How has pain shaped your life?

I have received so many NGL questions, asking “Edd, how to be like you?”. “How did you get out of your comfort zone and quit your 9-5?”.

I wish there was an easy answer to this, but there’s none. The only thing I can say is, it takes a hella lot of pain to be able to be able to let go of the stable job I had, my steady income, and my future.

People say…

Study hard. Get a good grade. Go to uni. Get a job. Buy a car. Settle down.

Familiar? Me too. For years, that’s how I thought about life, even though deep down I knew it wasn’t for me.

I flunk my SPM one year after my father passed away. I struggled with severe depression & developed Bipolar Disorder.

For years, I tried to avoid pain at all cost. My career was at rock bottom. But the pain kept on coming. The traumatic childhood. The unhealed wounds.

It took me 20 years to realise that my pain wasn’t pulling me down, it actually pushed me to understand the real meaning of life.

None of us enjoy being in pain.

But how many times have it been in your life that you give advice out of your own pain to someone? How many times in your life that you’re able to understand someone’s struggle because you’ve been through something similar?

Me? Many times. Life’s most urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’.

Are you in pain right now? Life is preparing you for something bigger.

Without experiencing pain, I might not be able to recognize and resonate with the suffering of others.

So back to the question, “How did I get out of my comfort zone and quit my 9-5?”.

Because after experiencing so much pain, letting go of the stability is easy (my life had never been stable anyway). My desire to give back to the community is so strong and the only way to do it is when I have the flexibility to work remotely.

Embracing freedom and flexibility in my work allows me to prioritize self-care, healing, and personal growth. After years of pain, being a digital nomad has enabled me to channel my strength & empathy to help others navigate their own difficulties.

So for me, my pain has brought me to this life. A nomadic life.

What has your pain brought you to? :)