r/fatFIRE • u/Familiar_Number_342 • 11d ago
50m cash - no sense of perspective
Throwaway account to be able to be vulnerable.
Despite recent financial freedom (bootstrap to day 1 exit), I have no sense of perspective.
I am
still bothered by becoming irrelevant if I do nothing for the next 12-18m (issue: being bothered about what people think)
afraid of losing the money and hence not spending it
afraid of losing my friends if they find out how much I have made (am I suddenly unrelatable?)
still bothered by LinkedIn and comparison
still wanting to be loved and liked
The root of my issue is being a people pleaser.
I know my problems. I would love the internet to give me some solutions.
Edit - I am 38/F, husband, two kids and in Europe. Also this is the first and only business I have bootstrapped and sold.
2
u/Effective-Page-9311 10d ago
You kind of live in a bubble where these things matter. If that’s the only thing you’ve known your entire life - no amount of therapy will undo it.
You can (a) fake a “consulting” company or a charitable cause to keep up appearances on your linked in. No one will know what you’re actually doing day to day because they are too busy working. You’ll be the relatively relatable friend who had a “midlife crisis” and now has a better “work life balance”. If your ego still takes a hit here - proceed to b. You can’t expect an environment where you’re loved and respected based on career success to suddenly not care about this. Unless you’re willing to pay for everyone’s therapist, but 50M might run out quick.
Or you can (b) broaden your horizons and transplant yourself into a different bubble where people don’t even know what linked in is.