As I kayaked to the middle of the lake to watch the sunrise, I realized something: I had made it. No more self-doubts, no more soul-searching, no more nights of wondering about my financial future.
It was at this moment that I realized exactly who I was and what I wanted. I’m not saying this path is for everyone, you just need to follow your own personal dream, your own journey of wonders. And yes, live life to the fullest. You deserve it.
Do you want to know the secret behind my success? Talent, hard work and luck, lots of luck.
The importance of accepting that you are a lucky person
Most people at the top will always have the arrogance to claim that they made it there all because of themselves and will actually get defensive if you start to imply that luck had anything to do with their success. And trust me, they are wrong.
Today there are many people more talented than I who are complete unknowns thanks to the fact that they are not lucky enough to have obtained the same opportunities that I had. And the complete opposite is also true. Still not convinced?
Just think about it for one second. Did you choose the country where you were born? Did you choose the family that raised you? Did you choose your mentors during your growing years? No, you didn’t. Those were all random acts of fate. Luck, if you want to call it that way.
For every baby born to a wealthy family, there are millions of babies born in the ghettos of poverty. A small percentage of them will rise and become wealthy themselves, the majority of them will not. And it’s not because they are worse people than the rich ones, it’s simply because they were unlucky enough to be born in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I cannot understand how people can say “I’m proud to be (insert country name here)”. Did they really choose that nationality? Or was it just a matter of luck? Would you dare to say “I’m proud to have red auburn hair?”, “I’m proud to have white skin?”, “I’m proud to have wealthy parents?”, “I’m proud to have been born without any genetic defects?”.
It sounds stupid because you didn’t choose to have red hair, to be white, to be born wealthy or to come to this world without any genetic defects. It just happened. It was pure luck. Deal with it.
Why I’m not offended when people say I’m lucky to travel
I get it. We travelers have made a lot of sacrifices to do the things we do and yes, some of us are easily offended by comments such as “you are lucky to travel the world like you do” because we feel that it somehow diminishes our sacrifices but hey, think about this for a second:
I am lucky to have been born in a country that doesn’t have as many visa restrictions as other nations. I am lucky to have been born into a family that prioritized education over pointless luxuries. I am lucky to have been born healthy and without any genetic defects that could have affected my upbringing.
I am lucky to have been born in a society that doesn’t value talent and hard work, thus, giving me the incentive to carve my own path. I am lucky to have had amazing mentors that educated me about the importance of languages and culture. I am lucky to have been able to master a specific set of skills that allows me to work from anywhere in the world.
I am lucky to have the complete support of my friends and family in this journey of mine. I am lucky to have the encouragement of my readers. I am lucky to be alive.
So yes, I am very lucky to have the right circumstances that allows me to travel all year-long without having to worry about money, visas and health. Not many people have the same luck and it’s important for us to understand and respect that.
I get e-mails all the time from readers asking for advice about how to have the same lifestyle I have and my answer is always the same: “It depends on your specific circumstances, nationality and marketable skills”.
There is no magic formula and yes, some people got unlucky in the lottery of life so traveling the world is way more difficult for them than for the rest us… but far from impossible.
Whenever someone tells you how lucky you are, don’t get mad. Embrace it. And yes, it is always important to give some luck back to the rest of the world because in the end luck is that special moment where talents meet opportunity and yes, there’s always space at the top for more than one.
Today I’m feeling lucky. How about you? What are you thankful for today?
