Life is all about change, and change requires sacrifice, and sometimes the sacrifice has to be paid with one of your most precious belongings, habits, and sometimes even your favorite person/people.
Sometimes, to progress ahead, you must take a precious belonging of yours and probably sell it. A habit or hobby that you love, sometimes you must strip the time and effort from that activity, and invest it in something that is "more important"; it could be work or a family responsibility. As we grow up, and choose different paths, we must part ways with many of our friends and loved ones. Us being together and making time for a certain group to meet up and spend time doing what we love, will seem impossible at some point in life. Because fate just won't have it, and sooner or later, we must part ways. At times, letting go will be the only option, and resisting it will just cause more damage in the long run.
Fortunately for me, I was always prepared for it; to let go. So, every time I had to let go, the amount of resistance that came was minimal.
During my teens I used to go out a lot; whether it be to another part of town or just next door, I loved hanging out with my friends and acquaintances. I used to go out at least 2 to 3 days a week, sometimes even more. I liked the whole process of planning a meet-up, heading towards a certain path, taking in the sights, and sometimes just meeting up and doing absolutely nothing. We'd just stare at the sky and talk about baseless stuff, and crack jokes about each other until it was finally time to head back home.
Do I regret leaving that part of me, and a few friends back there? No! Sooner or later things would come to this anyway. I just decided to tend to my responsibilities and take control before most of them, and I didn't have much of a choice either; I needed to take that step.
Now, I may not have regrets, but I do miss it. Once upon a time, it was 2 to 3 days a week, which is now only getting the time once in two months; once a month if lucky. Even that too is mostly work-related.
The issue isn't about time alone, it's also both parties managing the time that fits, and a matter of funds as well. Things are just so expensive these days, that a single day out costs two to three times more than what it used to be just 4 to 5 years ago. And every little bit of those funds counts, especially since I've started to focus more on building a business and focusing on investments in these past 3 to 4 years. Putting family needs and costs first is another responsibility. I must take care of them first before I think about myself and my own interests. They're the reason I work so hard. If it was lonely ole me, then I could've just put in half the effort and still managed fine.
From early 2023 to now, I've worked extra hard. Working 10 to 12 hours a day, and a few more hours into learning about certain skills, networking, and learning about investment opportunities. And even though I like working and learning, sometimes it all becomes a bit too much to handle. For which sometimes I end up questioning, whether investing all of this effort and time is even worth it, and if one day all of this will pay off or not.
I guess time will tell. And until I get my answers, I'll keep adapting and striving to do better. Hoping that one day my time will come when I can finally listen to my heart again, and invest a little bit more time in doing the things that I love doing. That is the goal!
Because...
"Life is Too Short to be Anything But Happy"
