I met my first mentor in 2005 when he was starting his business. He hired me as an intern for his company. Twenty years later, he is still someone that I look up to. We keep in touch and spend time together at times. He travels the world to work and relax at the same time.
- Why is my mentor able to work and relax at the same time?
Actually, my mentor is an internet celebrity who has a big following worldwide. In order to protect his privacy, I won’t reveal his name here. Because he built a successful business early in his life, he is able to hire employees and outsource most aspects of his business now. In other words, he makes a passive income as a business owner while investing in real estate these days. He doesn’t trade hours for dollars anymore. Occasionally, he needs to create content for his social media online, so international travel helps him come up with new ideas and new content.
In truth, because of his fame, he has received a lot of criticism online as well. Here is how he handles criticism:
- If the criticism is genuine feedback, he would improve what he does next based on the feedback.
- If someone is arguing for the sake of arguing, he wouldn’t even respond.
I really admire his approach.
• Know when to retire gradually.
It turns out that my mentor is in his mid-40s right now and he has started to retire. Here is his philosophy: After working extremely hard for years and saying yes to every opportunity when he was younger, he deserves to change his approach and focus on health & happiness now.
“At some point in your life, you have to realize that you must stop working too hard and start enjoying life,” says my mentor, “You have to smell the roses and gradually retire, no matter you’ve made it or not.”
As I’m over 40 now, I can really feel the power of his philosophy. That’s why I have started to focus on different priorities in my life nowadays, and international travel has become one of my current priorities. Indeed, life is short – I have to make the most of it when I still can.
Personally, I believe that most people should consider gradually retiring after they turn 40 years old because there are so many exciting things to pursue apart from work. Yes, this world has so much to offer!
“Let international travel give you the best opportunities to let off steam and relax!”
