Follow Your Own Path

Isn't it quite insane that only so few people out of the so so many do what they want to do in life?

When I was doing my degree in tax law I talked to a guy about what we both wanted to do after the course.

I was already then sure that I want to go about on my own - to start and build something myself. I had no clue what it would be but I knew that being a cog in the 9-5 wheel is definitely not what I want to do.

He seemed very passionate about traveling - I could tell the way he was talking about it. There was no way he actually wanted to become another tax adviser (cog) in a faceless corporate firm.

But that he became.

It's a pity because he was a very interesting person. I'm sure he would've created something amazing and interesting for this world. But instead, he became another wheel in the big machine. A big loss of potential.

Now, I have nothing against people becoming lawyers or accountants - if that's what they want to do. The thing is - almost nobody does. I've asked some people I've studied together if they're happy they chose to join a tax firm. They're not.

Sure, they're making more money than I am but they're also stuck in Luxembourg or Belgium while I travel the world, stay anywhere I want, and do my own thing.

I'm writing this very article in the biggest Starbucks in Thailand. It happens to be Saturday, but I don't care what day it is as I can do the same thing on Monday. My friends at Deloitte probably can't.

Here's the question you can ask yourself whenever you're at the crossroads and know that you should be making the jump but are too scared.

Ask yourself this:

"If I'm 80 years old and I look back at my life, would I regret the decision? Would I regret making that jump? Would I regret taking that risk?"

I asked myself this question recently, and the answer was a clear "no".

In fact, most questions you'd ask yourself would end up with a clear "NO". So why not do them? They may be bad decisions, sure, but at least your life would be more interesting when you look back at it on your deathbed.

Think about it, would anyone really say that they regret not working for 40 years at some office?

We only have a couple of decades to make interesting stuff. When you're 40 and tired of your job, you won't suddenly quit your job, start a business and travel the world. No, by that time you're done. Society has trapped you in good. The likelihood of escape is close to zero.

The world is your playground. You can do whatever you want.

K.