Chris Guillebeau recently wrote:
“If you don’t define your priorities, someone else will.”
There is so much truth in those nine words. This one sentence is the backbone of our Cashflownaire Membership. You must set your own priorities, or the world will eventually set them for you.
The “world” includes: your boss, your spouse, your kids, your parents, your church, your friends, the news, social media and every other thing that leads you to live blindly.
Guillebeau continued…
“Whenever you start asking why anyone should follow someone else’s rules, people will point out that a lot of rules exist for good reasons…
The question is not whether rules and restrictions are good or bad. The question is “Who benefits from these rules and restrictions, and how far will they go to make sure people follow them?” Therefore, upon encountering any set of rules, you should ask:
1. Who made these rules?
2. What do those people or institutions gain if I follow their rules?
3. What is the risk for them if I ignore or break their rules?
4. How hard will they fight to enforce their rules?”
Before reading this, I had never really put much thought into “rules.”
You know what? He’s right…
Every rule is made in
order to control someone else.
Think through all of the various rules you follow in your life and ask the four questions Chris posed.
“Only by learning the answers to these questions will you understand what lurks underneath the surface – all of those options that the people who make the rules don’t want you to know about.
This is ultimately the goal: to understand what all the options are, so that you can make the best possible choices… and all before other people make them for you.”
As an example, think about the rules you have for tenants in your rental properties. These rules are specifically stated in your lease agreements. If your tenants don’t follow your rules, they’ll incur one or more penalties. These rules are for your benefit and are in place to make your life better. The rules are not for your tenant’s benefit.
This illustrates why you should question the various rules you follow in your life. These rules usually aren’t in place to make your life better.
I have a very strong dislike of any rule that is placed on my life. I absolutely hate being told what to do, which is why I feel like I am 100% unemployable. I think the reason I feel this strongly about rules is because I want to live my life. I don’t want to live a life that’s dictated by others.
This is why I quit my “good” job.
This is why I’m not saving 15% of my salary in my RRSP.
This is why I don’t participate in professional associations.
This is why I started many different side hustles while working a JOB
I’m not interested in following anyone’s rules. I’m not interested in doing what other people do.
On some level, you feel the same way as I do. You wouldn’t be following me and reading this email right now if you didn’t have a strong dislike for being controlled by others.
The reason why we dislike being controlled so much is because we’re NOT average. Average people don’t think for themselves. Instead they blindly copy everyone else.
Average people aren’t interested in creating their own lives. Instead, they’d prefer to live someone else’s life. This is why average people copy everyone else.
It’s far too scary to stand out and be different.
And average people actually prefer to be dependent upon others for various things in their lives. Being dependent is significantly easier than living independently. |
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