then I had some money and zero bandwidth; today I have a life that fits my values.

Wealth, for me, is waking without dread, choosing how I spend my hours, texting people who add joy, and giving when my heart says yes. It’s living in alignment with my values—even when it’s inconvenient. Money buys comfort; true wealth buys freedom. And sometimes, freedom sounds like: “Yes, add the avocado.”

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