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[GoldenEggs]

I just caught the tail end of a documentary on Pete Seeger and I was reflecting on my life from high school to now. I almost feel like I have come full circle. My original life goal/plan was to be become an attorney so that I could fight for people’s rights and right injustices. Then I decided a politician was better at accomplishing those goals. After some life experiences, I became jaded and decided those were ridiculous, unattainable goals. I graduated a political scientist who didn’t vote and didn’t care. I had lost faith in politics and righting injustices but had not quite given up. Maybe it was the years of “forced volunteerism†(for high school and my religion) but I kept getting drawn to do volunteer work. I worked as an assistant case manager for Girls, Inc. and later as an AmeriCorps member. But since social change didn’t pay enough (in my mind), I decided to be a paralegal because it seemed like an easy job that would pay well.

I figured with all the money I’d make, I could donate more money to support my causes. But that didn’t feel like it was “enough†for me. Then I learned about passive income and was excited by the possibility of creating passive income that could support my family so that I could focus on things that really mattered to me. I’m investing now and definitely had unexpected challenges but interestingly enough, now I may be in position to do what I had originally planned to do with my life. Without being an attorney or a politician!

I’m really excited about the new possibility. It also makes me feel a bit better about investing because it’s not just about the money now. A lot has happened in my life and at the time, I didn’t understand why/how it happened and thought it was so unfair. But each time, those experiences have been a “blessing†and led me to another experience that helped me to grow.

 

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[australianinvestor]

Nice post. I can relate a little to your position. I wanted to be in the Air Force, a doctor, a scientist, etc, etc. I had (and still have) many interests and it's hard to say "ok, I'm going to focus on one of them and will be an XYZ for the rest of my life". Funny thing is that investing can allow me the time to do any of them, should I wish to.

Volunteering is also cool. I want to create my own charity (one kids-related one which will build non-religious business schools for kids in third-world and developing countries), and I am also in the Coast Guard here (equivalent to the US Coast Guard Auxilliary - we just do search and rescue kind of stuff, no military/law enforcement stuff).

I am about to send you a private message about Girls, Inc. We don't have it here, and it sounds interesting.

Daniel.