Indepedence

I’ve realized over the past few years how dependent we are. Dependent on our jobs to continue to keep us employed. Dependent to the point that we pretend to get along with people we don't actually like just to stay on the good side of the people that could fire us.

It’s not until you start to escape that world a little bit that you can truly see it, I think. 

I never saw it until recently.

Today is a perfect example of that. It's snowing. The roads are kind of shitty. But people still need to go to work. Because if they don't, they might get written up; or worse, fired.

It’s that dependence that motivates people to get in the car and drive to work, even if it may be a little more dangerous than any other given day.

It’s that dependence that doesn’t allow us to say, “I’ll just stay home for a little longer until the roads get plowed.”

It’s that dependence that makes us say, “I have to go to work! Once I get through the side streets, the main roads should be fine, right?”

Now, I’m not saying that I’m scared of driving in the snow or that snow has ever stopped me from going to work.

In fact, I used to kind of judge people that weren’t able to drive in the snow. Either because they were too scared, or maybe their car just didn't handle well in the snow. As a manager, I would say the same thing, “You live in Pennsylvania, it snows here. Figure it out.”

As I look back on that, maybe I was kind of an asshole for that.

But at the same time, if you are dependent on your job, then you should probably find a way to get to work in the snow.

I feel like I may be contradicting myself…

The main point I am trying to make is that being dependent on anyone or anything can put us in a dangerous situation.

Snow isn’t the reason I started looking for ways to make money online. Independence is what I was always looking for.

Today was just a good reminder as to why being independent and creating financial freedom for yourself is so important. 

As I approach leaving my job to become a full-time online entrepreneur—a true digital nomad—I’ve come to realize just how important independence really is.

That is why I have worked so hard to find my way, to forge my own path. To create a life for myself where I am dependent on nobody but myself. Creating a life for myself where I have more than one point of failure.

If you only have a job, you could lose that job at any moment. You could get fired, laid off, the business you work for could go out of business or be sold. If you are an employee, you have zero control over your situation.

If you are dependent and create financial freedom for yourself, nothing can stop you.

Sure, things won't always go the way you want or expect. You could lose clients. Projects could fail. But the freedom that comes with taking charge of your own destiny is one simple idea.

Having more than one point of failure.

Creating a situation where you have many points of failure ensures that when things do in fact go wrong, it doesn’t destroy your business or your life.

I was once in a situation where I only had one, large client. But over time I realized that this was no different than having a job. Sure, I got to work from home, but they could have decided to stop working with me at any moment. I knew I had to find other clients, whether that was another big client, more small clients, or a mix.

And wouldn’t you know it, I eventually lost my biggest client. Of Course it hurt, and I needed to find a way to replace that income, but it didn’t destroy me. It didn’t destroy me because I didn’t let it destroy me.

I had created a portfolio of clients and people that I work with to ensure that if any of them were to go away, I would still be in a good situation until I replaced them with something new.

You see how that’s a little different than being an employee?

I am in charge of my life. 

I won’t be dependent on anyone but myself.

Will you?