I have been in this position quite a few times. I think my family, as a whole, comprises some of the most risk-averse and fearful people I have ever met. Especially on my dad's side of the family.
Whenever a contract would end, or I would leave a job because I wasn't satisfied, my family would automatically view me as less-than-successful. To them, success is being at the same job J for X years and then retiring, where the job is generally a government job.
When I was with my last girlfriend, I had just come off of a contract job and I decided to build small business websites as a freelancer. She was of the opinion that "I couldn't make much money that way." She also thought I should get a job at a restaurant cleaning instead, to her at least it was stable. Never mind I was working my ass off and feeding myself as a freelancer once got going.
I think when it comes to these matters, the people close to you will always have an opinion. I tell myself that they won't always be in my life, and if I let them make my decisions for me then I will just grow to resent them and myself. At least if I take a different path, I can be confident in the fact that it was my own choice and I will live with the consequences of it.
My mother is the same way. I hold off on telling my parents when I switch jobs until I know things are going well, because if there is anything negative about it at all my mother will have a panic attack (figuratively, of course) and think I made a huge mistake. She'll think that anyways, like your parents her measure of success in work is stability.
Whenever a contract would end, or I would leave a job because I wasn't satisfied, my family would automatically view me as less-than-successful. To them, success is being at the same job J for X years and then retiring, where the job is generally a government job.
When I was with my last girlfriend, I had just come off of a contract job and I decided to build small business websites as a freelancer. She was of the opinion that "I couldn't make much money that way." She also thought I should get a job at a restaurant cleaning instead, to her at least it was stable. Never mind I was working my ass off and feeding myself as a freelancer once got going.
I think when it comes to these matters, the people close to you will always have an opinion. I tell myself that they won't always be in my life, and if I let them make my decisions for me then I will just grow to resent them and myself. At least if I take a different path, I can be confident in the fact that it was my own choice and I will live with the consequences of it.