Are you happy with how your life has turned out?

[lionmouse1]

Just thinking about this I'm mid 40s good job but should really be at a higher level. Ok house but nothing special husband is kind but tendency to be a bit grumpy and has lost his get up and go
Amazing dc but wish we had more.
A few nice friends but no one really close
Amazing parents but haven't seen them for so long
So all ok but feel I could have done better!

Most importantly we are all healthy and that's the man thing I know so very grateful for that

Yep, totally.

I came back to the UK to live with my grandparents at the age of 14. I wish that had been earlier : from birth would have been good. That's the only thing I would have changed. Everything else has worked out nicely. No complaints.

I'm really happy, and after covid, it's going to get better. I've had the career, child, mortgage, and soon, at 54, it will be time for me. I aim to live it up. Am going to travel (on my own), for half the year, and come back to my family the other half. My OH is more than happy to carry on working and has no desire to travel, and that's fine for us.
I know it's a cliche, but life really is short. I don't want to die without doing some of the things on my list.

I guess I don't really feel like my life has finished 'turning out' yet. It's a work in progress. I changed careers about 7 years ago and have achieved lots but there is plenty more that I want to do and I think there always will be. That's not to say I'm dissatisfied with where I am, but I don't consider it a final destination.

Overall I'm happy, my only regret is not having a decent pension after giving up my career to be a SAHM and, after some bad financial advice years ago, losing fifteen years stuck on an interest only mortgage which means we have a big mortgage to pay off still, just as the kids are going off to uni. That said, we're healthy, we're happy and we all get on really well which is more than many families.

If I could change one thing, it would be for my Dad not to be suffering with advanced Parkinson's, that's heartbreaking.

I think I've done amazing for myself. At school I was a mute, ugly, depressed, disliked by everyone and no friends and certainly no confidence - couldn't speak to anyone or maintain eye contact! Seven years later, I have bought my own house within short walking distance to a great town centre, I have just been offered a permanent teaching contract, and I have a lovely boyfriend. My confidence is much increased and I have achieved so much.

Am I happy? I am in some ways, mainly when I am with my boyfriend, but when I'm on my own, the depression creeps in. I don't have any proper friends in the area, and I live 1.5hrs from parents, so I'm pretty lonely.

Yes pretty happy. Great husband, children, nice house, love the area we live in, happy enough with job, some good friends, both our parents fairly nearby. Once lockdown is over and we are allowed to do more things and go places again I will be bloody delighted with my life.

I was talking about this last night with DH. I didn’t have particularly high aspirations for my life (had always had quite low self-esteem but am working very hard to appreciate myself more) but the moment I stopped comparing myself to everyone else I felt content. It’s like something clicked a couple of years ago and now I count my blessings:
I love my husband and he loves me, we have interesting, well paid jobs, we have our daughters who are pretty wonderful. We have a perfectly nice family home and do lots of travelling (when we are allowed)
I am close to my Mum and brother, am lucky to have a fab SIL who I love and gorgeous nephews.
I only really have 1 close friend but I have enough acquaintances if I want to join in with something (I rarely do as I am pretty introverted) I can.
I am hopeful for the next phase of my life - DDs are on the cusp of high school and I want to support them and help them to find their path to adulthood.

I'm 41 and have nothing to show for it (I know people say "but you have your children" - any idiot can have kids, it's not a marker of anything).

Yes, lots of people can have children, but not all people are capable of loving and supporting them as you know all too well. 💖

No not really. I live in local-authority housing and although my house is nice enough, it isn't really big enough, and I would really like to buy somewhere, but have little hope of that unless I get a hefty inheritance, which is unlikely.
I have my kids 50 percent of the time and they're with their dad the rest. He is a decent bloke, but I shouldn't have married him. I knew he would be a good dad, but I wasn't really that 'into' him.
Looking back I should have stayed with my ex til the kids were older as life was easier with him (if somewhat boring) than on my own.
If I were to be totally honest I should have done everything totally differently and life is somewhat disappointing.

Not bad. Got loads of really nice things: lovely Dh, good friends who I go on city breaks with when covid will allow. My only regret is that I failed my accountancy qualification. But I still love doing accounts, enjoy my job a lot.

Yes, I feel like my life is on track now since last year. I’ve got a nice house which I’m now refurbishing. I’ve got three kids and a cat and a happy marriage. I wasn’t happy at work and I hated going to an office every day, so a big positive of the last year was being able to work from home and see more of my kids. My own business (which I started in September) now feels fulfilling and allows for a better work-life balance - I can do the school runs which I hardly ever could before.

Last year I was looking at the life I wanted - working less hours, nice refurbished house, more time with the kids - and feeling like I was still such a long way away from where I wanted to be. Now I’m a lot closer and feeling happy with my life for the first time in years.

No. I don’t think it’s that my life isn’t the way I want it, its more that my DH has become someone I don’t really want to be with.
He got MH problems, didn’t deal with the erection problems, and drinks a bottle of wine a night.
I think I’d be happier if he disappeared.

Overall yes, and especially compared to many of the stories I've read on MN. Even just in the past week I've read stories of things that must be awful, random example

• abusive and controlling DP/DH
• being raped
• serious serious financial/debt problems
• never ever ever having had an orgasm www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/4171327-To-Have-Never-Orgasmed

On the negative side, I'm in a stressful (but well paying) job and some health issues. On the positive I have nice family and friends, kids are healthy, great DH and a nice home and finances are in good shape.

I've had no great master plan, just random stuff, hard work, and likely lots of good fortune.

Yes, my life is better than I expected it would be. I've always hoped for the best but expected the worst, and my primary aim was always to be financially secure and independent. I didn't expect to find someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with or have children with, but I did, and I felt very lucky - too lucky, I was always waiting for something bad to happen. When it did I wasn't surprised. It changed me but I feel lucky to have had great support, which helped me get through it.