When young we usually just go for things, we don't think too much about it. We like it, we want it, we do it. We often cannot fathom that some things might be too risky as we lack life experience, or we simply don't care so much.

As you get older, you get a bit wiser, you have learnt a few things, got smacked around the head a couple of times too, hihi.
Could be good as it could help you to make healthier decisions & choices in life. But it can also cause you to become stagnant.

How is this for you? Do you still dare take risks or -when totally honest- are you too careful now? Maybe so much so that you have ended up stuck in life?

Do you dare do something new? Dare go out of your comfort-zone?

Compared to when you were younger, how much have you changed in this?
Are you now afraid to undertake 'bawsy' things or have you simply lost your drive?

A little over a year ago I would have said I lost my drive.

Over the last year that has changed, I've taken more risks than I can count over the last ten years. Especially in the last couple weeks with leaving Colorado and coming to New Hampshire with no job in sight.

It feels great and has opened the door for me to explore new things and find my true purpose, I seem to have lost that somewhere along the way a while back.

less but i know also know my comfort zone. when i was young dumb and invincible i didn't and was searching for it

Funny I had recently been thinking about that. I was thinking how when I was 21 I hopped in my car & spent 6 weeks on the road alone checking out collages in the Western US and seeing America. How I wouldn't do that now. Marriage put me in a shell, "family" didn't trust outsiders and chased away most friends. Breaking with my in-laws after my wife's death I wanted to get the old me back. So, with only Internet research I packed up & moved to Costa Rica by myself, not knowing anyone and knowing very little Spanish. I had rented a condo for 2 weeks in which to sink or swim. So yes I've changed but I would have to say, Still Crazy After All These Years!

I emigrated to Ireland in my mid 30s, starting a new life from square one. I think, this needs a wee bit of courage

I'm still just me.

Of course, i may put a little more
forethought into things, before i act..
But still.

Lars,
How do you like Dublin?
Spent last year in Gorey and traveled most of the republic.

It's alright. Living in a quiet estate on the outskirts of Dublin. But the city centre is rank.

Yes, I was thinking of you as well, haha. You basically were thrown out of your comfort-zone when you lost your home, right?
In general, sometimes the Universe throws something brutal on our path when we need to get off our rear end and don't do it. In retrospect it then turns out to kind of be a blessing in disguise. Much like the Tower Tarot card.
I'm truly happy how things have worked out for you!
I don't really know you, but I have seen on here from your answers and postings how much you have grown the last year, year and a half (not entirely sure, I don't keep logs, lol).
Again, don't know you, but your self-confidence levels seem to be so much higher! I never mentioned it, I didn't know if you were/are aware of it yourself, and it's quite personal to say.
But it has made me smile at times.

Beautiful insight, thank you for that!

Wonderful to read! And kudos to you for taking that step!

Yeah, but correct me if I'm wrong, you're not in your mid 30s anymore. So how about now? Are you living a full life, in the sense that you still do new things from time to time and get out of your comfort-zone? Or have you lost the drive and/or courage?
No judgement either way, I'm just curious how this changes in most people as they grow older.

Cool!

I'm in the shape I'm in now from taking chances, being ballsy, doing what I wanted, what I needed to, to live.

Now, I can barely do much as time, hard work in the past and doing dumb things when young has taken its toll.

Granted, it was probably going to happen anyway because of genetics, but I probably helped it along.

Life is short, and now it doesn't seem worth it all anymore. Anyone that knew me knows I'm not one to do nothing, theres so much left I want to do but may never get the chance now. Just to be able to get back outdoors, maybe even work again. Never take your abilities to work a job for granted, never take being able to do small things for granted, never take anything for granted because life is short, and can get very lonely when you can't live it.

Well, I am in my late 40s now. I came to Ireland in 2004.

It is a quiet life at home, since I threw out my ex wife. But in general, no day is the same. Times are changing, and we change within.

The reason I asked this is because of late I notice that I have lost my courage, and I sometimes find myself thinking "When the f*(k did that happen?"
Okay, I was never a major risk taker, but if I wanted something I used to go for it. I even decided to stay behind on my own in Australia at the age of barely 20 after a holiday with my mom and stepfather.
And yes, I was effing scared out of my mind when the coach took off and I saw them get smaller and smaller to then disappear from my sight.

The one thing that is always holding me back is having a safety-net, or not. Even when I stayed behind in Australia with just the $150 in my pocket I knew that when in chit I could phone my stepdad and he'd wire money.

A safety net can be a job, a partner, money (savings).

Right now I have no savings, I'm living of the lowest benefit, can't do jack, not allowed to do jack, and I want to break free as I'm fed up with it.
I want to travel, have fun, be able to buy the things I love, enjoy life. I have plenty of capacity, but I cannot work a regular job due to my neck injury. That means my own company... HUGE step. Many try, most fail. Tax is insane in this country.
And... I'd have no safety net if I get ill or cannot get clients. When employed your @$$ IS covered for that, not when having a company.
If I'd have money behind me, no problem. But I haven't. So in that sense I feel I'm going around in circles.
All I know is I want to be free, but not entirely sure how, and scared as hell, hihi.

Crystal,

Can what you want to do for a job be done over the internet?

I can certainly relate to your situation. I went from a 45k a year job with full benefits and insurance to nothing in one fell swoop. After 4 years of being turned down for jobs because of physical limitations, I applied for disability. That took another couple years. Now I have nothing and scared to.

Yes, if done over the internet. As long as I can sit up straight with my neck/head. That's why normal office work isn't possible as it always requires some form of paperwork (putting files away, working off paper to do stuff on PC etc.) and then I get in serious trouble.
What I want to do is coach people online in groups, not 1 on 1. There are no jobs for doing that. Which leaves starting as freelancer/own company which is a tremendous risk, huge step, especially with physical ailments. Then you're not covered if you fall ill, temporarily get no clients and so on and so forth. Plus, tax eats about 40% of revenue, so you'd have to have an awful lot of clients EACH month. I know people who do it, made a frigging fortune that way, but they also could invest a lot of time. I may not be able to do that cos of my problems. Stress makes it worse, it's the one things I have to avoid.
So I feel I'm stuck. I do not want to do nothing for the rest of my life. I'm only 52. And then there's the never having money for anything. Not handy when you want to date. Technically I cannot even buy clothes, even decent food is difficult.
Not how I want to live.
If only I COULD get disability. As far as I know, you can then earn extra, do volunteers work and so on. With the benefit I got, I can't. Not allowed to. I tried disability, but my ailments cannot be proven by science so I'm s(r*wed that way.
Difficult situation...
So I get your story!

Stupid things is... if I had a partner I COULD generate money because then the restrictions that come with the benefit would fall away... Isn't it ironic, haha.
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