Beverly-From Broke Teacher to Early Retirement

"Everything works out for me."

[▶ Watch Beverly's interview on video]

For years, I walked around saying the same thing everyone else at school was saying:

"Teachers don’t make enough."
"I’m broke."
"If the country really valued education, we’d be paid more."

It was just the script. I didn’t even question it—until one January when everything shifted.

I’d been teaching high school for 25 years in Florida, and I was starting to think about retirement. But when I looked at my finances, the truth hit hard: I didn’t have nearly enough saved. I had been putting money into an annuity for two decades… and yet it hadn’t even reached half of my annual salary.

“I’m just a teacher. I can’t afford to save.”

Then one day in January - the longest month in a teacher’s calendar when payday feels miles away - I overheard someone at lunch say, “I’m just a teacher. I can’t afford to save.”And something in me snapped.  I thought: Why not? Why am I not saving?

That night at 8pm, I went home and called my annuity guy. He said he couldn’t meet until next month—but I insisted. I told him I needed to see him this week. He agreed.

When we met, he told me about a brand-new retirement program. With it, I could be guaranteed to retire in 10 to 12 years. I said, “No. I’m retiring in six.” And that was it. Decision made.

I told three of my coworkers to call him straight away—but when they did, he told them the program had already filled. Somehow, I’d gotten in just in time.

That was the moment I knew: Miracles happen.

And not just for other people. For me.

Six years later, I called him and said, “I hit my number. I’m retiring.”

That very same week, the library I worked in got a surprise $50,000 grant. Another miracle.

And they haven’t stopped.

Since then, I’ve travelled more than I ever had before—Greece, Alaska, you name it.  I still had my Disney annual pass.  I still went out to dinner with friends.  I never felt like I was sacrificing or scrimping.

What changed? My mindset. And how I looked at money.

I stopped spending mindlessly and started tracking not just what I earned—but what I received.  Every time I was offered something—like someone bringing in cupcakes or a free Coke—I wrote it down and assigned it a value. I started seeing just how much was actually coming into my life.  That was real income too.

I also started receiving in ways I used to block.

Like the year my school gave me a stipend for leading a team. I used to spend it all on taking the team out for lunch—because I didn’t feel like I deserved to keep it.  But that year, for the first time, I didn’t. The stipend came late, and everyone paid for themselves. I finally believed: I do deserve this. I worked for this.

And the more I believed it, the more miracles showed up.

One day, I was asked to help at a football game. I was going anyway, so I said yes—and they paid me and gave me free food. Just another little moment of receiving. And I noticed them all.

I realised the Universe was showing me:  "Let me start with these little things, and then we’ll get to the big stuff."

And the annuity? It was supposed to return 7%—but most years it paid 10%. That’s why I was able to retire earlier than expected.

Since then, I’ve started sharing what I’ve learned—first for fun, then as a side business.  At first I told people: “Pay me what you think it’s worth.”  Now I coach under the banner of Infinite Happiness and Abundance Possibilities.

My life looks so different now.  I’m happier. I trust that everything is working out for me—even if I don’t understand it at the time.  And when something tough happens, I say to myself, “I don’t know how this is good… but one day I’ll see why it was.”

I make a gratitude list—even for the things that aren’t going how I want.  Because I know now that if I created what I have, then I can change it too.

If something’s not working, then I ask: What do I want instead?  I visualise for just a few minutes each day.  I see the world differently now. Not through rose-coloured glasses—just rosier than most.

Every day is a gift. Every miracle is a wink from the Universe.

And I say every single day:  “Miracles happen for me every day. Everything always works out for me.”

And my friends? They’ve noticed it too.  They say they won’t go to Disney with anyone else—because somehow, when we go, we always get on the rides within 10 minutes!

To contact Beverly:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drbeverlywixon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beverly.wixon

Book: Get Rich on Any Salary: 

https://beverlywixon.com/f/getrichpaperback