When people find out I haven´t had a steady income for the past year, their reaction always goes from disapproval to cluelesness.
I mean, i get it. We are hardwired to put safety, comfort and security among our top life priorities and with good reason. Who wants to be 45 years old, 2 kids, a mortgage and responsibilities and no steady income? Im guessing no one.
But there comes a moment when you have to chose between two paths: The comfortable trail or the dream seeking path.
For me that moment it came when I was 26 years old. Since 2012 I was unhappy with my life but the constant advice from my father and people I admire, the opinions of my peers at work, my friend´s success kept me going through a road I didn´t like, at all. I was unhappy and my Twitter feed knew it, every once in a while I would just tweet "I am feed up with being unhappy" but I couldn´t pinpoint the reasons, I just knew I was unhappy. My comfort zone was so uncomfortable for me to the point I I neglected my 2,000k a month job, my human relations, my family bonds but most importantly, my self-love.
All of this unhappiness just to be able to say "I have no money problems" was too much to bare under my shoulders, it was making me miserable and making me intolerable to the people around me.
I wanted to travel. I needed to see the world. I craved adventures in any form and shape. But I was scared, no, I was terrified of the future. I was tempted to try and find another job and to find happiness in other things. I kept telling me "This is the way to go, you just have to get used to it, this is normal life".
Being on my late 20´s with no foreseeable future and no plans at all, I decided to fulfill my dream. That dream that got stuck in my mind since 2011 when I went traveling for a few months through México and met some of the most amazing people I will ever have the pleasure to meet. That time when I understood there is so much more in life than what I was getting. That set of moments where I was the happiest version of myself I ever was.
I left home with no more than 1,000k dollars and no real plan but to go wherever my feet took me, without knowing wht would lie ahead.
Today, it´s been exactly one year and one month since I took the riskiest decision I have ever made. I´ve been to more than 15 countries and I have never been happier, or poorer.
But one thing I am certain. A few hours ago I was checking my twitter feed to take trip down memory lane and I noticed one thing: I didn´t have the urge, or even the thought, of tweeting...
I am fed up of being unhappy.
I know, I can say this because I don´t have a family or responsibilities and you might nt find yourself in the same position as I was when I took the chance of leaving everything behind. I am also aware that most people are happy with their lives and do not need to change anything, so this is not an advice for everyone. I might regret this decision in the future, I surely hope I won´t. But one thing I can tell you, having no comfort or security, made me the happiest man alive. I will continue to travel for as long as I can, or until I meet that woman, or I find that job that makes me say "Yes, I am happy and satisfied with this". But for now, the only advice I can give you is, "If you are unhappy with your current situation, do not trade that comfort when you are 70 for your dreams when you are 20" and, always...
Take risks, go for it even if the odds are against you, create your own path, get involved in that long overdue project, believe in yourself and most importantly... Remember, be Here Now
Doing what you love gives birth to finding what you love to do! May steemit bless you with some traveling funds! Upvoted and happily following!
Thanks for the follow and the vote! I´m doing a contest, check out my latest post maybe you want to join. True that, it is a small step between doing what you love and then, doing that for the rest of your life :)
I can affirm that you are right in taking this important step.
I am 74 years old, I survive on a tiny pension. I've had stolen from me, at various times, the few possessions I treasured, had my business destroyed by greedy people, and yet, I tell my family that if I have a split second to see the past when I'm dying, I know that I will be pleased with the life I have lived.
I did not set out to travel, as you have done, but I've been to all the continents, apart from N+S Poles.
I have not spent more than 3 years out of my life working for others. I've always preferred to work for myself, though I am a terrible boss.
I've brough up two lovely children, despite not having any of my own, so I do not have a heart ache.
I loved a woman for 25 years, but only spent less than 5 with her at my side - and those are treasured years, worth the emptiness of those I've spent on my own (maybe my one regret is that I did not have the courage to love again).
When I lost all my money, was totally broke, a friend took me in and even saw to it that I have cigs and chocolates. I had no money, so I sat at home and finally started writing. I have now spent over 18 years writing ONE story, it is the equivalent of 25 softcover books of 1,000 pages each. I have lived with my characters, shared adventures or even just sat talking in lucid dreams and my heart has remained alive and able to deeply love because of them.
At the end, I found Steemit and I now have the happiness of sharing my stories, while also finding new talents and helping them, even if only by encouraging them.
So, I don't have many possessions; little money. So what!
I have lived my life on my terms! I travelled this short journey with eyes open, never shying from seeing the odd and beautiful.
If that is what you are experiencing, you are a very lucky person.
Beautiful photo. I love climbing mountains. I invite you to follow me and see my blog where I show photos of the places I've been to. I follow you, I hope you follow me and tell me. Successes
I did it for 2 years :) Best memories I ever had! Go for it man, the only regrets in life are all the shots you didn't take.
Exactly my friend. the biggest regret are those about things we don´t do. Two years travelling? Man you must have some amazing stories about that, I see you are blogging about them. Make sure to use the @steemitworldmap, you will definitely get more visibility and more people will engage with your posts!
Truth is happiness is quite a feat to attain and achieve, most people have different things that makes them happy, for me it is being fufilled by what I'm doing however this a a beautiful way to write
And my entry for your contest will come tomorrow buddy
Exactly, we are all different in so many ways, this kind of posts are more like a personal experience but the beautiful thing is that the advice could be for everyone no matter where you are in life. Believe in yourself and do what makes you happy.
That is so cool! I´m looking forward to read it! Don´t forget to Resteem (if you want) to get more people involved!).
Thanks for dropping by and commenting.
Amen. Last year I did the same thing, minus the traveling- I decided to pursue the things I really want in life. I'd rather be kinda poor and happy doing what I love than miserable and working some bullshit job for just enough to get by while my boss gets rich.
I mean not every job makes everyone unhappy, I´ve heard of people working a 9 to 5 doing what they love and that is the beautiful thing, there is so much in this world that we can all be happy doing what we want. If for you it was pursuing what you really want in life, kudos to you my friend!
I'm so happy for you Eric that you have such happiness in your life traveling making fantastic memories with your awesome adventures like I always tell you, to are living life right brother there is plenty of time for when you meet the right woman or find the right job, hardly no one I've known in all my life took a risk like you did and it came out so awesome!!! I'm so happy we met!! Abrazo de oso🌺🌺
Hello Ceci! Thank you so much for dropping by, Im sorry I haven´t been answering anywhere but I was crazy tih everything back home, I´ll got reply for an hour to everything ^^
I do hope there is enought time later in life to do all those things because now I want to focus in fulfilling my dreams! Abrazo de oso polar! El más fuerte!
Mi favorito oso es el polar!!! Abrazo de oso polar mi hermano que tengas bello día🌷🌷
This is a very cool story. F*ck security and those things, let's live life like an adventure game :D
We are not getting out of it alive, right? Might as well get the best out of it. Glad to have met you over at SF man, say hello to my favorite anarchist for me will ya? ^^
life is like what we desire. just keep on doing what you think is right foe you. sometimes, we need willingnes to motivate and inpire what are we doing in a specific field.
Without motivation and love for what you do is so hard to keep doing what you are doing right? So if you don´t love it, change it or change yourself, but dont settle for less than what makes you happy!
that is really true sir.
@anomadsoul, it's great you're dreaming! So many people don't. Memories are priceless. I can't think of anything worse than not having a dream or goal to pursue. Having a big dream makes everything brighter. It can even make working for a paycheck feel like it's infused with purpose. I love that my husband is on the same page with me on this topic. Another fantastic post!
I always find myself in the middle of "Oh my, I soo want to write about this on steemit but I don´t want to lose focus on the experience by taking pictures or videos" so yeah, I totally understand what you are saying about *memories are priceless... So lucky of you to find a partner who shares the same ideals and way of viewing life, so jealous (of the good one, if there is such thing). Thanks for dropping by!
I totally get it. And, I have no doubt you'll end up with The One who has the same spirit of adventure and purpose because like attracts like! Either way, it's so worth the wait! 😍😍😍
It's funny how much our stories line up. I was 26 when my project was canceled, which was 1 year and 2 months ago. I get into the "how can you live without a real job?" talk so often that I had it in one of my dreams last night. Schwee!
Oh my God!! You remembered the Schwee! :D :D You just made my day!
I know, from the moment we met I knew we were so similar, I can´t believe how many "of us" we can find in the steemstreets right now, seems like we came to the right place huh?
Lol actually dreaming about it... are you me? I get an undescribable anxiety when I can´t explain people what made me take this path, or maybe they just don´t understand... either way, I´m so glad I don´t owe anyone an explanation!
Schweee!
Just found your wonderful blog the other day through my2017. Some wise decisions you made :) For me, what I see going missing on this whole digital-nomad-thing is the learning of craftsmanship or "physical skills". I really want to put these 10.000h into something and be able to build something like a master. Finding my Zen :) but I think there is plenty of space to do that parallel to blogging. Anyway, great post, keep it up Eric!
The concept of the 10,000 hours to become an expert is something i really like. We see experts around and we don´t see all the time and effort put into the task they are good at. I hope you find the time and the hobby or craft you want to become a pro! Thanks for dropping by my friend and I wish you good luck in the contest!
Powerful post here @anomadsoul! I can relate with you so strongly in so many ways. It feels so good to know there is someone else going down a similar path. I've been on this path for a few years now and I will say - IT WAS SO WORTH IT! You won't regret it AT ALL, I promise :)
Thanks for being such an inspiration my friend. Would love to hear your thoughts regarding my recent post about true boldness and how to harness it: Be Bold And Mighty Forces Will Come To Your Aid
Oh my friend you are so right! I thought there were not so many people like us until I came here, then I found out a lot of people doing the same as me roam the steemstreets haha. I sure believe I won´t regret it, perhaps karma has something better for me along the way but if not, life was a hell of a ride :D
I´ll check your post out man, thanks for dropping by.
Its truly an amazing community. Very grateful to be here and grateful our paths have crossed!
Even if your life is hard in the future because you didn't toe the line and save up to fund your senior years (something along the lines of "saving up enough for a pool to decompose by" came to mind from another article I read long ago that from memory was basically saying the expectation that you need to "work for a living" was a load of crap) I don't think you will ever regret the decision or the experiences you gained from it :)
Fortunately my partner enjoys his line of work, I'm really trying to bust him out of the white picket fence mindset but like many other people with families and responsibilities he's entirely too addicted to the delusion of security. But we have plans. Not as grand and exciting as yours but plans nonetheless ;D
i wish you have good income here
Sometimes life does puts us in difficult situations the place where you were at your late 20's you can say i am kinda in a situation like this but glad you found the way you love but many can't and i do hope i as well find my way and be happy in my late 70's ;)
It is always a different path for everyone and that is the difference that makes us unique, and our story one that may not be the same for everyone. I get your point, my dad always tells me the same, sometime circumstances do not allow you to take risky decisions and that´s ok, but I hope most people take the best choices so like you, they can all be happy when being 20 and when being 70 :)
i find it very inspiring story , thank for sharing with us sir @anomadsoul i am 27 years old now i have a work that i can say is can only support for my family monthly expenses , and the problem is i am working away from my family, sometimes i been thinking to find another job but i am to afraid to try, or if i go back in my home country, can i sustain my family expenses to many question in my mind. sometimes it really hard to decide what to do. the only thing that can comfort me is the words from bible that "God has a plan for everyone " so i trust on it if God's will maybe i can find a more better job with the big salary near beside my family or to be able to manage my own business.
First of all Thanks for your support :)
I´m a traveller heart as well and therefor really enjoyed reading your philosophical article! Somehow we seem to be alike :D
I´m always going the most free way I can find. But for me 4 ex. that means always having a certain amount of money aside, because that gives me the freedom of not relying on others and follow my dreams. That doesn´t have to be much though :D but enough to pay for my next flight.
Greatings, Lisa
I agree 100%. I haven't traveled nearly as much as you, but I do like to live a life full of fun and adventure. Do all the things that I won't be able to do when I'm old you know. So many people put it off... they say "maybe someday", then it's someday and they are old and unable to do it. I like to think that I get rich in experiences instead of getting rich with money. I really do love your whole story man, you have such a great attitude. You are living the dream.
You are one of the Steemians I most admire because you are doing what you love and having fun while doing it! I put off my dreams for years and I am so glad it didn´t come to a "point of no return", tright now i can do this without jeopardizing my future (so much) hehehe. Thing is, dreams change and I sure hope that when my mine do, I´m able to keep following them with my heart :D
Wow thanks man, that means a lot to me. Your post about your climb up the volcano was one of the very first posts on Steemit that I read and really enjoyed when I first started. Not only was I totally hooked on following your adventures, but that post connected with me. As I read it I was thinking "Yes. This is so good, this is exactly what I want to do." To take the readers along on all my adventures through the stories and pictures. I was really inspired to really get into blogging on Steemit. Now almost 5 months later I have almost 500 followers, I've earned hundreds of Steem, I'm up to 54 rep, made lots of friends and follow tons of interesting people, and to top it off my latest post is my highest earning post yet!! Needless to say I'm very happy to be here on Steemit!
Me ha echo reflexionar sobre lo importante que es sentir los primeros rayos de sol en la mañana, sentir el calor en la piel, sentirse vivo y vital. Gracias por compartirlo Eric. @ anomadsoul
It's funny... I always choose the easy path out unless when its related to "Dreams"... I won't do something against my values even if it meant not choosing the easy or the comfort path.
This made me happy!! money supposed to make life better... what's the point of being rich but unhappy?
You will always remember this time as the time you found yourself. No thing can ever make you more comfortable than the deep knowledge that you knew you were listening to what called you. Congratulations on your choices.
Aw I love this!! Inspiration to have a little more YOLO mindset in my life!
But there comes a moment when you have to chose between two paths: The comfortable trail or the dream seeking path.
I remember that moment in my life. I'm still getting out of the poverty that my dreamseeking led me to, but it's coming. I'm working hard on a thing, and it's moving, and I'm so glad I did it. Regardless, SO WORTH IT. I agree with everything your wrote here. Great post, great ideas, friend <3
Oh man! I couldn't agree or relate more. I'm constantly fighting the battle between what I "should" do and what I "want" to do. I'm take a leap of faith as well, and going for the dream. Traveling, working on my business, being a writer on Steemit... basically anything that makes brings me joy. I think there is so much to live for and see in the world. Life is too short to start at age 70.
"it was making me miserable and making me intolerable to the people around me."
I can relate to this pretty easily. Back when I was doing what I was "supposed to be doing" I was miserable but not only that, i was kind of an asshole. I saw myself as a good person but I was a mess of emotions and it was a mess that I was putting onto others. What I would call decent and normal then, I call selfish and mentally ill now. Only when you live for yourself do you truly have the capacity to live for others.
Now after 5 years of this "adventure" my parents get on me about when I'm going to "settle down". But I spent 20 years being molded into something I wasn't, learning skills to be something I wasn't, and 5 years executing that plan....The first 4 years I had to spend really relearning everything and recovering from the trauma of going against my desires for so long. Now I am starting to get my shit together and I've moved at lightning speed in his process, only 5 years to undo 25 and start building something new!
Have I ever told you how much I absolutely fucking adore you? Sorry about the f bomb, but i wanted to make a point of it. This post. Beautiful. I am having some wine admittedly, but a lot has been on my mind of late about what I want going forward. I do have kids but I started super young and they are getting ready to be on their own. And what I want...is what you are doing. I'm a handful of years older than you, plenty young enough to start traipsing my way around this beautiful, wide world.
By the way, and this is partly the wine encouraging me lol, but I showed a few of my friends your picture and the consensus was "Yummm", hahahaha!
resteeming, this should be read and read again.
Hahahahaha!!! Then I must definitely go visit you to the States! Those friends are making me curious hahaha thank you so much for the resteem!
I also fucking adore you so much! Have I ever told you I´m pretty much writing like that since I won that contest yuo judged and I won? That is why I got confident to write whatever came to mind and since then I haven´t stopped.
Of course! I think you are in the correct stage to do whatever the hell you want to after the kids leave the nest (they are almost ready, I know from the posts I´ve read) so yesss!! Do you know how much I would love to read your adventures around the US (for example)?
LOL, a couple of them are in this post: https://steemit.com/life/@dreemit/my-epic-birthday-bash-and-what-s-a-party-without-games-or-presents
A couple of them are not, I'll have to scare up some pictures haha!
Lol that tag! Birthday extravaganza :P
ah, here's one ;)
Uhh lala <3 hahaha and I also checked your post :O I didnt see that one, it was from when i was not here yet I think :D
Wel... NY it is! I definitely have to go in the First semester of 2018!
And your post doubled sweet! Sometimes I have that effect, not always haha!
I still have to recommend you wait until at least spring- ny in the winter is not the most pleasant. Plus all of the fun get togethers happen in the nice weather lol!
@anomadsoul LOVE the picture,,,that view :) <3
Best wishes, - @splendorhub
Greetings @anomadsoul,
I identified with your post, when I was 26 I finally took a risk and went from a safe and promising job to traveling to distant cities and study as a broke college student to purse my passion for learning and teaching....and I can surely say, now that I'm way past 70 there is no sacrifice of comfort in taking the risk to follow your heart, and to find your passion.
You are rich with experience, there are few people with a million dollar in assets and property that have taken their time to explore 15 countries, and even fewer with 6figure salaries that have done this, even those who are twice your age.
You have allowed yourself to be happier, you're found freedom by unchaining yourself from the confines and propaganda of security and safety that are itself a form of illusions, and once you're broken free of the fears, the possibilities are limitless.
Well done young man! I'm following you now.
Highest Regards,
DrSMWong
Good article! I really loved your story how you traveled to SteemFest and I'm glad to meet you there. All the best, nomad! Live your dreams. maybe not only 20s, also 30s 40s.
XD
I definitely agree with you! If we are feeling unhappy, we should take an action and do something about it. We should go out of our comfort zone and take the risk. Good decision! ☺️