One thing that really gets on my nerves is when people say things like, “I’m not sure you should do that,” or “That looks difficult/impossible, if I were you, I wouldn’t.” Many people never question their routines or challenge their lives. Typically, they study, graduate, work for 40 years to pay debts and accumulate more, and then hopefully retire in a small house that’s finally paid off, starting to enjoy life in their 60s.

I DON’T WANT THAT!!

I don’t want to wake up at the same time every morning, go to the same office, do the same repetitive work, and come back home tired and frustrated, just to maybe get a month off at the end of the year. I want to wake up with the sun, or at midday if I feel like it, see the world, meet new people, and do something meaningful with my time, money, and life.

So WHY are people trying to stop me?

I’ve always enjoyed challenging authority, whether it was teachers, parents, or bosses. For example, I didn’t want to study German just because it was considered a more exclusive class for graduation. I preferred to study Spanish, which would allow me to communicate with most of Latin America. I wanted to live on my own since I was 17, even if it meant starting with little money and comfort. This only pushed me to break more barriers and work hard for everything I wanted.

I couldn’t see myself having a boss my whole adult life. So, when I resigned after two years at my last job, having saved enough money to start my independent life, my boss was puzzled, as if I was crazy. But I didn’t care because my life is about me—who I want to be, not who others want me to be.

Sure, my parents probably wanted me to be the perfect, calm, and well-behaved student. However, in the end, they were proud of me for living on my own terms, going where I truly wanted, and turning out just fine. Even so, they were hesitant when I decided to take a leap. My boss envisioned me working at his company until retirement. People get used to comfortable routines; they expect you to never change. Some even take pride in not changing. To me, that’s unbearable.

It takes courage to tell your parents, “I don’t like the plans you have for me; I want to do something else with my life.” In high school, it was harder to assert my independence. But when I decided to travel the world after graduation, it was easier to explain, as I had been supporting myself through college for the past five years. Imagine having to tell your parents something far out of the ordinary, like coming out as gay, wanting to become a priest, or traveling the world. You have to be genuinely passionate about who you want to become. Otherwise, people won’t believe in you, making it hard to believe in yourself. And they will take pleasure in seeing you fail.

If you succeed, those same people will be the first to say, “I knew it, I never doubted you.” But I don’t really care what people think. Some see me as a crazy girl traveling the world, wondering where I get my money from and probably assuming my mum writes me a check every month. Others are jealous and say nothing, looking at me with envy as they go to their boring jobs every day. And some are inspired by what I’m doing, trying to become who they truly are.

One of my friends had a series of dead-end jobs for years. He was in debt and depressed, never considering that his life could be different. We talked about changing his career, and though he was worried, there’s a wonderful program in France that allows you to go back to school, paid for by your company, while keeping part of your income. This friend studied interior design, loved it, resigned from his 9-to-5 job, and set out to conquer the world. It took him a couple of years of hard work and dedication, but now he’s making a living from it, his business is growing, and he’s never been happier.

The point I’m making is that you don’t need to be who others expect you to be. If you don’t take risks, you won’t go anywhere. As scary as it may seem, if you do what you truly love, you’ll do it better than any other job, and the money will come easier. You’ll also be happier, and people around you will see your true self and love you more for it.