I'll hit the highlights then; the "nexus points" if you will...

I chose to not accept my teachers', parents', and counselors' views that, due to my learning disability, I would never have a job much better than "unskilled labor".

I chose to start work at the age of 12 so I could buy clothes and shoes for myself rather than accept threadbare and deteriorated hand-me-downs from my older brother.

I chose a university and a degree program that would guarantee a salary sufficient to effect a livable quality of life as well as enable me to pay off my student loans within 5 years of graduating with my bachelor's degree.

I chose to live modestly for 5 years after college and did, in fact, pay off all of my student loan debt within that time frame.

I chose to join the military after 9/11 and serve my country, during which time I invested in residential properties that appreciated over the course of 15 years.

I chose to transition to reserve service, still deploying two more times, while working in the non-profit healthcare sector.

I chose to relocate, as needed to follow the jobs and the cost of living so I could maximize savings.

I chose to effectively invest my discretionary income until the "retire" side of the equation was higher than the "work" side of the equation.

Just the highlights. But you get the gist.