“You don’t like my peaches, then don’t you shake my tree. Get out of my orchard, let my peaches be” Harry Manx – Sittin’ on top of the world, (2004).
I have had a few irritating encounters these past few days that made me realise that the path of the working vagabond can initially be a bit isolating.
A few days ago I bumped in to an old friend who proceeded to ask me what I was up to these days. I guess I gave him a brief update of what I’d been doing since we last saw each other (university, work, travelling etc). When I started telling him about my new business plans (working remotely from anywhere in the world, earning money from websites etc) he became very negative about the whole thing. You will never make a salary doing that, how will you ever afford a house blah blah blah. I ignored all that nonsense and went about my day.
Today I have had the same negative response to my plans from 3 separate people. The first encounter was with a former colleague who proceeded to tell me that my business would never work, but there may be a job going in the office if I was interested. No thanks matey. Next I spoke to a friend from university and got pretty much the same response “grow up, get a job, yada yada yada”.
I was already sick of hearing that my ideas were pipe dreams when an old family friend popped round to see my new house. While enjoying a cup of tea she proceeded to heap piles of negativity on top of me. “Still renting then I see”. “When are you going to settle down and buy your own house?” After biting my tongue several times I then had to sit there and listen to how well her children are doing, all the money they are earning, the big houses they own, the new cars etc etc.
After she had finally left me in peace I went a bit mad and found myself alone in my house laughing my head off while shouting “HOW DARE I” “HOW DARE I DO WHAT I WANT WITH MY OWN LIFE”.
I guess when you decide to try and start what many people consider an unconventional business it will always be met with scepticism. I also think that all of the people who are being so negative towards my plans are probably unhappy with their own lives. When confronted by someone who is trying to start a business that will enable them to work anywhere in the world and be their own boss, perhaps they feel a bit inadequate. It’s a shame because it’s starting to make me not want to bump in to people I know and love. I really dread that question “so where are you working at the moment?”
Anyhow, I have no intention of giving up on my dreams because a few people don’t believe that I can achieve them. I am at a point in my life where if I don’t give this business model a shot now I may never get another chance. If I fail, all I have lost is a bit of time and a bit of money, no big deal. At least I won’t spend my life bored out of my mind with a crappy 9-5 and an a**hole of a boss wandering what might have been if only id given it a shot.
Fortunately there are thousands of people like me who actually make a full time living online. It is their success that keeps me going when the lunatic in my head tells me to quit.
I feel your pain man! You’ll grow immune to it. Just keep immersing yourself in the company of the right people – mainly online probably.
You won’t fail unless you decide to give up.
good luck,
Keith
Hi Keith, thanks for stopping by.
I agree with you about not giving up. The nature of the business means that its perfectly feasible to go back to a 9 til 5 for a while, then come back to the online business later. When you consider that fact, there really is no reason to ever give up, rather just keep slowly pushing on.
Its really great to be able to communicate with people who are trying to succeed at the same game, the community of people at affilorama/affiloblueprint is fantastic, as are all the individual blogs that members make to track their progress and document their mistakes. Its really refreshing as the majority of people that I know in the real world just dont understand what im doing at all.
I dont ever want to look back and regret not trying something out just because I was worried about what other people would think.
Take it easy mate and heres to our future success
Seems to me that if people allow themselves to believe you can live your dreams, the vast majority are too afraid to make the attempt, so better to believe it can’t be done!
And maybe some of them are living their dream, but trying to fault you for not sharing the same dream.
I say: Go For It!! You already ARE doing what they say can’t be done! I’ll be cheering from the sidelines
From another person living an unconventional dream,
hollyhock
Hi Holly, I think your right in what you say. The negativity doesn’t really bother me anymore, I just get on with working hard and pushing things forward. There were a few weeks at the beginning where I was just getting a bit overwhelmed with other peoples issues which prompted this post.
My advice if you ever encounter the same thing, just ignore it and carry on doing things your own way.
I never got that attitude that some people have whereby they try and force their views onto others. I prefer to do my own thing in my own time, and quite happily extend the same courtesy to others.