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The Cost of FREEDOM

freedom
What is the cost of freedom really? Does it always have to do with money?

2 months ago I applied for a corporate job for a brand manager position in a retail clothing company. It was so unprecedented even to my friends but my reasons were valid (or so I thought). Having just started One for Humanity, I needed the breathing room that a stable job provides so I can pay the bills and pump money into that business. I am still doing my online jobs but it can be unpredictable that at any given time, a project can get cancelled, which means losing my income stream.

Another reason was I wanted to go back to retail because it’s something I enjoy doing and I am good at it. Plus, if I am to build a clothing brand sometime in the near future, then the experience I will gain from this will be valuable.

Anyway, during the interviews, I was informed that I will be handling a new clothing brand but in the midst of it, they’ve decided to let me handle a cosmetic brand instead. Me? Handle a cosmetic brand? I don’t even wear makeup for crying out loud!

But I didn’t let that discourage me. I still showed up and did my best in all the interviews, all five of them. And guess what? I sure made a good impression because the owner didn’t think twice hiring me.

When I was given the offer, I should have felt excited but I didn’t. Perhaps it was because that job required me to work 50 hours a week, or that cosmetics were not really my thing, blah blah blah.

I convinced myself that I needed this job but I also know that I’m doing it under protest. You may think — this girl is so entitled and irresponsible not to have a stable job especially at her age. What was she thinking?

Don’t worry, I get you.

When convincing myself was not enough, I talked to a few of my closest friends about this and they confirmed what I was feeling when they asked me this — you don’t like the corporate world anymore, so why are you doing this?

You see, money [or lack thereof] can really make you do things that go against every fiber of your being. Don’t get me wrong, it is NORMAL to have a job because that’s how 99% of the population survive. But I know myself — I am a non-conformist, I disrupt the status quo, and go against the current simply because I value my FREEDOM too much.

Safe to say that yes, I gracefully declined the offer.

In my mind, going back to the corporate world is like going into prison voluntarily. You get chained to your desk for 8-10 hours each day, get told what to do, and deal with a lot of politics and drama. Rinse and repeat for months and years to come. And then you’re already 60 and didn’t get to do much with your life because you were busy making a living instead of living.

That is just sad putting those into words. I simply can’t imagine putting myself into that cage again! The corporate jungle is just not for me anymore.

Again, before you go into judgmental mode, know that I don’t have a family to support nor do I have any financial responsibilities like housing or car loans. I have a simple and low maintenance lifestyle. That’s how I can manage to live off of the income I get from my online jobs and why I can afford to embrace all the uncertainties and unpredictability.

If I have my own family or financial responsibilities, then it’s going to be a completely different story!

To turn this around, I am fully aware that I am not getting any younger, which is why I am consistently feeding my entrepreneurial mindset. I am determined to start location-independent businesses and turn those into profit-generating machines! One for Humanity is one of those businesses and I still have 2-3 more business ideas waiting to materialize. It’s just a matter of timing and proper execution.

I keep telling myself that within the next 5 years, something has to happen. Something big. And I’m leaning towards financial independence.

I am dead set on making a million US dollars by the time I turn 40, which gives me 5 years!

Truth be told, it’s not just about making money but more importantly, being able to create something from scratch and turn that into a successful venture. I’m taking the road to self-fulfillment for all the accomplishments I have made in the last 40 years of my life.

When I leave this world and people remember me as someone who lived her life to the fullest, a greater fool trying to change the world, and inspiring people to live the life that they love, then my existence would have been justified.

If in 5 years I am still writing this blog and you are still with me in this journey, trust that I will proudly share with you how I actually made one million US dollars! The thought of it is truly exciting and I have no idea (yet) how it will come to fruition or what I am going to do with that money. My best guess? My location-independent businesses will thrive and I will end up traveling the world — that’s for sure!

Join me in this crazy adventure and promise, I will make it worth your while. I will generously share with you how I was able to build location-independent businesses, my failures and successes, and more!

Thank you for stopping by and sending you love from my side of the world. Cheers!