[cko]

I'm only 27 myself, so I don't have much wisdom to share, but...

You did say that living your well-off lifestyle costs very little.

"I want to give the same unwavering devotion to my children as my parents gave to me, but I want to do it in a way that does not lead to living paycheck to paycheck."

You wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck if you accepted a job. I'm a pharmacist. It's OK money - I'm sure software developers can get more. You can build up savings and investments for a few years while developing some projects on the side. This gives you breathing room. It seems like you're walking a tightrope right now - with fear of losing what you already have (girlfriend, material stuff) and fear of this idea you call "mediocrity" pushing you along.

At this point no one's going to write an epic poem about my life. I'm arrogant enough to hate "mediocrity" as well, but it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.