Choosing to live your dream, work-anywhere lifestyle…or at least go searching for it like we did has been called brave, foolish, brilliant, inspiring and fantastic by various people who know what we’re doing.
One of the biggest challenges we faced when creating this unconventional, location independent lifestyle for ourselves was the negativity & fears of those closest to us. People often don’t realise how easily a throw-away remark can send you into spasms of doubt, insecurity and the worst-nightmare-realms because your dreams are precious and delicate. Sometimes they do realise…and this is the worst sabotage of all.
More often than not (in fact pretty much all the time), these doubts your nearest and dearest have about whether you are doing the ‘right’ thing or not are founded upon their own deep-seated beliefs & fears.
Here are some of the obvious & not-so-obvious things people may say to throw you off course & sabotage your precious dreams of location independence: (many of these are actual things people have said to us in the past 6 months)
- Are you sure you know what you’re doing?
- Is it really safe there? I heard…..
- What makes you think you can do it? I tried & failed…
- Isn’t that really dangerous/reckless/risky?
- But how will you….?
- What about your pensions?
- I can’t see how that will work.
- I can’t see you living overseas.
- I’ve never thought of you as that kind of person.
- What if …. happens?
- What will you do when you get back?
- How do you know it’s going to work?
There is very rarely anything you can say to allay the fears of these people and it does of course make it upsetting & difficult for you if they happen to be your nearest & dearest.
The best advice I can give is this…be sure to do your homework and make your plans to succeed as far as you can. Just doing it & showing them that you can make it work is the only way they are going to believe you.
And, if the worst happens just know that these people, if they love you, won’t say “See, I told you so” but will welcome you back with open arms and give you all the help & support you need, when you need it the most.