Greetings fellow Steemers! My name is Hamid and I would like to introduce myself by sharing a story about comfort zones and blockchain technology with you.
*Doha, Qatar - 2008*
I mean, what was there for me to complain about?
Life now in Qatar is a far cry from the quiet and conservative backwoods I remember from growing up there. Doha has caught the worlds attention recently and they certainly don’t hold back with the glitz and glamour anymore.
I was 23. I had just bought my first car, financed through a bank loan. A brand new ’08 C63 AMG.
I lived at home, which was a blessing in many ways. My mother is an amazing cook. My father is an established structural engineer who provided us with a very comfortable lifestyle. I worked in a management level position with the successful family business and although I am not originally from Qatar, I did very much feel at home there. Living at home meant I had few expenses and could save significantly. I had lots of friends, my girlfriend was a Romanian stewardess for Qatar Airways.
You catch my drift...
Anyone who, as an adult, has lived under the same roof as their parents, can attest to the difficulties that accompany it.
But thats not why I just packed up and left.
In spite of the comforts I had, just a few of which i mentioned above, there was still something distinctly lacking in my life. I didn't feel fulfilled. It progressed to the point where I ended up becoming depressed and i retreated to my indoor space, neglecting family and friends.
The life I had, blessed as I am to have it, left me stagnant. Without the toil and suffering to achieve something, the sense of achievement just isn't there. I suppose I should tip my hat to my parents for teaching me that. While I am forever grateful for the family's support, the comfort zone I was in, having the family’s safety net underneath me, was what I felt was hindering my progress.
Safety nets are very effective at their intended purpose, but sometimes what we actually need to grow as humans, is free falling.
Later that year, my girlfriend and I decided to take a holiday. Her being a stewardess meant she got discounts on flights and she wanted to visit somewhere exotic so we decided on Bali, Indonesia.
Not only did we extend our trip by a week when we were there, 6 months later I was on a plane back to Bali. Except this time I was alone and I had my belongings with me. I had decided to move there to open a restaurant.
Why a restaurant?
Couldn't tell you really. I did have some experience in hospitality from working hotels and restaurants during college but never any managerial positions or related accreditations. I didn’t see that as an obstacle though, I had a great concept for the place and I think I was really just looking for anything.
Simultaneously, it was a no brainer for me. The opportunity to open a business for a small investment in one of South East Asia's fastest growing economies; the opportunity to travel and explore a new country and culture. Freedom.
And so I did it. I contacted the owner, flew to meet him and I signed the deal and began the necessary paperwork with the local government to establish a foreign owned company.
I returned to Doha and started preparing for the move. I paid off the loan for the car, but only managed to do so after agreeing to pay penalty fees that can only be described one way: highway robbery. Way to inspire confidence in the trustworthiness of banks huh… The car itself i gave to my mother. Although my girlfriend did initially say she wanted to move to Bali as well, she eventually decided to stay with her job in Doha and we split.
Freedom
Bali was a breath of fresh air, literally. The desert is inhospitable in far more ways than just taking the heat into consideration. Being surrounded by lush green everything, rice paddies, forests, mountains, is certainly soothing after the scorching desert sun. Indonesia is an amazing country with some of the most diverse ecological habitats in the world, stunning landscapes, a seemingly infinite number of islands to explore and a rich cultural and historical heritage.
But imagine the logistical nightmare of governing and coordinating more than 17,000 islands representing more than 300 different ethnic groups and 700 different languages and dialects. Corruption is widespread, the government enacts questionable social and economic policies, there are visible vestiges of religious extremism and along with its geographical location on the ring of fire, and there you have Indonesia.
Moving to such a place, having no knowledge of the local language or traditions, not knowing anyone there or being familiar with laws for setting up a business as a foreigner, now this was free falling.
I have now been in Bali for 7 years. The restaurant has been an invaluable experience and while we have certainly had ups and downs, we found our groove and we have a new branch coming soon. The lessons I learned from the restaurant will forever remain with me, but I also realised during this time that it wasn't my true calling or passion.
The recipient of that title has always been music. I suppose pragmatism was what stopped me from pursuing it earlier in my life as a career choice, given how hard it is for artists to make a living these days.
I have been DJing professionally for almost 2 years now, with a residency at one of Bali’s top rooftop destinations; I get to tour around the country and overseas when I travel as well. I have just opened a record label with some friends and am very much looking forward to the studio getting done to start producing music.
That is where blockchain technology comes into the picture. It was the key to finding the freedom to take up a life long passion of mine, and even turn into a source of income.
I saw an entry point into the world of crypto currencies with the announcement of the Ethereum ICO and so I invested some savings, still somewhat hesitant after witnessing the aftermath of the Mt Gox fiasco soon after I originally heard about bitcoin for the first time. I had already missed the opportunity for the serious returns some people had with bitcoin, but I knew that if another coin came along with a solid team of devs and innovative technology behind it, the hyperinflation in value we saw with bitcoin could be emulated by other coins also.
This highlights why blockchain technology is important. It offers an alternative for people who are fed up with being bullied by profit driven corporations who charge extortionate rates for services they could previously call exclusive. Not anymore.
It puts the power back into our hands, people like you and me. And it us and the communities that we interact with that are the real driving force behind many great initiatives we see today, STEEMIT being a great example. Blockchain technology’s greatest potential is very well represented here at STEEMIT, as it offers everyone an opportunity to enrich and educate themselves with knowledge as well as wealth.
And so I will wrap up by encouraging everyone to to pursue their passions in life and to take calculated risks by stepping outside your comfort zone from time to time, because that's where the magic really happens!
And that is my story folks, thank you for reading.
Please do reach out if you would like to know more.
If you would like to listen to some of the music I have uploaded you can find my mixes at https://www.mixcloud.com/extricati0n/
My mixes cover a lot of different genres, ranging from chill out sunset sounds to some of my club recordings. If you're a musician or involved in the music industry please feel free to reach out.
Finally, for those of you who have a similar story to share, please do, would love to hear it!
Happy Steeming, one love!