Quote: (11-25-2010 07:52 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:
I'd like to ask question to the entire community in here, but more specificially to those of you who are successful in your global mobile lifestyle: have you noticed that as you started getting successful, leaving behind you your JOB and the rat race and started travelling the world whenever you wanted, have you noticed that some of your friends and even relatives are starting to detach themselves from you, even trying to ignore you? I've noticed this specially on my facebook page where I only have relatives and only my very best friends as I don't add anyone just for the sake of adding someone. And these people that I've know for years, some of them even I grew up with, as I am here in Asia and having the time of my life, living my life on my terms, doing the very thing that I have always wanted to do and they know that as i've shared those dreams and aspirations with them all along. I am sensing that they are indifferent, almost even ignoring me and as if I were threatening them and being a threat to them. And that's what truly baffles me. The reason I am asking and I care and I ask you guys is because these are people I've known for a long time, some of them for ever and it hurts to see them react that way to my success. If they were just one time aquaintances, I wouldn't even care nor give a flying schloof about it but relatives and friends I've known for ages, that hurts.
It's not that I got lucky and I won the lottery or that I've been trafficking drugs and doing other illegal stuff. Luck has absolutely nothing to do in that as I've worked my butt off to get to that level. I've had my fair share of hard times when I still remember the days when I only had 5 bucks in my wallet and had to decide whether to spend that on the bus ticket home from work/school or to get a snack/hot dog as I was starving and yet my pride wouldn't let me ask my parents for money even tough they would have gladly given it to me. So this is what truly baffles me: you'd expect these people that are close to you, being happy and supportive of your decisions and the way you've decided to live your life and instead, they give you the cold shoulder. I've done nothing more than making my goal of living my life on my terms a reality and going after my dreams and not follow the typical path of JOB, marriage, 2.5 kids, SUV and house in the suburbs. As the old proverb says, in life, there are 2 doors: one is called Security and the other is called Freedom. And if you opt for security, you'll lose both. I've chosen a long time ago that Freedom is what I want and aspire to. And after finally getting there, it seems from their perspective, I made the wrong choice. I mean, is it a bad thing, or worst a mistake or a crime to want to live your life the way you want and not follow the same patern as everyone else as a sheep? why can't they understand and respect that? It's not that I'm taking anything away from them. Ultimately, we all have the same opportunities in front of us, the difference being that some will go after them and others will just watch from the sidelines. So have any of you encountered the same shift in perception from the people in your life whether they'd be relatives, or long time friends after your success and them still being stuck at the JOB?And how do you cope with it, specially emotionally as that's the tougher part to take. I'd appreciate your feedbacks and would love to hear your stories on that aspect of our lifestyle.
I don't know if I buy your whole story or what but, the truth is, most people are weak and need structure to go about their day to day activities. Whether its self imposed or forced on them, they choose to follow the beaten path that other people have already followed before them. Your choices are a reminder of what they've given up. Their freedom. Your choices prevent them from being able to be happy for you (if you truly are happy) because, like most people, they are small and your success is considered by them to be unworthy of you. On some level they understand this is wrong but, they can't help themselves and rather than openly not like you, they disassociate themselves from you because it's easier. Of course, you could just be running your mouth on you status updates about how great your life is all the time and that's just plain fucking annoying.