my dad wants me to get a real job
today morning i woke up to a message from my dad - mentioning he's worried about me and wants me to get a 'real permanent' job.
as i have written in numerous blogs over the past year i spent the greater part of last year working for myself. i worked longer and harder than i ever worked at a job. the alternative to 9-5 is not working whenever you want to - its working all the time. when you aren't working you are thinking about 'work' - whatever that might be.
whenever someone tells me they want to startup i tell them don't do it. when you venture out to build something whatever it may be a car, a software product, a house anything. it is all consuming. it consumes your entire being. most people want to have their own business, be their 'own boss' but what is the price you are willing to pay for it? i for one know i might never have a 'normal' life in the traditional sense. i have kinda made peace with it.
life literally passes you. your friends will get married. get cars. buy homes. have children. your parents will get older. your dad nears retirement age. who'll support them? how will you handle medical expenses?
there will be pressure from all sides to get a real job. can you face all that? it won't look pretty. you will wake up anxious in the middle of the night with so many doubts. are you just following a pipe dream? you won't have a life. it is not as glamorous as the media likes to portray it to be.
it also takes immense privelege to do what i am doing. there's just no sugarcoating this. i have no kids to take care of. i am a man in his late 20s with a good education and network. i had family/friends helping me through this journey so that i could have a roof over my head and 3 square meals a day. it is also massive ego death. you realize you are always at the mercy of others. whether a job or your own startup - your life is fragile. no one is really self made. don't buy into that bullshit.
could it be better? could i have generational wealth? sure. but i have it better than most, and it would be dishonest for me to claim i overcame all hurdles. listen i've taught some brilliant underprivileged children from broken homes. but circumstances decide everything. they can never even dream of doing what i'm doing right now. this is the brutal truth for millions.
unless you are ready for this, stick to a real job. it allows you to build wealth. support your family. have a good life. it is not as bad as people claim it to be. did i know all this when i got on this journey a year ago? no. i was naive.
but if you are one of the misfits. if something is seriously wrong with you in the head. by all means go ahead. join us.