nomad4ever

That is probably a question everyone of us was asking him/herself already. When walking around in Jalan Doublesix a few days back, I passed a stall of used books and this one literally just “jumped into my eye”.

So I had to buy it for Rp 30.000, which was well worth it. Reading through it I was amazed over the similarities of what people struggle with and how and if they overcome their fears and doubts. Most people don’t get it written down on paper, what is their goal in life and how they can achieve a fulfilled time on earth. There is no difference if old or young, open-minded, well-educated or easy-going.

Looking for guidance and courage at this crossroads, it’s intriguing to learn from people who had unearthed their true calling, or at least those who are willing to try. Those who fought the seduction of industry, money and novelty, but overcame their allure. Those who broke away from the chorus to learn the sound of their own voice. Nothing seems more brave than facing up to one’s own identity, and filtering out the chatter that tells us to be someone we’re not.

We have to lose the respect for corporate leaders, no longer believe that technology would make our lifes better, and the attack on our freedom made life precious and weighty. People have to reassess what matters to them and what they believe in.

In this book, ordinary people are portraited, they are all real! They’re messy and complicated. It’s the antithesis to all those books which pretend that their one-size-fits-all formula will result in a rosy, happily-ever-after Hollywood ending.

Ususally it’s in hard times, when people changed the course of their lifes; in good times, they frequently only talk about change. Hard times force them to overcome the doubts and fears that normally gave them pause. It’s surprising how often we hold ourselves back until we have no choice.

So the people in this book suffered layoffs, bankruptcies, divorces, evictions, illnesses, and the deaths of loved ones, and as a result they were as likely to stumble into a better life as they were to arrive there by reasoned planning. They made their mistakes before summoning the courage to get it right. Their paths called into question the notion that a calling is something you inherently know when you’re young. Far from it. These people discovered in themselves gifts they rarely realized they had.

The author tries to answer the questions of people, who are afraid of their own courage and fears, such as:

• Should I put my faith in mystical signs of destiny, or should my sense of a “right fit” be based on logical, practical reasons?
• When should I accept my lot, make peace with my ambitions, and stop stressing out?
• Why do I feel guilty for thinking about this?
• Should I make money first, to fund my dream?
• How do I tell the difference between curiosity and a passion?
• How do I weight making myself a better person against external achievements?
• When do I need to change my situation, and when is it me that needs to change?
• What should I tell my parents and my family who are worried about me?
• If I have a child, will my frustration over my work go away?
• What will it feel like, once I get there? (How will I know I’m there?)

Some things really matter in ones life and some things are merely ‘that week’s noise’ intruding in ones life. And what about the stumbling blocks that prevent us from living our dream: never enough money, never enough time?! We’re aware of these constraints – they’re right in front of us, every day.

So is it a book about life, or about careers? “It’s best to not get trapped by semantics”, as Po Bronson put it. “it’s about people who’ve dared to be honest with themselves”. Let’s be honest. Let’s listen to our dreams and live them!

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Technorati : books, downshifting, finance, income, money, politics, property, rat race, retire, travel, wealth

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written by Chris