I Lost Everything and Found Myself — Here’s How

In the 1st half of my life, I looked to the world for clues on how to live.

I looked to family, friends, neighbors, strangers — really anything in my purview.

Some of the clues were blatantly obvious:

✔️ Get a good job at a good, solid company.

✔️ Work your ass off, and climb the corporate ladder.

✔️ Make lots of money.

✔️ Buy the stuff that will show others you make lots of money.

Some of the less obvious yet seductively persuasive clues:

• Work isn’t fun.
• You are your job.
• Stuff will make you happy.
• Don’t aim too high; that’s not for you.
• You can’t make money pursuing your dreams.
• Making money as a creative is really hard and not for you.
• Health insurance and a 401k are some of the most important things.
• It’s all about retiring comfortably.
• You can start living when you retire.

There are plenty more, but these are the ones jumping out to me now.

So, I took these clues and designed a life I believed would get me what I wanted.