For many years before leaving for Japan, I’ve heard and read countless inspirational quotes, books, music and what not. I’ve probably said it before but Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life was one major push factor that brought me to Japan.
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I’m alive
The next best advice I got?
Go bankrupt before you turn 30.
Most college graduates probably step into the “real world” at around 22 years of age. For me, with polytechnic education and conscription prior to college, I only started my adult worklife at 25. I’m not afraid to say I managed to save over $30k in 2 years and I wasn’t afraid to lose it all. Well, to be honest, I was afraid. Part of the Singapore ideology was deeply embedded in me without my conscious knowledge of it.
Get a degree -> Get a good job -> Save money -> Get married -> Have children -> Buy an HDB -> Retire -> Die
Stability is king. Play safe. Don’t take risks.
Yes, I wanted to save that money but a part of me also wanted to realise my dream. I think about spending all my savings and that I’d have to start saving all over again, I felt reluctant to part with it. How long is it going to take me to save that amount again? I’m not getting any younger. But, at 27, I wasn’t that old either. I remembered then that I read somewhere to go bankrupt before turning 30 and so I did.
Before 30, even if you’re bankrupt, you still have a lot of time to make a comeback. If there are people going for their dreams after 30, why shouldn’t a 27-year-old me do the same? I’ve got a friend who only started working this year at age 30 and he’s in a $100k debt just to work in Japan but his ultimate aim is to be in Tokyo, so he recently quit his job in Miyagi just so he could move to Tokyo. All these without having secured a job here first. Some people think he’s crazy but he’s a bigger dreamer than I am. His perserverance to do what it takes is partly what keeps me going.
It is not in human nature to be afraid to go for their dreams. What we are all afraid of is losing what we already have.
Don’t be. Especially if you’re not even 30.
Go bankrupt before you are.
All the cool things happen when you do things that are not the automatic next step.
https://twitter.com/#!/OotaGu/status/126674910591467520
That was actually a quote I read off a book and I really like it too!
あぁ、I added a link to your blog. I don’t have many followers so I don’t know if it will make any difference to your traffic. Anyway, just wanted to say I really love this blog, appreciate your posts 🙂
Hi G,
Thanks for the message and the link. =)
I don’t fully agree. Sometimes it is not just about yourself … if you are living alone and your parents do not need your support, I’m sure the ‘go all out and take risks’ mindset can work. But what if, the money you earned and saved are to be spread out in the entire family? What if your parents are waiting for your money to keep them alive? I don’t think the issue will then be whether you are brave enough to take risks, but rather whether you are responsible enough to ensure your parents are well taken care of.
Hi Si Wei,
I totally agree with you. I guess I made a mistake in this post in that I didn’t clarify this to be “if keeping your savings is your only concern”. I took for granted that it was an understood premise but I guess you can also see this as more figurative than literal. Less about going bankrupt financially, more about going bankrupt in your efforts. Just use them all up.
Your friend is cool!
Hi Chu,
So you’re of the “cool” opinion, not the “crazy” opinion. Haha…
I guess I can let him know one less person in this world thinks he’s crazy.
and you are too!
Nice post =) we all need to read something like that at some point in our lives.
Thank you! What an inspiring post.
I’m at that point where I know I’d really like to return to Japan… and yet thinking of the things/people I’d need to let go of in the process.
There’s so much safety in doing things the conventional way. But living conventionally, ironically, is a big risk – you don’t know about the what-could-have-beens.
Wow, I like your last sentence.
And thank you for leaving a message.
Anne is a really nice name.
How long were you in Japan?
Inspirational post. love it !
P.S: wow that’s a huge amount ><