Hello,
Been lurking for a bit but figured I need to introduce myself:
I originally heard about MJ's books through some youtubers (thanks James Jani) I watched a couple years ago. The books, (specifically Unscripted ) sat on my reading list in my business section for a while. It wasn't until I worked some bullshit jobs and realized some important lessons that I got around to reading it and determined that entrepreneurship is the way for me at this point in life (just graduated from college).
Going back, I like to believe I have had a knack for entrepreneurship which I think at its root form is seeing a gap in the lines, going in and exploiting it. Back in high school we had woodshop (which I managed to finesse into taking all four years lol) and after completing the projects you could make whatever you want as long as you drew up the plans and calculated the price of the supplies. So I started making skateboards and selling them to my friends. My current business is based on that seed of a beginning.
I also used to chop up FN FAL battle rifles in my garage and sell the parts for a small profit since they were worth more in kit form than completed. I remember one time reading the Wikipedia page on corporate raiders about how they would chop up companies and sell the assets and then thinking "here I am all sweaty using a freaking pipe as a cheater bar (it doubles as my pull-up bar too haha) to take apart rifles in a vise and someones doing that with whole companies in some office type deal."
same idea though on a way bigger scale.
As I mentioned above, over the last year (2022) I came to the following realization that I'm sure many of us have had:
"Why am I making some other guy (or gal) richer while they pay me the proverbial pennies for my work?"
Generally, most of my work has been for the U.S. government which I'm fine with for the time being. My previous and current work directly tied into taking care of our military service members and their families- a mission that I can get behind.
The mission I can't get behind is the other jobs I worked making some other person or company richer (unless said person is family, a good friend etc.) and not being compensated adequately (e.g. a LIVABLE wage, commission). The mission better ultimately be for myself or the bloated American military industrial complex for the time being.
The previous statement about fair compensation may come across as entitled but I understand that nothing in life is guaranteed, hence why I gotta do it on my own through my own damn willpower. The way I see it, your life is a ship and to lash it to another one to receive the "wind in your sails" compromises your journey into the horizon.
I've had some more ideas that I've been thinking about as well with the nature of the fastlane, being unscripted etc.;
Consider the following: The human species did not evolve over tens of thousands of years to spend 8 hours in a cubicle working some bullshit unfulfilling job, wasting time in traffic to said bullshit job and waiting for the time off, the day off, and the vacation once a year to finally feel "free" for all of a week before going back to coal mines. What the heck did the human being evolve to do? (holistically; not just from a purely functional biology standpoint i.e. reproduce like rabbits) I think it is to realize your full potential no matter what gets thrown in your way.
Remember what Ben Franklin said about some men live until they're 75 but they died at 25. Ain't gonna be me.
In sum I have come to the conclusion that the one of the only good options in our day and age is to start my own business now (but not get trapped in the freelance grind, thanks Rob O'rourke) to have the freedom and opportunity to be the best damn version of myself before I expire.
Today I filed my LLC formation and have reached out to two individuals to make some sales.
Here is some closing wisdom from a kensei (sword saint) that I have found useful and may help you with sticking it through the inevitable grind:
"You cannot have pleasure without pain and you cannot have pain without pleasure. Your struggles now will be rewarded in the future, so you must endure"
Cheers & stay blessed,
Puddding
Been lurking for a bit but figured I need to introduce myself:
I originally heard about MJ's books through some youtubers (thanks James Jani) I watched a couple years ago. The books, (specifically Unscripted ) sat on my reading list in my business section for a while. It wasn't until I worked some bullshit jobs and realized some important lessons that I got around to reading it and determined that entrepreneurship is the way for me at this point in life (just graduated from college).
Going back, I like to believe I have had a knack for entrepreneurship which I think at its root form is seeing a gap in the lines, going in and exploiting it. Back in high school we had woodshop (which I managed to finesse into taking all four years lol) and after completing the projects you could make whatever you want as long as you drew up the plans and calculated the price of the supplies. So I started making skateboards and selling them to my friends. My current business is based on that seed of a beginning.
I also used to chop up FN FAL battle rifles in my garage and sell the parts for a small profit since they were worth more in kit form than completed. I remember one time reading the Wikipedia page on corporate raiders about how they would chop up companies and sell the assets and then thinking "here I am all sweaty using a freaking pipe as a cheater bar (it doubles as my pull-up bar too haha) to take apart rifles in a vise and someones doing that with whole companies in some office type deal."
same idea though on a way bigger scale.
As I mentioned above, over the last year (2022) I came to the following realization that I'm sure many of us have had:
"Why am I making some other guy (or gal) richer while they pay me the proverbial pennies for my work?"
Generally, most of my work has been for the U.S. government which I'm fine with for the time being. My previous and current work directly tied into taking care of our military service members and their families- a mission that I can get behind.
The mission I can't get behind is the other jobs I worked making some other person or company richer (unless said person is family, a good friend etc.) and not being compensated adequately (e.g. a LIVABLE wage, commission). The mission better ultimately be for myself or the bloated American military industrial complex for the time being.
The previous statement about fair compensation may come across as entitled but I understand that nothing in life is guaranteed, hence why I gotta do it on my own through my own damn willpower. The way I see it, your life is a ship and to lash it to another one to receive the "wind in your sails" compromises your journey into the horizon.
I've had some more ideas that I've been thinking about as well with the nature of the fastlane, being unscripted etc.;
Consider the following: The human species did not evolve over tens of thousands of years to spend 8 hours in a cubicle working some bullshit unfulfilling job, wasting time in traffic to said bullshit job and waiting for the time off, the day off, and the vacation once a year to finally feel "free" for all of a week before going back to coal mines. What the heck did the human being evolve to do? (holistically; not just from a purely functional biology standpoint i.e. reproduce like rabbits) I think it is to realize your full potential no matter what gets thrown in your way.
Remember what Ben Franklin said about some men live until they're 75 but they died at 25. Ain't gonna be me.
In sum I have come to the conclusion that the one of the only good options in our day and age is to start my own business now (but not get trapped in the freelance grind, thanks Rob O'rourke) to have the freedom and opportunity to be the best damn version of myself before I expire.
Today I filed my LLC formation and have reached out to two individuals to make some sales.
Here is some closing wisdom from a kensei (sword saint) that I have found useful and may help you with sticking it through the inevitable grind:
"You cannot have pleasure without pain and you cannot have pain without pleasure. Your struggles now will be rewarded in the future, so you must endure"
Cheers & stay blessed,
Puddding
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