Escaping The Rat Race
I keep getting emails on how to escape the rat race and it just makes me stop and think about where we are going and where we have come from? In the western world we are led to believe that freedom can only really be obtained if we have large amounts of money or fame but I think this is proving to be very innacurate in the "real world." We are all individuals and therefore each of us should be free to take our own direction.
In developed countries people have all the necessities and more but the problem is that most of us are being educated to think differently. The media will have us believe that we must always achieve more if we want to live a fulfilling life. It's probably only the minority of independent thinkers who realise that " a back to basics approach" at least for some of the time is a much healthier option. In society today we are almost overwhelmed by choice and this leaves us feeling "incomplete" in many ways. Now don't get me wrong here, of course it's great to be successful and at the top of your game but this is not my point. I wouldn't deny anybody such a wonderful chance in their life. It's the fact that not everybody fits these stereotypical images that we are led to believe.
There are really two types of people who would want to escape the rat race:
1. The Person who wants a more simple existence
2. The Person who wants financial freedom
The Person who wants a more simple existence may feel trapped by the pressure to achieve and keep up with surrounding friends, fellow workers and family. He or she works 40 or 50 hours a week but what does this leave him with? With all those bills and debts to pay it sometimes feels like slow progess on the fast moving train of life. Having said this, the need to escape the rat race may not necessarily lead to happiness because it could just be the desire to run away from responsibility and self-sacrifice. Going to live in a cottage at the foot of a mountain may be lovely and relaxing for a few weeks, but how long would this sensation of inner peace last? This is a question we must ask ourselves.
The second type of person who is searching for financial freedom to escape the rat race is probably more my type. This type of person is trying to maximise their talents and in turn make enough money to be free of the chains that the rat race. Working hard to free ourselves from a boss who is probably also a frustrated victim of the rat race can only be a really positve ambition that must be admired. Anybody who can work everyday doing what they absolutely enjoy is indeed a fortunate person. Daily activities wouldn't feel like chores anymore as he or she starts to see the positive in things rather than the negative. Surrounding friends and associates would be more respectful and filled with admiration for such great achievements. Suddenly they would look to this person as their mentor and source of inspiration.
So if you want to increase your earnings and gain freedom you first of all must get your priorities right. Put your passion and people first and the money should follow.
