It felt like you were talking to me over a cup of coffee. Love this for you! To know that you're living the life you want at such a young stage in your life is true wealth.
I got a job in business for the first time in my life several years ago and honestly? It was awful compared to academia and education. I don’t know how people live like that with the constant demands on your time and the endless performance indicators that mean nothing if you step on someone’s toes the wrong way.
Can’t believe that *this* is what people are told is making it in life. I completely agree with you that making the life you want is what brings happiness, even if it comes with its own costs!
Thank you so much for sharing! Currently in a transition period myself, from jobs that I knew I couldn't continue working in, to a job that I could grow and enjoy for a long time. It's such a mindset change, and hasn't been easy. I never thought I'd ever get a job l could be happy AND not stressed in. Hoping as time moves on, I'll have created a life that feels so much better than the one I used to live in.
May you find it. I cannot tell you how often I teared up, thinking the happy days being content with my work and life was long gone. It felt like a long stretch of bad jobs where I often wondered why I kept going on. And yet here I am ... I hope it'll give you some hope in your journey.
This was wonderful to read. What you wrote about ambition, fanciness and choosing simplicity resonated with me. It was cathartic to read your experiences when you felt that 'doomsday' kinda terror, where you felt that this was the worst thing that could have happened. Ngl, the pandemic years were one of the most terrible times, if not the most. But I'm glad that you came out happier out of it.
P.S. Love the way you write, feels like you're having a conversation with me as I read your lines.
I am glad you enjoyed my little essay. I wrote it in the hopes that people can see the silver lining in their lives too :) I am the sort of the person who automatically looks for it in any situation i'm in, but the pandemic certainly challenged my limits!
I'm stunned by how similar our experiences were - the lockdown was pretty bad here in the Philippines too. Like you, I left my unhealthy job before the lockdown and also tried to fall back on freelance writing/teaching jobs - but alas. I also ended up having to dig into my savings for a long time.
I feel so similarly - an unextraordinary life, especially in our world glazed over with glamour, is a huge success in my book. Glad to have found you on Substack!
I'm glad you saw the "light" too.The pandemic was a strange time, so awful for most, yet, it showed many of us that we were more than we thought we were.
So sorry for the late reply. I know how it feels to be at the praecipe of change, feeling both hopeful and worried. Whatever happens, it'll still be one step closer to your goal. :)
This is so beautiful and I could not agree more. It doesn’t take much to live a beautiful life, and in fact minimizing our lives sometimes makes that even easier!
Definitely living as a minimalist and making sure that my finances are simple and there's no debt played a huge part in my peace. It took a lot of sacrifice and dogged determination, but the peace of my mind I have now is worth it.
So glad that you carved out the life you want to live! It is really true we don't need much to be happy, in fact I find small happiness and pride in being frugal and self sufficient, all these was taught to me by backpacking. Nothing like having your home on your back and limited amount of budget to stretch but still completing a very unplanned journey. In some ways we have covid to thank for a new way of life and working, but the intervening years were horrible, so I wonder why do we have to give up so much just to get what should have been a norm.
The pandemic situation was so bad in Malaysia you go, "Really? This? Now?" Almost every week lol. I think by then you either just get used to the insanity and look at the silver lining or well, get depressed. But I was very lucky compared to so many people who ended up having to touch their retirement savings for survival.
Haha a lot of people say that, but I learned a lot from my dad who taught me what plants really need. It turns out to be quite simple - really good soil and watering!
It felt like you were talking to me over a cup of coffee. Love this for you! To know that you're living the life you want at such a young stage in your life is true wealth.
Thank you very much, though I wouldn't call myself young ;D
I got a job in business for the first time in my life several years ago and honestly? It was awful compared to academia and education. I don’t know how people live like that with the constant demands on your time and the endless performance indicators that mean nothing if you step on someone’s toes the wrong way.
Can’t believe that *this* is what people are told is making it in life. I completely agree with you that making the life you want is what brings happiness, even if it comes with its own costs!
Me too. I have no idea why corporate climbing is the ideal. Personally, I don't think we're supposed to live like that.
Thank you so much for sharing! Currently in a transition period myself, from jobs that I knew I couldn't continue working in, to a job that I could grow and enjoy for a long time. It's such a mindset change, and hasn't been easy. I never thought I'd ever get a job l could be happy AND not stressed in. Hoping as time moves on, I'll have created a life that feels so much better than the one I used to live in.
Sending all the good vibes! 🩷
May you find it. I cannot tell you how often I teared up, thinking the happy days being content with my work and life was long gone. It felt like a long stretch of bad jobs where I often wondered why I kept going on. And yet here I am ... I hope it'll give you some hope in your journey.
This was wonderful to read. What you wrote about ambition, fanciness and choosing simplicity resonated with me. It was cathartic to read your experiences when you felt that 'doomsday' kinda terror, where you felt that this was the worst thing that could have happened. Ngl, the pandemic years were one of the most terrible times, if not the most. But I'm glad that you came out happier out of it.
P.S. Love the way you write, feels like you're having a conversation with me as I read your lines.
I am glad you enjoyed my little essay. I wrote it in the hopes that people can see the silver lining in their lives too :) I am the sort of the person who automatically looks for it in any situation i'm in, but the pandemic certainly challenged my limits!
Thank you for reading! ;)
I'm stunned by how similar our experiences were - the lockdown was pretty bad here in the Philippines too. Like you, I left my unhealthy job before the lockdown and also tried to fall back on freelance writing/teaching jobs - but alas. I also ended up having to dig into my savings for a long time.
I feel so similarly - an unextraordinary life, especially in our world glazed over with glamour, is a huge success in my book. Glad to have found you on Substack!
Hello, neighbour!
I'm glad you saw the "light" too.The pandemic was a strange time, so awful for most, yet, it showed many of us that we were more than we thought we were.
Your contentedness is palpable and so nice to read/see! You’ve pared away in order to make more room for quiet, daily joy.
Congrats on carving out a life you want to live! I'm still working on doing that for myself.
And thank you for sharing my post! 😊
Thank you.
I loved this one so much, Elizabeth. I have some changes coming up in my life as well and this give me hope.
So sorry for the late reply. I know how it feels to be at the praecipe of change, feeling both hopeful and worried. Whatever happens, it'll still be one step closer to your goal. :)
This is so beautiful and I could not agree more. It doesn’t take much to live a beautiful life, and in fact minimizing our lives sometimes makes that even easier!
Definitely living as a minimalist and making sure that my finances are simple and there's no debt played a huge part in my peace. It took a lot of sacrifice and dogged determination, but the peace of my mind I have now is worth it.
So glad that you carved out the life you want to live! It is really true we don't need much to be happy, in fact I find small happiness and pride in being frugal and self sufficient, all these was taught to me by backpacking. Nothing like having your home on your back and limited amount of budget to stretch but still completing a very unplanned journey. In some ways we have covid to thank for a new way of life and working, but the intervening years were horrible, so I wonder why do we have to give up so much just to get what should have been a norm.
The pandemic situation was so bad in Malaysia you go, "Really? This? Now?" Almost every week lol. I think by then you either just get used to the insanity and look at the silver lining or well, get depressed. But I was very lucky compared to so many people who ended up having to touch their retirement savings for survival.
Yes I remember Malaysia was extreme in comparison to Germany!
I wish I have green thumb like you though! Haha
Haha a lot of people say that, but I learned a lot from my dad who taught me what plants really need. It turns out to be quite simple - really good soil and watering!