Hi everyone, glad to be here

[Francois]

I stumbled onto the 4HWW book about 4 months ago, and for the first time in my life I became really excited about my future.

I'm 24 and I've been in school for 18 consecutive years, just trying to postpone the inevitable rat race. I felt trapped by the pressure to become another cog in the wheel, since it was all I knew, all my parents knew and all my friends knew. For years I've been stressing over where I would want to go settle down and get a job, I live in South Africa. I've rewatched Jumper and the Bourne Trilogy too many times to count and i would sit and research everything from the climate to the migration laws of countless places, but I was still bothered. Then I found out that it doesn't have to be like that.

I'm not sure who said it, but getting the right role-models in life is one of the best things one can do. What I wouldn't have given for a friend or teacher who has the same ambitions I now have. All my friends seem disinterested in living an extraordinary life, and they just want the highest paying job and the first best woman to marry and settle down with. Again, its not wrong, but in general I have a hard time meeting people who can amplify my lust and teach me valuable lessons.

The main thing this forum has taught me is that nothing is as easy as it seems, the main proponent being kamakiri of course. However with the right guidance the difficult becomes easy.

I'm finishing my masters studies this year, and then I will start the no doubt hard work in getting a mobile income. What I love most about Tim is that even though he went on holiday he still kept his mind and body active. I read that many 4hww'er like to go spread themselves out in Thailand, but that they suffer from the lazies after a while. I very much like the idea of learning new languages so actively and to develop new skills regularly, in general to become a sophisticated well-traveled man.

So hi, and keep up the good work everyone!

[noahfleming]

Great post man. Welcome.

[phil]

Hi and welcome.

24 here as well.

I read that many 4hww'er like to go spread themselves out in Thailand, but that they suffer from the lazies after a while.
Haha yep, I'm in Thailand for a few months.

The typical vacation is a week or something, and you eat and drink too much, with too little exercise.

But of course when you're having "vacation" all year long, you have to make a conscious effort to eat healthy, and stay in shape. I swim a bit every day, and tomorrow I'm heading to Bikram Yoga followed by a really healthy lunch.

Hard or easy, I think its all about your attitude. If you tell yourself it is easy, then it will be easy.

Hurry up and finish school so you can start living the extraordinary life!

[Josiah]

Hey man, I lived in Pretoria for 3 years! I used to go to school at Crawford College Pretoria. I'm kind of in the exact same boat as you are, even down to my friends who are all headed into the rat race. Except for people I meet online, I find myself going on this journey mostly alone. I haven't yet entered into college though. It's there for the taking but I'm giving it AT LEAST until next fall to start

[Francois]

I haven't yet entered into college though.
I've 'lost' 7 years getting degrees as something to fall back on, which is comforting and it gives you leverage to firstly convince your parents that you are not totally going to screw up your life, and secondly to try something daring.

Many people don't need that safety net and do quite well in doing the extraordinary, but if you can go to college and start working on your muses then you're golden. Unfortunately I've always suffered from poor split concentration, as I really like to focus on only one thing at a time, and studying engineering makes it even more difficult.

I used to go to school at Crawford College Pretoria.
Nice, I've lived in Pretoria all my life, it's good to meet like-minded ex-Pretorianers. A buddy of mine living down in Cape Town now, doing his masters, says that CT is so laid back compared to PT that he's going to take like 4 years just to finish his studies there. I rather fancy moving to CT for a while though, just to get away from all the people constantly telling me not to throw my engineering career away.

I just wish I've read Tim's book when I was 19 as well, but I'm glad I did eventually.

Hard or easy, I think its all about your attitude. If you tell yourself it is easy, then it will be easy.
Yes it rings true by experience. One of the greatest things for me are good examples that inspire and shift paradigms. That's why I'm really looking forward to meeting more like-minded individuals and role-models out there.

[Josiah]

I know exactly what you mean about split focus. Lately I've just been kind of floundering because I had too many ideas going on in my head. Then I read 4HWW and it was like alright there's another thing, just gonna slow it down. Now I'm focusing on getting a job and trying to balance out my life. Starting to read alot more again. AND I just watched the Matrix, which was awesome.

About college, I'm not planning on going. My parents would like me to attend but they are in no way trying to force me to go. They know me better than haha. I think they're confident I can make it without school, even if they would like me to do it. I was thinking about going for a bit there when I was going through some struggle and I was like " this would be so much easier, look how much fun my friends are having" but I feel like I would be quiting and failing if I did that. I can still have fun and get a headstart and once they get spit out of college and are trying to find nice secure jobs the perspective will be switched ;)

Someone I met said something like "if you have a fall back, your going to fall back". I dunno how true that is but because of my recent experience of seriously considering college because 'its easier' I think there may be something there