I give up entrepreneurial dreams for mundane jobs as I approach 50

I am 47 years old and have been unemployed for seven months and feeling defeated.

My wife still quietly slips VND30,000 (US$1.18) into my jacket pocket before she goes to work every morning so I can buy coffee and breakfast. Although the family atmosphere is heavy due to financial pressure, my wife and children still try to maintain a normal attitude toward me. This makes me feel both grateful and useless.

Some people may feel defeated due to being unemployed in their 40s. Illustration photo by Pexels

My life has been a series of business failures. My first failure was when I had just gotten married. I went broke because I misjudged the market and had to sell the land my parents gave me. I recently partnered with my brother-in-law to start a business, but it resulted in losses that we both had to bear.

My dreams of becoming rich through entrepreneurship gradually drained my energy. From someone full of ambition, I now accept that I am just a person who cannot even earn enough to support my family.

I tell myself every year that I will start over after Tet (Lunar New Year), but I keep running in circles.

Seven months without earning money has made me rethink my ambition. I cannot keep starting over, so I decided I will finally give up on pursuing my dreams this year

From now on, I will take on regular jobs and not think of investing in or starting businesses.

Have I wasted too much time chasing unrealistic dreams?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.