Are You a Slave?
Before I became an independent hustler, I was a slave. The slavery I am referring to is economic slavery. My chains of bondage were overwhelming debt and my dependence on a corporate position. Now, I am economically and financially prepared for any situation that tries to take my economic freedom. Unlike physical slavery, economic slavery doesn’t target a particular ethnic group or discriminate against a particular gender. It only knows one color, and that color is green. The only thing economic slavery wants is your money and the freedom that comes with it. I believe in having a corporate hustle, but there will come a time when your autonomy is more important than a comfort zone. When you really think about it, there is absolutely nothing comfortable about an entity having the power over you to say, “you’re fired,” and your entire life gets turned upside down. When a bank can come and tell you, “this is our house now,” that is not a comfortable feeling. When a finance company can knock on your door and tell you, “we need the keys to your car,” how is that really a comfort zone? If you believe “slave” is a strong term for being economically disenfranchised, examine the definition of a slave. According to the dictionary, a slave is a “person who is the legal property and has to serve another…helpless victim of some dominating influence…workhorse, hack, laborer.” Does that description sound familiar to you?
When an individual lives from paycheck-to-paycheck, it creates a helpless, weak, and hopeless feeling. Don’t be a slave to your debt or economic situation. Use your mind to gain independence from the tyranny of bondage. Freedom over your situation must manifest from thought before it can become reality. You have to create options for yourself, and that is what independent hustling enables an individual to do. Do I believe the system is designed for individuals to fail? Yes, the system is designed for certain individuals to fail. If you are weak, ignorant, and afraid to get out of your comfort zone, then the system is designed for you to fail. What is the system? The system is “capitalism.” The types of individuals who fail in a capitalistic society are the ones who are reactive instead of proactive. Capitalism destroys weak individuals and rewards individuals who are not afraid to step out on faith. According to the Scripture, “for God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind” (II Timothy, 1:7, KJV). It’s time for individuals to stop fearing the system, tap into their power, love themselves, and use the sound minds God gave them.
An independent hustler refuses to be weak and always prepares for war. There are always wars to be fought in a capitalistic society. If you are not battling fuel costs one minute, you are battling to keep your job the next. When you finally have enough money to put gas in your car, you hear about a big layoff coming at work. Once you have survived the latest layoff, your electricity gets disconnected. Be prepared for the ceiling to cave in on your head at anytime. If a corporate customer terminates your services, have a small business in place that was demanding more of your attention anyway. Having this type of flexibility gives you the ability to be prepared for any economic war you will fight. An independent hustler can adapt to any economic condition.
When the U.S economy really began to get worse in 2008, individuals on Wall Street, who were accustomed to making six and seven-figure incomes, were finding themselves financially ruined and unemployed. Economic slavery has sympathy for no one. Remember, your color, gender, nationality, or current status in society have nothing to do with economic slavery. It can strike at any point in your life, if you are not prepared for an economic downturn. The only way to prepare for this type of slavery is to become an independent hustler. Entrepreneurship is the cure. Do you have a niche? Do you have a dream you want to fulfill? Find a need in your environment and fulfill that need. Now is the time to gain your economic freedom before the next economic crisis hits. Oh yes! Another economic crisis is on its way. The question is: will you be prepared?
Edgar Alan Cole, M.B.A.
Resources:
Jewell, E. (et al). (2001) The Oxford American desk dictionary and thesaurus (2nd ed.) New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
