The Dream Everyone Expected Me to Follow When I Was in 12th Standard

I Lied to My Parents, Dropped Out… and Chose an Uncertain Path

When I was in 12th standard, everything looked normal from the outside.

I used to tell my family the same thing every student says that I’m studying, I’ll get good grades, and one day I’ll go abroad. Maybe the US. Maybe somewhere else. I had this picture in my head that I’ll do computer science, get a master’s degree, and then build a good career.

And honestly, I believed that at one point.

It felt like the safe path. The expected path.

The kind of path where no one questions you.

But slowly, things started to feel off.

Not suddenly… but gradually.

As the exams were getting closer, reality started hitting me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I realized that my family couldn’t actually afford that kind of education. Not just “it will be hard” I mean properly couldn’t afford it.

And that thought stayed in my head.

Because then everything started to feel pointless.

Why am I studying for something that might never happen?
Why am I following a path that doesn’t even belong to my reality?

I didn’t say this to anyone.

I just kept thinking about it.

And then I made a decision that I didn’t tell my parents.

I stopped going to school.

Every morning, they believed I was going. They trusted me. They thought I was doing what I said I would do.

But I had already mentally checked out.

I know how that sounds.

And yeah… it wasn’t something I’m proud of explaining.

But at that time, I felt stuck between two choices — either keep pretending and follow a path that didn’t make sense anymore, or take a risk that I didn’t fully understand.

Around that same time, I was reading Cashflow Quadrant.

And I don’t know how to explain it properly, but something in that book just clicked for me.

It wasn’t just about money.

It was more about awareness.

About the thoughts you have and the things you tell yourself.

I started noticing how I was thinking.

I kept saying things like:
I’m tired.
I don’t feel like doing anything.
Maybe I should just follow the normal path.

But when I looked deeper, those weren’t fully true.

The truth was… I was scared.

Scared of making the wrong decision.
Scared of what people would think.
Scared of failing.

But at the same time, there was another truth.

I didn’t want a normal life.

I didn’t want to just follow a system without understanding why I’m doing it.

And that internal conflict pushed me to make a decision.

In early 2023, before my 12th exams, I decided that I’m not going to continue this path.

No backup plan.

No guarantee.

Just a decision.

I decided to start building something of my own.

At that time, I didn’t even know what that meant fully.

I just knew I wanted control over my life.

So I started.

I got into building websites, learning automation, trying to understand how businesses get leads… just exploring things that felt practical.

No structure. No mentor. No clear roadmap.

Just trying things again and again.

And if I’m being honest, the results were not crazy.

It’s been around 3 years.

And I’ve made maybe $500–$600 online.

That’s it.

No big success story yet.

No overnight transformation.

Just a lot of trial and error.

A lot of confusion.

A lot of moments where I questioned everything.

There were days where I thought
Maybe I made a mistake.
Maybe I should’ve just stayed in school.

But even in those moments, one thing never changed.

I didn’t want to go back.

Because even though the results were small, something inside me was changing.

I started thinking differently.

I started taking responsibility for my own decisions.

I stopped waiting for someone to tell me what to do next.

And that shift… that internal shift… is something I can’t ignore.

I’m still figuring things out.

I’m still not where I want to be.

But I know I’m moving.

And for me, that matters more than standing still in a safe place.

If you’re reading this, I don’t know where you are in your life right now.

Maybe you’re confused.
Maybe you feel stuck.
Maybe you’re thinking about taking a risk but you’re not sure.

I’m not here to tell you to drop out or do something extreme.

But I will say this

Be honest with yourself.

Not the version of you that is trying to look good in front of others.

The real version.

Because once you actually listen to that… things start to change.

Slowly, but they do.

This isn’t a success story.

Not yet.

This is just where I am right now.

Still building.
Still learning.
Still moving forward.

And I think that’s enough for now.