save_yourself.htm

Work by human beings is a wonderful thing. It produces goods and services we need and provides a way for us to have money to take care of our needs. Doctors and medical technicians help us maintain our health, and creative people give us nice objects to look at and use.

In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (A. Giddens, Trans.), New York, Routledge, 1930/1993, Max Weber argued that, when the way people view their workplace emphasizes what they do as a means toward other ends, human beings unwittingly allow themselves to be imprisoned in an "iron cage." In this view, work is slavery!

There is a right and wrong use of work. Aside from the slavery angle, in much of the world, work is used to actually define an individual. Where you work or what you do is who you are.

This was painfully shown to me a few years ago. Newly married, I left a low-paying, high stress job at a bank for a much higher salary in the textile industry. The bank was considered a more socially accepted place to work than a mill. After all, people remembered when the mill owned all the houses and the workers were low-lifes who could not even afford a place to stay. My family was suddenly shut off from all social functions and many friends deserted us.

At the time, I was just disgusted and saddened. Now I know it was a manifestation of the idea that one’s work is what they are. I eventually realized this and quit with no job and no retirement; no nothing. After surviving some really bad years, my mission now is to show everyone that they don’t have to work for a single company, or in the same profession, all their lives. There are ways to spice up life, provide more time for things you really want to do and yield the desired income at the same time. The Internet has made this more possible than ever.

My Daddy, a minister for 66 years, showed me most of the ideas here. I didn’t realize what he was doing for a long time, and he had no clue he was doing anything like what I will describe.

He was totally focused on his ministry. Daddy tuned out the world, tried to avoid the news, and never spoke of retirement. Health forced him to stop when he was 85, and he just started to go away because he had nothing else to do. You’ll never get me to stop!

During his life Daddy, had seven active pastorates. He said he retired at 65 for a few years, but he actually continued preaching at some church every single Sunday and held a few revivals. More money was never a challenge in his life, but Daddy was always looking for a larger group to influence. He always moved up, until later in life when he kind of relaxed so he could keep on doing what he loved.

So, what did I learn about work from my father?

Stay focused on your main ideas; this can include more than one, but don’t run in every direction. Constantly look for a challenge and never think about quitting. These are my life goals, and I suggest everyone—doctor, lawyer, accountant, or anyone—adopt these plans. It’s the only way to have the money you want in a stress-free environment. Here’s how to reach these objectives.

Something common among new entrepreneurs is the inability to see a project through to its ending. Internet entrepreneurs change businesses every day or two. This infects many brick and mortar people, too. Several of my affiliates have this problem. I get stuff all the time about some great new thing someone has found. Others get so tied up in lotteries and casinos that pop up there’s no time for work. You must decide what you intend to do and stay with it. Written goals are necessary to do this well.

once reviewed Die Broke by Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine, Harper Business, First Edition, 1998. Many of the ideas in this book are similar to my own. To have enough money to get through life the way you want takes some effort. Die Broke elaborates on the idea of quitting your very first job just as soon as you begin; in your mind, that is. This means constantly changing employment when more money (or benefits = money) opens up for you. You will have more funds to invest or just have money available to enjoy.

If you have a job you already have a resumé. You also have many contacts, so keep an up-to-date account of your abilities in front of these people. At some point, they may need you and be willing to pay you more than you are making. Always network. Who you know means everything. Join any organization where you have interests and make sure everyone knows you and your qualifications. You may even ask your contacts to review your resumé. Ask for an interview where you ask them about their business because you want to know all about it in case you decide to apply for a job. All this will keep you in front of decision makers who will be able to hire when you apply for that high paying job.

About retirement: To remain mentally and physically healthy, one must have a compelling reason to get up in the morning. There must be something you just have to do. The unhappiest retiree I know plays a little golf, travels a little, and sleeps most of every day. He sleeps so much to forget that his stock investments are going up and down all the time. He has nothing to get up and do. This is why no one should retire. Why live, if all you do is sleep?

At every stage in life, a person should build income streams as they become available. A very good discussion of this is in Die Broke, mentioned above, and Multiple Streams of Income by Robert G. Allen, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., March, 2002. Read these and do as much of what they say that suits your way of life.

So how do we live a happy, low-stress life with enough money? Do these three things:

Stay focused
Look for more income
Never retire
Most people need to work for others in the beginning of their adult lives. If you must have a “real job,” here are some helpful places to check:

Internships for students and recent graduates can be located HERE. Every employer looks for people with experience to hire for jobs they want to fill. But how can a first-time job seeker gain any knowledge if they have never before worked? This is the value of working as an intern, even if the pay is little or, in some cases, nonexistent. This Website offers opportunities for those with little experience to be able to tell a prospective employer they do, indeed, have work experience.

If you are a student or anyone looking for seasonal work, this Website is the place to look. Here you will find staff positions at camps, environmental groups, national parks, and other irregular work sites.

Monster.com is a very large database of all kinds of jobs. This site offers help with writing resumés, deciding the optimum job for you, and it even has a means to help you determine what your job is worth in terms of pay. If you need additional education, they have many programs available to help you. This is a one-stop all-purpose employment office.

International employment is available HERE. There are jobs all over the world for professional people, expatriates, and adventurers. When you find an interesting employer, you can examine a profile of the company to see if it meets your needs. You can even narrow your search to a desired location.

This site lists many worldwide resort-type jobs. If you want to work at a ski resort, or on a cruise ship, or in a hotel or restaurant, this is where can find many such jobs. They offer profiles on all their employers to help you decide if you want to work there. You may even be able to find a resort-type opening in the area where you live.

There are very many job opportunities with the U.S. Government. This Website gets you into the entire database of available government jobs. You can find out how to apply and see a list of current openings. There is a special section describing resources to help those with disabilities. Homeland Security job opportunities are also listed in a special section. On this Website you can learn about the hiring process and examine career opportunities. There are links to all federal agencies and a description of government benefits.

While you are finding and accepting one of these jobs, never forget to begin quitting “in your mind” as soon as you begin the job. Always continue looking for a better job, a better business opportunity, and for any additional income source. Do this constantly.

And always look for a way to work for yourself to avoid the unintentional slavery of working for someone else.

Yank is a home-based entrepreneur and freelance business writer living in Hurricane Alley, North Carolina, USA. His Website is http://www.homebizschool.ws/ and you may contact Yank at mailto:info@homebizschool.ws.
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