Losing an inheritance is easy because saying no is hard
I lost everything I got to get nothing.
I bet big and fell down damn strong.
Losing my dad’s inheritance in less than two months taught me a lot of hard life-lessons I will keep with me wherever I go.
For sure, it built hope and made me and my family dream to live in a dream place. A land of opportunities.
Yet, the reality I ended up with it is that our dream place to live was not somewhere else but in the current one. Yet we still did bet on it at all cost.
Betting all you have (sometimes limited) resources to chase a dream is a hard damn decision.
I know it because I have gone through this a few times in my life.
There is no problem of putting all your eggs on your dreams. On the opposite, you should.
Yet, carving out, knowing and being really honest about the WHY'S is your dream, it makes the chances to succeed high and will make you feel less guilty if you get a setback.
I am a true believer that greatness and any form of success comes from this kind of grit-soul decisions.
Just make sure you are really crystal clear why this is your dream and not someone’s else desire.
A gem that worth more than a life
My Dad got through twelve years of a civil war. Yes 12 long and tough years.
He fought as David against Goliath. He suffered a lot.
Once the war finished, he worked freaking damn hard for several years to buy a small piece of land — a gem that later would be the land where my dreams as an entrepreneur started.
It also turned out to be the love nest where my girlfriend now my wife and I spent sweet moments. Unforgettable moments.
After a few years, it was my inheritance from my Dad. A sacred gift.
Deep down, I knew the worth of my Dad gift.
It is a well-positioned land near downtown city. A great location for any kind of businesses.
So much so, I often got purchasing and renting offers. In fact, that was the place I used to start my first small restaurant.
Yet, I lost that gem in a blink of an eye. I sold it in pursuing a dream.
Losing an inheritance is easy because saying no is hard
I sold my father’s inheritance, trying to land a job abroad and get a work permit and study Canadian Visa.
At first, when I bet on that move, I used to argue that it was worth it even if I end up losing that money.
Although, to be honest, deep down in myself, I didn’t visualize a rejection or loss, I was fully convinced that my dreams would come true.
It was exactly the opposite. Life had prepared a setback for me.
It hurt. It broke my heart and I rock bottom thinking how hard my Dad had to work to get it.
But I instead sold and lost it overnight, dreaming with abroad when all I needed was already at my current land.
I lost all that money in less than two months.
Don’t ask me about the details and numbers. I barely remember how much I spent on each move.
What I am 100% sure is that I was witness of 12k+ in my bank account one day and suddenly had has gone.
The hard lesson here is that you dream with a wrong place.
Your dream place is where you are now, not where you want to go
The grass is greener on the other side of the fence — Robert Fulghum
When it comes to look for better opportunities, most people believe that things might be different just after the beginning of the other side.
Most of them are wrong. They get caught out on the endless hamster wheel of greener of the other side.
Not for nothing the saying states that the other side is always greener than your side.
Don't try to beat the other side. It’s the biggest trap.
Those who still jump in will face a reality. A partial or totally different reality to what they thought.
Knowing all this, you might still want to lie to yourself, so it is up to you from now on.
Stop looking outside. Start looking inside.
Your dream place to live might not be somewhere else, but in your current land, you just don’t know it yet.
For sure, there are exceptions. If you or your loved ones are in danger or any other exceptional life circumstances., the current place is not at all the dream place.
As you read, this is the exception, not the rule.
Is it logical of putting all your eggs on your dreams?
No.
It is not logical wherever you look at it.
Your eggs mean all your current resources, whether limited or not.
This could be an inheritance, your life savings, your paycheck, a loan or whatever is at your hands at the moment of making the decision.
In my case, it was the inheritance. This was all I had by then.
It was too risky to lose it, but I didn't see it that way. I was really focused on getting the outcome.
Even though this was a non-logical financial move, I don't regret.
It taught me that when pursuing your dreams, one failure will lead you to your next big thing.
To me, this is the hidden cost of figuring out the next big move in your life.
Ending Thoughts
When it comes to achieving your dreams, setbacks are inevitable. You want it or not, something need to take toll on you.
Indeed, losses are just part of the journey. Most of successful story has 80% rate of failures.
So who ensure you are exempt of it? Nobody.
Even though this was a big loss financially, there are two crucial things that shaped my life forever.
- I can speak out loud and say I tried it. I have no regrets. I did not paralyze but act trying to accomplish my dreams.
- This reminded me that an end justifies the means, at first I felt bad, but then I let it go. We need to move on, the sooner, the better.
Finally, if you are thinking to bet your abundant or limited resources, I strongly recommend you to do it.
Just ensure you are honest enough with yourself about the Why’s you being doing.
I hope this help you in some form. Thanks for reading.
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