Is it possible to truly do what I want to do and find peace/happiness in the world today?

As a United States citizen, I realize that education, money, and a career are fairly important things to succeed in life. I'm still very young, and I've just recently graduated high school. I have lately come to realize, that I do not just want to be another person, who spends a large sum of money to go to college, graduates to work a 9-5 job for fifty years, miserable, until I die. And I realize, no one wants to work but it's a way of life, there's no really getting out of it since that's just how society is today.
But I mean, the world is SUCH a beautiful beautiful mysterious wonderful place - and I don't believe we were put here to work our whole lives and be unhappy. I want to travel the world and experience LIFE. But can I really find happiness in todays world doing such things? Of course I will need money to pay for my transportation, food, and a place to stay. I don't know, this is all kind of mind vomit but I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I really don't know what I want to do.. What are your thoughts?

reply to post by kolumbus


yes you can, im doing it, since 4 years ago i left the system, im 31 now, just do what you love and don't expect nothing out of it.

love.

reply to post by kolumbus


Best advice I can give is travel for a bit when you're young if you can afford it. Then go to school and find something that you love, that feels right. Get an education, the World becomes more beautiful with one.

reply to post by kolumbus


yes you can, im doing it, since 4 years ago i left the system, im 31 now, just do what you love and don't expect nothing out of it.

love.

Plenty of entrepreneurs; small business owners; writers and movie makers live without dragging themselves to a "God I hate this place" job.

If it was "easy"; everybody would do it. What makes you "different" (?) You won't take "no" or settle for "mediocrity"? there's your strength. Stay away from life-entagling bad decisions that lock you in an destroy your options (i.e. drugs/alcohol/ jail time/ young pregnancy/ heavy indebtedness/i.e.student loans.)

You are "different" IF you take this dream and act on it instead of: going to "work", coming home, drinking yourself to oblivion in front of a t.v. every night to pay for the fancy car in the driveway( you think your "friends" care about)...and that's valuable. Do something you love for somebody; become the"best"or at least the"best" in your price range or neighborhood and without huge debt or obligations you are on your way to a more fulfilling life.

It's still more "WORK"
than most people will stand for. For lousy starting pay.

My opinion is that because humans have taken themselves away from nature then we can never be truely happy. Since Civilisation began man has chased the $, and got caught up worrying about things that used to come by right. Like buying food and having somewhere to live. Now people are enslaved to this because they need money to have both of these and now we worry about being able to afford these where as mother nature wanted in the past we just went out and took it.

For all Civilisation and technology has given us it has never given humans what nature can provide. If there was a programme where you could go live on your own island and fend for yourself for the rest of your life, I would take it in a heartbeat. The sould shouldn't be tied down with worry it should just concerntrate on living.

reply to post by michael1983l

Never seen a homeless person with a backpack? Your are talking about a non-existant fantasy.

No one is stopping you!!. Monday pickup your pack and walk into the forest for a week;commune with nature all you want; fish; sleep on boughs; if by Friday you are not headed back to town for a big mac or three I'll eat this keyboard.

May I suggest finding a job in the travel business.

Airlines
Cruise Ships
Secret Agencies

reply to post by michael1983l


I agree with what you are saying 100%. I wish I could just come up with enough money to buy an island, get my own little community together, go there and just LIVE. I always say this. Unforunately, we are a little enslaved in the way that the world is today

Originally posted by Domo1
reply to post by kolumbus

 

Best advice I can give is travel for a bit when you're young if you can afford it. Then go to school and find something that you love, that feels right. Get an education, the World becomes more beautiful with one.

Wow, this is very similar to what I would say. Only instead of traveling vacation style, I'd suggest actually moving around. I took a couple of years and lived in several states and it let me grow up more completely in a way. Sure, people are similar everywhere you go, but at the same time there are some interesting differences too. And it really does something to a young mind when it is forced to go out into the big world on its own and survive for a couple of years... gives you a bit of wisdom perhaps, and lets you figure out what makes you 'happy'.

And then I'd highly suggest going to school after you've travelled. Too many kids are wasting their education because they just don't really realize how lucky they are to have it, and they don't care about what they are learning. Go to school when you know what you want to learn about.

The things you strive for, hunger for, to know people, what life is all about, are things you should discover at your age, while you can. TPTB don't want to offer you this opportunity before you committ your life to slavery.

I have a very cool friend here in Arizona who is from Japan. She is a pro for being able to figure out how to travel on a penny and experience these things.

You can figure out how to do it like she did.

She equates her travels to always having toilet paper. "Where there is a full roll, take some extra!"

Not sure what she means, but this sharp gal never starves or wants for anything.

reply to post by 46ACE


If a homeless person pitches up a tent in the city center he gets arrested. If a homeless person takes a farmers lamb, he gets arrested. Deny ignorance, we were born in a cave we should die in the cave.

Originally posted by kolumbus
reply to post by michael1983l

 

I agree with what you are saying 100%. I wish I could just come up with enough money to buy an island, get my own little community together, go there and just LIVE. I always say this. Unforunately, we are a little enslaved in the way that the world is today

I would do that if ever a group got together to try. How much would we need?

You can always get an education first, then go apply to be a volunteer, or English teacher in some foreign land. And keep that up if you like the travel factor.

So many people are doing it, so its not impossible.

Also being a native English speaker helps when you want to be a teacher in all of those wonderful mysterious countries in the East ^^

reply to post by AlphaBetaGammaX


Several states? I am sure you said travel the world previous to that. You do realise that there are other countries outside of the US of A

reply to post by kolumbus


For me, the key has been to find work that is meaningful - to me, at least, and hopefully to others as well. It took me a long time to figure out that I should be a teacher. I go back to work on Tuesday, and I can honestly hardly wait. I get to work with 21 fascinating young people who are just starting to figure out how the world works. What a privilege! It truly doesn't feel like work at all.

So I would say to go ahead and explore the world a little bit, then go and explore college or university. Keep in mind always the things that made you happy as a child. It's almost guaranteed that they will still make you happy as an adult. Then, find a way to make a living doing one, or more, of those things.

The fact that you're asking these questions leaves me confident that you'll do alright.

In all seriousness though, we can never be happy. At one time I thought all I wanted was to have the perfect wife and the perfect children, now I have that all that want has been replaced by something else. I hate being greedy but I just can't help it.

I think you answered your own question, "I don't really know what I want to do", one that will stay with you throughout your life. This is the journey!

So start with the things you are inspired to do, if you are lucky you will get paid to do it, and then if you are really lucky you will discover peace and happiness in your World.

Sounds like it is time to soul-search! Figure out your foundation and build upon it. School is not the only means at which you can succeed.

One thing I can add is that I know more people who have passed away before they ever turned 40, and so all the struggling they did and all the backbreaking, heart-aching commitments they took on did not amount to much on the scale of that journey of life. Life can cheat you and beat you unless you discover your heart! Then follow your own beat and path and even if your journey took you only partially across the globe you will be a happy person for it.

Good luck, I have a suspicion that you are going to find a door very soon! Open it and step through, there will be plenty of doors to come!

reply to post by michael1983l


Not sure - never looked into the price of an island!
I'm sure it would totally doable though if we could actually get a large group together that wanted to do this. haha

reply to post by nusnus


Wow I have never even thought of that! And I oddly enjoy English/grammar.. How amazing would that be! Thanks for replying