About a year ago now, I set off to move halfway across the globe to start a business with a good friend of mine. I fully burned my boats and cut myself off from all other options. I raised about 10k in loans from friends and relatives, and tried my very hardest to make it work. Unfortunately, everything went to hell and I lost it all. I lost my car. I lost all of my money and went into debt. I lost my place to live. I lost my girlfriend and most of my friends. And I was extremely fortunate not to have lost much more than that. I think one of the worst things that I lost though, was my freedom.
I've spent the last...4 months now, working at several soul eroding, barely above minimum wage jobs, ever so slowly chipping away at the debt I've accumulated and trying to get my life back together. I come on here each day and read about the awesome things everyone is doing, and it makes me desperate to cast off these damn shackles I've acquired...but, I find that I've become absolutely terrified of what happens if I take a chance and lose again.
All I can think about before I actually commit to anything is...damn, it took me this long to pull myself not even half-way back from the brink, while also having been extremely fortunate that it wasn't much, much worse. What if it happens again? What if it is worse next time? I feel like I'm paralyzed with this overwhelming fear of the consequences of my actions if I fail again.
I guess more than anything, I was hoping that others who have had this experience would be willing to share it here, and what you did to get yourself back up again...mentally, and financially.
Did you have that feeling of fear that I described? How did you work through it? How did you take action and commit to something uncertain again, while having lived through the consequences of what happens when it doesn't work out? I've read small snippets of some of the stories of the posters here, and I know that my own story is pretty tame compared to a lot of those of you here who've gone through this.
Thanks for the read, and for your story if you've got it to share.
I've spent the last...4 months now, working at several soul eroding, barely above minimum wage jobs, ever so slowly chipping away at the debt I've accumulated and trying to get my life back together. I come on here each day and read about the awesome things everyone is doing, and it makes me desperate to cast off these damn shackles I've acquired...but, I find that I've become absolutely terrified of what happens if I take a chance and lose again.
All I can think about before I actually commit to anything is...damn, it took me this long to pull myself not even half-way back from the brink, while also having been extremely fortunate that it wasn't much, much worse. What if it happens again? What if it is worse next time? I feel like I'm paralyzed with this overwhelming fear of the consequences of my actions if I fail again.
I guess more than anything, I was hoping that others who have had this experience would be willing to share it here, and what you did to get yourself back up again...mentally, and financially.
Did you have that feeling of fear that I described? How did you work through it? How did you take action and commit to something uncertain again, while having lived through the consequences of what happens when it doesn't work out? I've read small snippets of some of the stories of the posters here, and I know that my own story is pretty tame compared to a lot of those of you here who've gone through this.
Thanks for the read, and for your story if you've got it to share.
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