I love working but, no, thank you

In the last week or so I had a great change of attitude toward work. It has been such a shift, that no one can understand how I managed. But it happened and I did it.
It all began with me having a nasty fit at work a long time ago now, and I realised it is not right, it was like a wake up call. So instead of just acknowledging it I decided to do something about it. I still have a busy schedule, as I need to earn the money to survive, but I have the space to breathe.
Firstly I started turning my phone off at 8PM and going to bed earlier, even if I am not sleeping but reading a book instead, it is still rest. As I was typing articles, I started taking a few moments off to enjoy my cigarette or to eat an apple. Every morning before I got up I would cuddle up to my husband. Little things. All those little pleasures of life, that often without them, life becomes nothing but a pure existence.
I haven't lost my drive for work oh no, but I realised that unless I am fresh and rested, my productivity and the quality of my product will drop. So I started picking and choosing.
Who pays most.
Who pays on time.
Who appreciates me.
Who values my work.
These four are just a few of the criteria for selecting the people I work for. I pick yes, a lot, yes. I have to, so I don't waste my time working for people who are inconsiderate and are wasting my time.
I now know, that not because of shortness of my life, but because of all the reasons I am working so hard, I have to slow down , so that I could appreciate it all. Yes the winter will start next month and I know I don't have any decent clothes ready, that will come, there are plenty of second hand clothes shops there, as long as they are properly washed, they will do just fine. Yes, my dogs like the tinned dog food much more, but dry dog biscuits are better for them. Yes my husband is a meat eater, but eating a little less meat will not do any harm, in fact both of us could eat much healthier food for less money.
The last two months have been extremely hard for us, we had no or very little income throughout, I'm behind with paying my bills and there are only 18 LTL in our bank account as well as being in debt with credit card. But the money will be there in that bank account next week, and the bills will be paid, ad the fridge will be once again full of food.
Once I have re-evaluated m schedule and my work, I realised that by throwing out the disrespectful employers of mine I will not lose money but actually improve my financial situation, by reducing the amount of running around I do. It is silly, I know, that I have not noticed it before.
So these days more and more often, I say thank you but no thank you, or, I am too busy I am sorry. And those people have no other choice but to accept it. It is my life I am living, and I don't want to look back in twenty years time and say: oh shit I wasted myself away for idiots.