Since I’ve never really introduced myself here and I don’t want to clutter up another thread with my personal stuff, here we go.
Me, that’s a middle aged man, Swiss made and born, now living in BL, after a long time in Kleinbasel.
15 years ago, I was unhappy and dissatisfied with my job, and on top of that, I received a shitty diagnosis from my doctor (testicular cancer). I sat down, reflected on my life and wondered if I would be satisfied with my life so far if I were to die soon. The answer was a resounding NO. So after making sure, there was no more cancer in my body, I quit and traveled the world for over a year. Best time of my life. For over ten years now, I’ve been back in the daily grind, in a similar job like before, but I have a different attitude towards it and great colleagues. A certain IDGAF attitude towards stupid tasks clearly helps. I try not to take tedious tasks, problems, and assignments too seriously and don’t let them bother me. I still complete them correctly, but with the least possible effort. And I also say “not my problem” if it’s not 100% within my area of responsibility. When I was younger, I didn’t dare do that. I’ve also learned that if you’re too helpful, other employees are only too happy to take advantage of you.
My time off was, of course, a huge disaster in terms of FIRE, but hey, YOLO 
The world trip itself was and is an unforgettable adventure. Everywhere in the world there are kind and helpful people, all struggling with similar problems and pursuing comparable dreams. Very often I realised, that the less people own, the more content they are. That’s why I’m trying to live as a minimalist, at which I kind of failed, when I oversee all my belongings, and having kids doesn’t help. But I managed to minimise my personal expenses for unnecessary gadgets and toys.
I first encountered the FIRE concept about eight years ago and think the idea is fantastic. Whether I personally will manage to retire earlier than legally required is uncertain if not impossible. Nevertheless, I regularly invest in stocks and ETFs; a savings account is the wrong approach, and I’ve known that for a long time. Since I was once young and foolish, I sold several stocks at a profit to buy things like a sports convertible. Had I held onto those shares, I would be significantly richer, but also poorer in many wonderful experiences, memories, and encounters. It’s the mix that makes a great life.