Stay in your comfort zone means;
You want to be surrounded by friends and family who are there the second you need help while living in a daily routine. Leaving this ‘protected’ life is for most humans not an easy task and for some even unthinkable. Ok, maybe a week or two on vacation… Others get out asap to explore the world, preferably on their own. I tried and did a lot of things in my life, worked and lived in different parts of the world, growing slowly away from my hometown Antwerp, Belgium.
Thanks to my parents that moved to Spain when I was 5, playing on the beach with our dogs under the Mediterranean sun and going to the local ‘Spanish only’ school. Soon I felt the difference already when unfortunately, we had to move back to cold and gray Belgium after 4 years due to a missed business deal. Spending my teen’s craving for a warm and sunny climate and a relaxed lifestyle. I worked hard to finance my early travels and to stay away as far and long as possible. Of course, the result, I didn’t spend too much time working and paying taxes in Belgium so I have no right to a retirement allowance or contribution of any kind… Another important reason that most people don’t like to leave their comfort zone…
Now I am 51 already (ajaijaiii)
There is constantly this little voice whispering to me; ‘get a move on and make some extra cash for your old days… soon’. However, even for the people who do have the right to a retirement, there will be not too much left the way governments are spending everybody’s money. Especially if you don’t have any property when you reach that entitled age. For sure not enough to live in freedom and abundance that everybody deserves by that time, not even talking about their health at the age of 65.
Most of my friends suffer to get by;
Maybe they can afford 4 weeks of vacation in one year to unwind, reload and really enjoy life. More likely, close to a depression or burnout and still have more than 20 years to go…
With a lot of regrets.
In my opinion;
Everybody (where I come from and most of the world) has the same choices in life: Stay in your comfort zone or get the f’ out a.s.a.p. and explore the world with zero regrets after.
You can always turn back and nobody can take those adventures and obtained knowledge away from you after.
But IF you find THE way that makes you happy and fulfilled with financial freedom,… DAMN that feels goooood! It’s all about the mindset you have since young age or getting fed up with the mainstream of ‘The real life’ later on. So, you need to ask yourself; “what do I really want out of life?” Actually it’s all about a growing curiosity boiling in your mind and heart on how the world looks like ‘outside’ that comfort zone.
Of course it also depends on the humans’s choice to reproduce;
Yes or no. That means that if you have the ‘urge’ to have kids at a young age. Most likely you will stay in that comfort zone for the reason of protection and security. Naturally there are always exceptions and we met a lot of those couples on our travels. They choose to travel long term with their kids. It also depends on the age and individual development of the youngsters involved.
I would say, the smaller the better as they are more adaptable. Also, not yet required to attend school or can follow a home study program. That ‘medium way’ is to be found with parents who researched to the bone. Go for an interesting expat job in another country or got lucky to represent their company abroad. The best option is when the company pays also for accommodation and your kid’s educational expenses. It gets a bit more complicated when teenagers are bigger. They already created their own circle of friends and own environment.
.jpg)
We have friends who did exactly that;
They took their kids on a great adventure. In this case it requires some serious research, organization and needs a masterplan. With some it went just fine and others had to turn back due to insufficient financial income. Specially to pay expensive international or private schooling. When the local ‘free’ education in the land of new residence is of low quality. They didn’t have another choice but at least they tried and got smarter in the process. With some luck, going back “home” with new business ideas to start over.
But this comes with a new issue;
Find a way to convince the kids to go back to their home country and leave this new adventurous life behind. At least they learned a lot more in the meantime, specially personal development, living abroad. The difference in environment, rituals and beauty of other cultures made them smarter and more experienced than the friends in their home country.
“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” Jerzy Gregorek
