I had always let other people steer. I chose that, too. Secretly, it felt safe to have someone else in the driver's seat: my boss at work, the lessons from my parents.
What would I do if I stopped being steered and took full control myself? There was a large part of myself I did not know.
Could there be much more to my life? Who would I discover if I made my own choices? When I am 80 and look back on my life, will I regret never making that step?
I had felt that itch for a long time, but my work also gave me enjoyment and satisfaction. Good colleagues, interesting work. Not everything was great. I kept running into a few things, especially the fact that my communication was not always good. By then, I had thrown myself into improving it, because it could be better. And then I heard it again: "You're too old to learn now."
If I want to communicate better, I have to practice often and deliberately. If I really want to develop myself, the fastest way is to do things I know little about. And my inner nerd knows it: 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.
More and more signs pointed in the same direction: no boss. Into freedom. Daunting. Okay. Here we go. I am starting my own company. It lets me work where my IT background and what I care about come together: helping people start, practice, and follow through.