We’ve been lied to…
I was lied to as a child, teenager, young adult… really for my entire life. And I have a feeling you’ve been told this lie, too. So, we’ve been lied to – and I don’t want to live another minute without you knowing the truth because it could be LIFE CHANGING.
We’ve been lied to…
Want to watch the video version of this post? I’ve got you covered!
So how have we been lied to?
We’ve been lied to, because we were told that, in order to be successful, we have to go to college, get a good job, work there for 30 years, and THEN we can enjoy our freedom. And that is just not the truth.
That lie has been SO prevalent in my life since the beginning. I’ve always been one to rebel against what’s normal. Since I was 5 years old, I told people I wanted to be a photographer (a National Geographic photographer was my dream for a while, if you want ro get specific). And I was always met with bad reactions. People telling me I wouldn’t make money or couldn’t do it.
We've been lied to because the normal way is NOT the only option!
We are taught that we HAVE to do things the “normal” way to achieve our dreams. If you want to support a family, to have money, to have retirement, or literally anything else, you have to do it the normal way. If you want a lot of money, you need to get a job where someone will pay you a lot of money.
When I wanted to be a photographer, it always got shut down. People would say “oh, you’re too smart for that!” or “that won’t actually pay you!” After getting shut down a lot, I started telling people in early high school that I was going to be a lawyer… Because I like to argue with people (I’m an enneagram 8).
Being a lawyer was SO heavily encouraged by my teachers and mentors because it pays well. Nobody ever told me, “But you’ll spend your entire career paying off student debt.”
We’ve been lied to because people told us that if we wanted nice things, we had to get a job that “pays well,” regardless of anything else.
Full disclosure here: I went to college, and I do not even REMOTELY regret that! College was transformational and was really really important for me. If you’re someone who wants to go to college, you absolutely should! I just want to make the point that it isn’t the only option for you. I’m glad I have my degree, but it isn’t the reason I’m successful.
The lie comes down to the fact that you have to do what society says is “normal” to have what you want.
We’ve been lied to by people who say:
“If you want retirement, good pay, and benefits, you have to go get that job. Who cares if you’re miserable! So is everybody else at work.”
I heard that idea a LOT growing up – that work isn’t meant to be enjoyed and that everybody hates their job. And it doesn’t have to be that way.
The idea of sitting around for 30 years hating my job seemed SO insane to me then, and it does even more now.
If you want retirement, you can have it as a self-employed person. It doesn’t have to look like a check from a company – it can be real estate investments or personal investments.
You can have insurance while you’re self-employed, you just have to pay for it out of pocket. And if you’re making more money anyway, what does that matter?
I’m not saying everyone should quit their job to be an entrepreneur, because we’re all different. That might not be your cup of tea. But you still don’t have to do things the “normal” way.
I am making WAY more money now than I could at any company within driving distance of me. And that’s accounting for my degree and my experience. Not only that, but because I’m making more money, I can afford to buy insurance and invest in retirement. I’m able to do the things that will set up myself and my family in years to come.
If I had stayed in corporate, I never would have been able to build the house I’m sitting in. Promise.
If you’re here and you literally hate your job or can’t imagine staying in a job for 30 years before you can live your life…
This is your permission slip to take the leap into the “not normal” way of doing things. We’ve been lied to for our entire lives, and it’s possible to break free from that lie.
Being an entrepreneur was NEVER presented to me as an option growing up. And I want to make sure you know it’s an option for you.
If you want to pursue working for yourself but have no idea what to do, go learn a skill! Graphic design, copywriting, video editing, anything like that can be easily learned and marketed (I recommend Skillshare, who actually sponsored the video version of this post, as a great way to learn new things!).
You CAN be successful, make more money, have the things you want, and even have retirement as a self-employed person. We only get one life – make sure you live it for you.
