The Mexican Fisherman
I saw this interesting video clip in Youtube:
The story struck me. It makes me wonder as to how long I am willing to work my ass off to live the life that I want. Besides, what is the point of having a good-paying job and having spent all those years learning Spanish to land on a high-paying job just to end up in the rat race working in perpetuity before I can finally get off and live the life the way I want? The story of the Mexican fisherman presents to us a situation of a vicious circle. The businessman convinces him to amplify his livelihood from a mere job to launching his very own IPO just so he can cash in his chips, retire early and do the things that he is already currently doing with his present lifestyle. It does not make any difference to skip from Point A to get to Point B and C just to end up to A.
A question is raised: Why work for a long time to live a life that you want rather than living the life that you want right now while working?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Having read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, it became clear to me that I do not want to be an employee for the rest of my life. I work because I want to learn things I can use in the future in order to create my own business and thus, establish multiple sources of income. Kiyosaki points out one fault of colleges and universities, i.e. to train future employees with the hope of retiring in their old age. There may be exceptions but this is the main “blueprint” in which traditional schools operate.
The reason why I studied and work for big corporations is so that I can learn. After school, employment will be the next source of information. Companies are excellent sources of information. What better way to get educated than attending free trainings and workshops to learn the ropes of business and, in most cases, get paid? The objective is to train new hires, expose them to real-life situations with a plethora of soft and hard skills. Given that employers invest money in people, it is natural that they expect something in return. The very principle in economics is that there is no such thing as free lunch; everything has a price.
There is nothing wrong with being an employee provided that a person is clear with his objectives. Some people are happy being employees and that is completely fine. Society cannot operate if all people are business owners. Who would account for curing the sick, teaching the illiterate, solve crimes and so on and so forth if all people are too busy dedicating their lives to their own businesses. Nevertheless, people who are, like me, have no plan of being an employee forever, who have a vision of establishing business and providing jobs to others, those who dream of being free to do things that matter the most, then business and investing is the way out.
The Right Approach
The best way to do is to enjoy life in the here and now while being clear to gradually, slowly but surely work one’s way out of the rat race. Work hard for a reason. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life to the fullest as long as you remain grounded and determined to your objectives and live a life in moderation.
My Road to Success! 