
I know this meme has been floating around lately, but it reminded me of the realization I had long ago and it's something I think about daily at my slow lane "day job". Business owners need people to perform tasks for them. If those people aren't performing the tasks, the business won't profit. They don't want you to work hard and get to where they are, they want you to work hard to propel them even further. You are nothing more than a lever they control to help them reach their own goals of freedom. Some people are fine knowing that. I've always felt strongly about controlling my own destiny, even as a kid. It's never been about being rich for me, it was about independence and doing things a different way while questioning/challenging the norms (or, the system). As we all know, independence requires money.
Funny enough, many of us will rely on that same slow lane workforce to get to where we want to be. Hopefully not everyone wakes up and chooses to live UNSCRIPTED all at once! We'll all be in trouble LOL!
Another realization that stands out for me...
Around 15 years ago, when I made the jump to being full time self employed I remember trying to get a new health insurance policy for myself and my wife through an individual plan. We were both working for ourselves at the time and could no longer rely on employer health plans. When you make that jump it's pretty clear how rigged the system is in favor of the corporate employer model, with health benefits being tied to employment. Working for an employer to get health benefits is certainly the safer way to go and a major incentive for people to get a job.
Health insurance plans have never really been tailored to the low volume, self employed business owner. And the average slow-laner has no clue what it's like trying to get health insurance as an individual because all they know is the scripted system and can't fathom leaving that system. After being denied for preexisting conditions a couple of times for very minor issues, then having to take a policy with riders for those issues, it was clear the risk I was was taking by working on my own business was much larger than I had originally thought - the stakes are even higher when you have kids. Configuring the system so that health insurance is tied to employment works great to keep people enslaved to a job. It will be interesting to see how the politicians shape the future on this issue.
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