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Ever wonder how people end up in dead end jobs at 40?

SmoothFranko

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Just wow.. I'm a bit lost for words after reading this to be honest.

@MJ DeMarco this thread is GOLD-worthy in my opinion. This story has the potential of making people realize where they are heading to. This is something that should pop into your head when you are laying on your couch watching the 5. episode of your favorite tv show in a row.

Just listen to a few pop songs on the radio and you will hear the main topic (besides love stories) is to party and live your life.. I don't have to look any further than my own friends to see why those songs are so popular. People got things like 'yolo' written in their whatsapp status or on instagram. But instead of using it as a kick-your-a$$ because of the limited amount of time we all got, they use it as an excuse to make Thursday a 3rd day of partying every week. They don't think any further than next weekend, they try to forget their boring life while the few hours of happiness a week, but don't realize that just because you don't think about it, doesn't mean that it is not there. It's like closing your eyes in front of a monster, hoping that it is just not there. This may even work, thanks to alcohol and dancing to 'live-to-party'-lyrics in the club, but as soon as you have to open your eyes again, the monster is still there. People realize this when they have to set their alarm clock for the next day, on sunday evening. People don't think about the fact that they will be setting their alarm clock every sunday evening for the next 40 years if they continue living this way.

People are so into their lifestyle and love their party nights so much, that everything you say against it would be considered as strange or being a fun killer. I had to learn that it is nearly impossible to convince someone of something with pure logical arguments, people don't even want to listen to something that's against their opinion. That's why I find this story so powerful, it hits you with the blunt truth, and thanks to Vigilante's way of writing, you really see that guy sitting there, making it possible to feel the story and not just hearing it.

Another good point here is to not just judge a person based on their mood or behaviour without knowing their story. When I was about 16 and started to go to parties and drink and stuff like that (yep in Germany you can do this with 16) I was just careless, I felt free and happy. The weekends were awesome and I wanted them nights to last forever. Besides all that party stuff, me and my friends really felt free.. We just graduated from school, we all lived at home, we had no bills to pay, no worries other than teenager problems, we didn't have too much, but we felt free.

Then came the day I had to start a job. And I never felt that feeling of being free again for a long time. I asked myself 'that's it? That's life? Working a job for the next 40 years?' I always felt like something was wrong with me. Everyone was talking about carreers and how much effort they put into their job. And me? I hated every single morning of the week. I hated to put on this uncomfortable suit every single morning of the week. I didn't want the ride to work to end, because I knew those 30 minutes of listening to music through my earphones are followed by 8 hours working a job I don't like. I used to tell myself that I have to grow up, and that I'm still too immature. I always thought something was wrong with my way of thinking, I never asked if something may be wrong with the standard way of thinking, with society at all. I'm thankful that I never adjusted my way of thinking to society's.

I'm not where Vigilante already is, but I know that I will be one day. My resistance of accepting society's way of thinking finally led me to TMF and TMF led me to this forum. And yes, reading a book or in a forum doesn't make you a millionaire and it doesn't change your life. But it has the power to change your mindset and if you act on that new mindset, it has the power to change your life in a good way. And Vigilante's story is something that has this power, at least for me.

So the next time you tell your children, your family, your friends or anyone a horror story, tell them this one. It may change their way of viewing things.
This resonates with me as well man, I got my first job at 14 at McDonalds because my parents said it was time I learned responsibility. I always saw that job that I worked at for 2 years as a gateway to 'something bigger' but never knew what that 'something' was, no one ever told me so I just waited. I waited through highschool, I waited through college and I waited through several more depressing and deadbeat jobs till I cracked one day and spiralled into depression and said like you "that's it? That's life? Working a job for the next 40 years?" It still took me 2 years after that to find this forum and MJ's book which had made me realise that life is what you make it, and I want the power to create my own reality.
 

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Reading through all those posts gave me a similar feeling to when I read the 'Because I Can...' thread shortly after joining the forum. The thread that made me take real action. Thanks for all those deep insights @Vigilante in both threads. When I read your thread after joining here I was just starting out with my business, that's just 3 months ago but I can't describe how much everything changed since then. I'm not speaking about money or real success yet, but I'm talking about changing myself and my mindset, changing my whole attitude.

One line in a song came to my mind while reading through some of the posts in this thread, it is in german but translated it's something like "my teacher used to tell me I won't get far, I asked him why he isn't rich if he knows everything?" the only people I would listen to when they give me advice about life are people who achieved what I want to achieve.

When I stand at the train station waiting for the train to work or from work I like to look around and observe the people standing there. Besides the few happy children or groups of people who are on their way to/from shopping I don't see happy people. Yeah maybe they laugh when they talk to someone else, but when you take a closer look, most people just seem not happy. That's not what I want for my life. I don't want to stand there in 20 years waiting for the train to arrive to bring me back home from my job, looking like there are only 2 days a week worth living.
 
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Vigilante

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I printed this out, and am leaving it at the desk of someone who stomps to the clock, and wastes their life on candy crush. I think we all know someone who can use this.

Take caution to make sure you engage with compassion. Offer a hand up. Might be better as a discussion over lunch.
 

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Talking about the sandwich guy... while I'm eating a sandwich right now, almost midnight.
Stayed very late working last night so I gave up sleep altogether and slept today afternoon until evening. Went out 3 hours and here I'm back again working, trying to focus. I'm a little bit messy right now.
I can end up like the sandwich guy after ten years but under no circumstance will I ever give up trying to beat the odds. And it's not really beating "the odds" but more like beating my own perceived limits.
Maybe to many people it sounds dumb that I'm recently spending whole days working on that thing, sometimes barely going out, but to me it sound way dumber to waste your whole life working for a paycheck on something you hate or at very least, don't like.
The anti-natural, anti-freedom capitalism system is set up in that way that it will require serious efforts and determination for the average person to break out, or it will crush him down in job-slavery.
 
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Andy Black

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I have two grown children. I would sacrifice nearly anything I have to be able to go back in time and make different decisions than the ones I made in their early childhood. I convinced myself I was sacrificing on their behalf – but in reality what I was sacrificing was them.

I struggled to write that last sentence.
I've been haunted by that sentence all day.


@Vigilante

If I may be so bold...

I've heard a few of your podcasts with you and your daughter. It sounds to me like you've passed on the mindset and business smarts that will allow her to NOT be the mother that misses her childrens' Christmas concerts, first soccer practice, and first dance.

The biggest gift you can pass onto your own children is arguably the ability for them to be there for their own children.

(And you're in a position to witness it as often as you want too!)


You've also helped many people in this forum, and throughout your life I dare say.

Threads like this, and many more of the nuggets you drop, help us see there's another way - where we don't have to sacrifice what's most precious to us (our time) and where we don't have to get permission to see our children grow up.

You're helping us get our time back, and spend more of it with our children.

Thank you.
 

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Man oh man. Love this thread. Amazing posts. Thank you.

I've worked for a major corporation for many years now. Living the corporate "mindset". The "change" mindset, whatever that means. Dangling the carrot in front of you for that next promotion. Yes kids, if you work really, really, really hard, one day you can be the manager here to and be in charge of your very own skill build where we promote the new corporate mindset!!

When it comes time for a performance review, they always look for ways to screw you over. Well you did XY and Y.5, but you didn't exactly do Z the exact specification and so unfortunately your bonus will only be 12% instead of 15%. Oh yeah, that inflation adjustment of 2.5%, this year will only be 1%, sorry.... cutting costs, structural costs.. You know......... Even though the corporation just recorded RECORD profits.

But that's fine, I'm a cog in a wheel, I get it. We gotta break out, like was said, no ones got your back except you.
 
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Vigilante

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Wow. I forgot about annual performance reviews and bullshit raises.

One of my coworkers was told one time that her business unit met its budgets "despite her... Not because of her."

 
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Andy Black

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One of my coworkers was told one time that her business unit met its budgets "despite her... Not because of her."

"Met its budgets."

Sigh... That says it all. What was the ROI for that spend? Was it positive? Then why have you got a budget (limit)? Was it negative? Then why are you still spending?

Also, often a business will call it a budget, when they really mean a target.

I think I'm allergic to the corporate world and the language they use.




Performance review? Annual appraisal?

I've only been an employee for 2.5 years since year 2000 (plenty prior to 2000). In those recent roles I came to the conclusion that when a company introduces HR, then it's not somewhere I want to be.

You can't get that management role till you tick off these achievements. Oh, you worked late and achieved them? We decided to bring in some talent from outside the business.

We can't justify a 4% annual increase, so you'll have to accept 2.5%.


@eliquid ? You have a few of these stories on your blog...
 

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Wow. I forgot about annual performance reviews and bullshit raises.

One of my coworkers was told one time that her business unit met its budgets "despite her... Not because of her."

For me, I can remember very clearly the moment that I realized I didn't want the corporate lifestyle. This was around 3 years ago, I was working for Thomson Reuters, and the company had just switched over to a high deductible health care plan. (In addition to paying $160/month, I also got the privilege of paying around $8000 out of pocket. Why do I have insurance again?) Anyways, we given the usual crap about why the company did this. Shortly thereafter, raises came out, and we informed that due to "finances" the high performers would receive a 2% raise. I got 1.8%. I looked my manager square in the face and asked, "How was that 10% raise?"

I'm currently in the position where I need to decide if I want to convert or remain contract. Conversion would result in perhaps a bit better pay that can help fund whatever it is I end doing to escape, but I shudder to think what I'll need to do again.
 
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Delmania

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"Met its budgets."

Sigh... That says it all. What was the ROI for that spend? Was it positive? Then why have you got a budget (limit)? Was it negative? Then why are you still spending?

Also, often a business will call it a budget, when they really mean a target.

I think I am allergic to the corporate world and the language they use.




Performance review? Annual appraisal?

I've only been an employee for 2.5 years since year 2000 (plenty prior to 2000). In those recent roles I came to the conclusion was that when a company gets to the size where it introduces HR, then it's not somewhere I want to be.

2 words can sum it up: stack ranking. The legacy of Jack Welch lives on.

Human Resources exists to make sure the company is protected from the workers.
 

smarty

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This is the winning spirit we must cultivate


I don't watch Rugby but this is super inspiring. Do you think they won?

Of course they did, they crushed France 62-13 ;)

09516dac8e5fb2b690953ec758018811[1].png
 
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Andy Black

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(In true Amazon style...)

Readers who liked this thread, also liked this thread.
 
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juggler619

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@Vigilante -

Hello vigilante!

Oct 17th was the date i read this post written by you titled "Ever wonder how people end up in dead end jobs at 40?" I have never had reality hit me in the face this hard before. That post was like burning bush talking to Moses. 30 days later.........

Since then i have ensured every morning & every night i would ask my self "WHAT HAVE I DONE/WILL DO TODAY TO GET CLOSER TO MY GOAL", my weakness was "taking action"- slowly but steadily i have changed my self - be it health wise -financial freedom- learning- valuing time.

The bread crumbs you left behind have inspired me to changed my legacy,now from a dreamer- i can see the change in me to a "ACTION TAKER". i don't want to be that tetris playing sandwich guy.

Few things - that i have done
-Tracking time n utilizing it productively daily so that i have a answer to "what have i done today to reach my goal"
-Been learning how the online business works - ( host for website-blog-social marketing etc).
-Learning a bit of marketing n copyrighting.
-Figured out 2 needs & building a business plan/CENTS around it.
-Saving money to utilize it for future business invest ( ads,hosting-hiring freelancer).

All i can tell you is i'm not close to my goal.But i have started fighting for it. I have started taking action. I have started investing time in a wise manner. And i feel proud that im one of the lucky few of has taken a decision to change or rewrite my legacy- All thanks to you.
God bless you vigilante..
Leap_of_Faith.jpg
 

Vigilante

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@Vigilante -

Hello vigilante!

Oct 17th was the date i read this post written by you titled "Ever wonder how people end up in dead end jobs at 40?" I have never had reality hit me in the face this hard before. That post was like burning bush talking to Moses. 30 days later.........

Since then i have ensured every morning & every night i would ask my self "WHAT HAVE I DONE/WILL DO TODAY TO GET CLOSER TO MY GOAL", my weakness was "taking action"- slowly but steadily i have changed my self - be it health wise -financial freedom- learning- valuing time.

The bread crumbs you left behind have inspired me to changed my legacy,now from a dreamer- i can see the change in me to a "ACTION TAKER". i don't want to be that tetris playing sandwich guy.

Few things - that i have done
-Tracking time n utilizing it productively daily so that i have a answer to "what have i done today to reach my goal"
-Been learning how the online business works - ( host for website-blog-social marketing etc).
-Learning a bit of marketing n copyrighting.
-Figured out 2 needs & building a business plan/CENTS around it.
-Saving money to utilize it for future business invest ( ads,hosting-hiring freelancer).

All i can tell you is i'm not close to my goal.But i have started fighting for it. I have started taking action. I have started investing time in a wise manner. And i feel proud that im one of the lucky few of has taken a decision to change or rewrite my legacy- All thanks to you.
God bless you vigilante..
Leap_of_Faith.jpg

I am humbled. I would never acknowledge the significance of the burning bush analogy, but appreciate the strong sentiment none the less. We just literally finished a seven week study on the book of Exodus, so your analogy was striking and humbling to me. But I would be with you on the outside of the bush peering in. :)

I am proud of you.

Messages like yours are like fuel to us to continue to do what we do here.

Thank you. And I love your picture.

This is for all of the mods and contributors to this forum, not just me. YOU are the reason we are here.

Now keep going.

I want to read your progress thread six months from now, and it better be good.
 
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juggler619

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I am humbled. I would never acknowledge the significance of the burning bush analogy, but appreciate the strong sentiment none the less. We just literally finished a seven week study on the book of Exodus, so your analogy was striking and humbling to me. But I would be with you on the outside of the bush peering in. :)

I am proud of you.

Messages like yours are like fuel to us to continue to do what we do here.

Thank you. And I love your picture.

This is for all of the mods and contributors to this forum, not just me. YOU are the reason we are here.

Now keep going.

I want to read your progress thread six months from now, and it better be good.

Thank you vigilante! - Surely on my way forward- i'll create a progress thread .

Thank you for inspiring so many!
 
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Thank you!! I am starting a side business in the coming months with this goal to exit the corporate in less than 22 months
 

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And on October 17th, I made a big billboard in my room with collums (days+date left above tasks to do).

MAINLY BECAUSE OF THIS TOPIC
The knowledge on this forum is amazing, and I have an endless "to read/note/try/implement-list" , but this one got my a$$ to moving in a new type of level.

That is little over a month now.

My only promise to myself was, not to break the chain.
Do.The.Shit.On.The.List ..... and more

I've achieved more in these passed 5 weeks than I have in the passed few years.
NOT because I wasnt doing the right things, but because lack of clarity.
The resources are pouring in and appearing on my path (whether it's in human form, online form, read-able/watchable form. Its endless)

Am I there yet? HA! Not even. Nor do I feel there is such a thing as "there".
But this is all quite exciting. New. Expanding (I sound like a hippie)

Sometimes I hear the words of many in here in my head. It helps me. Until certain habits are my own. And then off to new things again!
As we speak I am making the upcoming 5 weeks bilboard.
The tasks have been altered a bit and some are edited. Clearer, less vague.

I don't expect anyone to take my word for this, since I have not yet reached levels many on here have.
The only thing I would like to say to anyone who doesn't know how, or where to begin:
Make a clear goal list.
Cut it down in smaller tasks, clear ones.

Enjoy the ride
(often there will be tasks that are anything BUT enjoyable, there is no way to get out of those. You need to find a way for yourself to either motivate yourself, or in most cases. DO IT. With or without motivation. Time will pass. Might as well grow while its passing)

Thank you for this topic!
 

Supa

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And on October 17th, I made a big billboard in my room with collums (days+date left above tasks to do).

MAINLY BECAUSE OF THIS TOPIC
The knowledge on this forum is amazing, and I have an endless "to read/note/try/implement-list" , but this one got my a$$ to moving in a new type of level.

That is little over a month now.

My only promise to myself was, not to break the chain.
Do.The.Shit.On.The.List ..... and more

I've achieved more in these passed 5 weeks than I have in the passed few years.
NOT because I wasnt doing the right things, but because lack of clarity.
The resources are pouring in and appearing on my path (whether it's in human form, online form, read-able/watchable form. Its endless)

Am I there yet? HA! Not even. Nor do I feel there is such a thing as "there".
But this is all quite exciting. New. Expanding (I sound like a hippie)

Sometimes I hear the words of many in here in my head. It helps me. Until certain habits are my own. And then off to new things again!
As we speak I am making the upcoming 5 weeks bilboard.
The tasks have been altered a bit and some are edited. Clearer, less vague.

I don't expect anyone to take my word for this, since I have not yet reached levels many on here have.
The only thing I would like to say to anyone who doesn't know how, or where to begin:
Make a clear goal list.
Cut it down in smaller tasks, clear ones.

Enjoy the ride
(often there will be tasks that are anything BUT enjoyable, there is no way to get out of those. You need to find a way for yourself to either motivate yourself, or in most cases. DO IT. With or without motivation. Time will pass. Might as well grow while its passing)

Thank you for this topic!

Yep, setting goals is an important part of the road to me, it's like having signs on the road. Signs that tell you how many miles you need to drive until you reach your next goal and they show you how far you came so far. That's if you break down your goals. You can't know when you will hit your big goal, but you can calculate how long you need for specific tasks and then set small goals of finishing the tasks.

For example, I'm currently working on our database, I work on it for about a month now, I calculated how long it will probably take me to finish it and set an achievable goal until what point I want to finish it.

This way I'm driving along the road with the sign of reaching my current goal in a few weeks, in sight.

Thanks for sharing this great post!
 

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This is a long, rambling story I wanted to share with you after I was troubled by something I saw the other night. It's almost written as a short story. If you don't like a little introspection, or are reading for a business plan, skip this thread. Someone out there needed to hear this message, and I hope it gets in the hands of the people that needed to read this. Many of us might see ourselves through the eyes of the main character below. - Vigilante

I stopped in with my kid a few nights ago to a local sub sandwich shop, and the sad story written there is etched in my mind. In a combination of thankfulness and helpfulness, I pour out the story here like retelling of a dream. Only, this wasn’t a dream, but a glimpse into the desperate eyes of thousands of people across the United States. The forgotten ones, the failures of capitalism. The working class.

Ty for this story. Motivating
 
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Vigilante

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The manager of the cafeteria in my office building quit. His last day is next week. He got a new job slinging hash somewhere else for a little bit more money.

I watched him tell his "customers" that today. I watch them look back at him with glassy eyes. Nobody cares. It is not going to impact anybody's life but him and his family.

There will be some new guy there next week slinging the same hash. Different guy… Same food.

Make sure it is not you.
 

Greg R

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The manager of the cafeteria in my office building quit. His last day is next week. He got a new job slinging hash somewhere else for a little bit more money.

I watched him tell his "customers" that today. I watch them look back at him with glassy eyes. Nobody cares. It is not going to impact anybody's life but him and his family.

There will be some new guy there next week slinging the same hash. Different guy… Same food.

Make sure it is not you.
MAN that was DEEP!
 
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Roli

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This is a long, rambling story I wanted to share with you after I was troubled by something I saw the other night. It's almost written as a short story. If you don't like a little introspection, or are reading for a business plan, skip this thread. Someone out there needed to hear this message, and I hope it gets in the hands of the people that needed to read this. Many of us might see ourselves through the eyes of the main character below. - Vigilante

I stopped in with my kid a few nights ago to a local sub sandwich shop, and the sad story written there is etched in my mind. In a combination of thankfulness and helpfulness, I pour out the story here like retelling of a dream. Only, this wasn’t a dream, but a glimpse into the desperate eyes of thousands of people across the United States. The forgotten ones, the failures of capitalism. The working class.

You can find my perception judgmental, until you realize that the story also marks the beginning of my story. I was this guy. Dropping out of school, I was working in retail. Young and not wise enough to realize the deck was stacked against me, I bucked the odds. Through a combination of tenacity and reinvention, I broke the mold. However, I can give you a glimpse into the life I saw a few nights ago, and give you eyes to see through the hands and into the heart and mind of the clerk, the salesperson, the forgotten ones.

I pulled into the sandwich shop, needing to get my kid a sandwich. Having spent the afternoon at an amusement park and her private swimming lessons, if I brought her fuel tank back on “empty” I would be answering to her mother. A ham and cheese better than nothing, we pulled my paid-for vehicle into the lot and went into the store. We ordered some food, and settled into a booth that she would spend the next fifteen minutes using as a jungle gym. She’s the kid that you hate sitting at the table next to.

It was then that I saw him, the 21 year old mirror image of me. Only, he was probably 48. Dressed in a cheap suit and tie, name tag slung around his neck like a noose, he was on a 29 minute escape from his evening shift at the mens clothing store a few doors down the mall. His suit was a little rumpled, which was probably OK as a quick scan of the parking lot indicated there probably were no customers to notice that night anyway. His eyes showed that he was a million miles away.

He was on about minute 10 of his 29 minute escape, an unpaid half hour that extended his required scheduled time by the same 29 minutes. You get a half hour break plus two fifteen minute breaks for every eight hours you work in the United States. A half hour isn’t really enough time to do anything, and most nights the time is spent sitting in the break room, watching the clock and wishing you were anywhere else. It's just enough time for you to settle in to your resentment of your job, and then the bell rings or the whistle blows and you are right back where you started from.

This wasn’t his first job, and likely wouldn’t be his last. A series of choices and setbacks had led him to this sandwich shop that night. He turned it over in his head, over and over and over again. When he left the clothing shop for his "break" his 24 year old boss told him to make sure he was back on time this time. As if there were another time that he hadn’t been. F*cker.

He looked at the clock on his 4th generation iPhone, and with 19 minutes left, his mind slipped away into another mindless game of Tetris. He set his personal high score last week, in what was probably his millionth game. High score. The occasion passed with nothing more than a quick flash on the screen, and then he was back folding shirts again.

His dinner that night cost him more than he made for the last hour. He had a base pay of $12 plus commission, but with no customers in the shop, there was no commission. Add to that he was required to take a half hour unpaid, and his sandwich cost him more than he made after taxes for nearly two hours.

The Tetris helped him forget. It helped him forget that his son's tuition was due tomorrow. He felt dead. He felt trapped. When he allowed himself to think about it, he couldn’t breathe. His ability to pretend it wasn’t happening ended when the credit card was declined, and then they started calling. Not sure what he was supposed to tell them. He put their number on ignore, but knew that was only going to make it all worse.

He looked at the clock as he drifted away into another game. 9 minutes left.

They told him tonight they were cutting his hours back to one hour less than full time. He’d have even less. He didn’t have anything to say. Where else would he go? When he took this job, he told himself it was just temporary. But last week turned into yesterday, which turned into today. And now he had to go home, and tell his wife he just got a pay cut.

6 minutes.

It was easier to just not think about it. Three more hours of standing around a store with no customers. It made no sense to him. He got mad. He thought about the fact that his time was worth so little to them that they would just have him stand around, folding shirts and paying him less than a sandwich. Last month, they changed the commission plan so that even the sales he did were subtracted from his “salary” before he got any commission. Tonight, though, that wouldn’t matter.

4 minutes.

He would almost rather be there than at home.

3 minutes. He slumped down in his chair. He didn’t want to be there. The sandwich made him sick, as the stress turned into a knot in his stomach. He started another game, and then realized he had to get back. Back to what? Back to nothing. Back to his time clock. He had to rush back to be on time to stand around.

He crumpled up his salary in the form of a sandwich wrapper, and headed towards the door. Making a left, he was the only one headed to the clothing store from the parking lot. He’d watch the clock roll towards 9PM, knowing his wife was likely to be asleep when he got home.

And tomorrow, it would start all over again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This forum gets dozens of thousands of hits per week. Many of them are people just like this guy, looking for something that can help them. Something that can encourage them. Something that can teach them. Maybe… maybe that guy is you.

These people are all around us. Capitalism requires it. There are more of them than there are of us. Most of them will never break out. Most of them will never find a way. Some won’t do it because they can’t, some won’t do it because they won’t. Some won’t do it because they think it is game over.

The guy in the sandwich shop reminded me of me. I was him. I fought like hell and found a way, but absent that I once wore his suit. Many of us did.

It’s not enough for you to take everything from this forum and use it for your own gain. It’s not enough for you to read the Millionaire Fast Lane, the Four Hour Work Week, start your business, and live happily ever after. Your life will still be devoid of meaning until you figure out how to reach people with scale and bring them with you.

Look deeply into the eyes of the clothing store clerk in the sandwich shop. At a minimum, lets realize that he deserves compassion. He may never make it. He may never find it. He may always live from day to day eating those shitty sandwiches. Showing you shirts. Folding shirts. And you and I? We look past him. We wonder why he's such an a**hole at the clothing store.

KAK left the forum. He then came back to reach more people in scale. MJ DeMarco could have just walked away, and never written the Millionaire Fast Lane.

I taught some classes last fall. Most of the people sitting in the class were in various stages of being that guy in the sandwich shop. I haven’t reached enough of them yet. We’re not all called to be teachers. Some can give back through philanthropy. Some can give back through teaching. Others through works or other ways of effecting people, either individually or in scale.

Not sure why I spent the time telling you all this, other than the realization that had my life taken some different turns, I could have been that guy in the sandwich shop. That guy is here. Reading this post. Rather than step around them when they find us, maybe we should do a better job here at the forum of helping them find a way.

What will your legacy look like?

Almost as sobering as the first 100 pages of TMF , I am that guy, with a slightly better job, wondering if I've left it too late...
 

Vigilante

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Almost as sobering as the first 100 pages of TMF , I am that guy, with a slightly better job, wondering if I've left it too late...

There is no such thing as too late if you found your way here
 

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