The Secret to Happiness is Not Caring.

Hello, my fellow mindful entrepreneurs!👋

Today, I want to share with you a story. A story that changed my life. A story that taught me how to stop caring about what others think and start living my own truth.

It’s a story that involves family drama, identity crisis, and personal growth.

It’s a story that may shock you, surprise you, or inspire you.

But most importantly, it’s a story that may help you.

Are you ready to hear it?

If so, buckle up and keep reading.👇

The Beginning: A Happy Childhood

I was born in a small town in Durban called KwaNdengezi. My mother was a single parent who raised me with the help of her sisters. We lived in a modest house with a big backyard where my siblings and I built gadgets and played games every day.

We didn’t have much, but we had happiness.

My mother was a loving and supportive woman who encouraged us to follow our dreams. She always told us that we could be anything we wanted to be, as long as we worked hard and stayed true to ourselves.

She was my role model and my best friend.

I was an extroverted and curious kid who loved to learn new things and meet new people. I was fascinated by technology and entrepreneurship. I dreamed of becoming a successful inventor or a business owner someday.

I was happy and confident.

The Twist: A Shocking Revelation

Everything changed when I was 16 years old.

That’s when I found out that my father was married.

And that he had another son.

I was the one who asked to live with him, and he agreed.

I don't know much about what he did for me, but I do know that he used to pay for my school fees and that he also used to buy me my school uniform.

I wanted to live with him because I wanted to get to know him.

Everything was fine when I visited him in 2016, but when I stayed with him in 2017, things went downhill.

His wife was nice to me when I first came, and his son was cool, but sometimes they would buy things for themselves in secret and talk about me in secret. They would also hide things from me.

I'm 4 years older than his son, and we got along well, but I felt like they were always trying to keep me out of the loop. I felt like I was an outsider, even though I was my father's son.

The Middle: A Difficult Adjustment

Moving to my father’s house was one of the hardest things I ever did.

I had to leave behind everything I knew and loved: my siblings, my friends, my school, my town.

I had to start over in a new environment: a nice house, a fancy neighborhood, a semi-private school, a different culture.

I had to deal with new people: my father, his wife, his son, their friends, their relatives.

And they didn’t like me.

My father loved me, but I barely saw him when I first moved in with him. He was often away for months at a time because of his work and he didn’t know what was going on.

His wife was cruel and manipulative. She constantly criticized me and made fun of me. She set traps for me to see if I cleaned the house properly or did my chores correctly. She always found fault with everything I did or said or wore.

I got along with his son. We would play games like GTA 4, soccer, and do other things together.

My step mom made my life miserable.

I tried to please her. I tried to fit in. I tried to be nice. I tried to be perfect.

But nothing worked.

She never accepted me or appreciated me or respected me.

And I don't think she cared about me more than she cared about her son.

The End: A Breakthrough Moment

I lived with them for four years.

Four years of pain and suffering.

Four years of loneliness and depression.

Four years of losing myself and forgetting who I was.

But there were also moments of hope and connection.

Moments when my father’s wife would try to warm up to me and act like a mother. Moments when she would compliment me or help me with my work or cook my favorite food. Moments when I would feel like things were getting better and that she was starting to like me.

But those moments were rare and fleeting.

And they didn’t last.

Until one day, I snapped.

It was a day when I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t stand living with them, being treated like a servant, a stranger, a nuisance. I couldn’t stand being away from my real home, where my mother had raised me with love and care. Where my siblings were waiting for me, missing me, needing me.

I decided to leave.

I packed my clothes in a black trash plastic bag and called my sister to pick me up. I didn’t care what they would say or do. I didn’t care if they wanted me to stay or accepted my request to go. I only cared about myself.

They made me cry.

They made me angry.

They made me realize something.

They didn’t matter.

They didn’t matter to me.

They didn’t matter to my happiness.

They didn’t matter to my success.

They didn’t matter to my value.

They were irrelevant.

And I didn’t care about them.

I didn’t care about what they thought of me.

I didn’t care about what they said to me or did to me.

I didn’t care about pleasing them or fitting in with them or being perfect for them.

I only cared about myself.

I only cared about what I thought of myself.

I only cared about what I said to myself or did for myself.

I only cared about pleasing myself or fitting in with myself or being perfect for myself.

I was the only one who mattered.

I was the only one who mattered to me.

I was the only one who mattered to my happiness.

I was the only one who mattered to my success.

I was the only one who mattered to my value.

I was relevant.

And I cared about myself.

That was the moment I became a mindful entrepreneur.

The Aftermath: A New Beginning

After that day, I left my father’s house and never looked back.

I moved back to my mother’s house, where I was welcomed with open arms and warm hearts. I reconnected with my siblings, my friends, my town. I felt at home again.

I watched a lot of online tutorials on YouTube on entrepreneurship and technology. I learned new skills and improved my existing ones. I developed new ideas and created new products. I felt passionate again.

I started my own business, a software company that develops innovative solutions for businesses and the masses(Tec Space Solutions). I made new friends, new business partners and met new people from different areas of life.

I expressed myself freely, without fear or shame or guilt. I communicated my thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I showed my creativity, passion, and personality. I felt authentic again.

I stopped caring about what others think and started living my own truth.

And that’s how I became happy again.

The Conclusion: A Message for You

Why did I share this story with you?

Because I want you to know that you are not alone.

You are not alone in feeling trapped by other people’s expectations and opinions.

You are not alone in feeling unhappy and unfulfilled by your current situation.

You are not alone in feeling lost and confused by your own identity and purpose.

You are not alone in wanting to change your life for the better.

You are not alone in being a mindful entrepreneur.

And you can do it too.

You can do it too if you stop caring about what others think and start living your own truth.

It takes courage, discipline, and practice to stop caring about what others think.

But trust me, it’s worth it.

When you stop caring about what others think, you start caring about what YOU think.

And that’s when you become a mindful entrepreneur.

A mindful entrepreneur who is happy.😊

Are you ready to join me?

If so, subscribe to The Mindful Entrepreneur newsletter and get more stories and tips on how to live a happier and more successful life as an entrepreneur.

Until next time,

The Mindful Entrepreneur

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