Being employed for many is a secured way of living because of the mere fact of having a job. You have money to spend for all your needs because somebody is paying you for your time. But still, being employed is in a “rat race”. What is a rat race? well it is defined in Wikipedia as:
The rat race is a term often used to describe work, particularly excessive work; in general terms, if one works too much, one is in the rat race. This terminology contains implications that many people see work as a seemingly endless pursuit with little reward or purpose. Not all workers feel like this. It is the perceived Conventional Wisdom, for example, that those who work for themselves are generally happier at work.
I’m not saying that it is easy to leave the rat race. How to get out of the rat race? There are many ways to get out like being self-employed, having a business, working from home, etc but again, it’s not easy because having a mindset of an employee will really be a burden. Add to it are the regular salary given by employers and other fringe benefits which is hard to resist . If you already read the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” or have some insights or idea of what it contains by reading it in Wikipedia, the book is very inspiring but also warns readers of some misleading advice given by the author Robert Kiyosaki. But I think there are many truths about the comparison of having a entrepreneurial mind versus having an employee mindset. I read some quotations from the book but the one that catch my attention is this:
“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”
True indeed. Employees kick each other’s butt but in the end, even if an employee have a high position in a company ( a manager for example) and kicking subordinate’s asses, he is still a “rat”.
Written by Manuel
Manuel Montala was an online entrepreneur who enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship and gathering information for his blog to help budding entrepreneurs. You can also reach him on twitter: http://twitter.com/mmontala
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
i’ve read Rich Dad Poor Dad and it has awaken my mind on the difference of being an employee and being a true entrepreneur. reading this made me determined not to stay in the rat race but rather try and venture out into the fast track.
a good read as well is the Cash Flow Quadrant, Kiyosaki’s 2nd book which explains in detail the different types of people in the business world. those that are employed, self-employed, business owners and investors.
I found the book very inspiring as well and I absolutely agree that working for yourself is more rewarding than working as an employee.
Not all Kiyosaki’s advice are applicable in the Philippines but credit the guy for writing about finance in layman’s term. He is right, “it is not your boss’s job to make you rich.”
nice points there. i agree, however you climb up the ladder, you are still one of those rats trying to climb it.
i’ve wanted to get out of this race too. but its not that am being ungrateful having to experience the being in the race. i guess, i just want to be financially independent.
nice blog, by the way.
thanks.
@arbee
Thanks for the post. I can honestly say that It’s hard for me to get out of the rat race myself. If I was not forced to get out of the comfy and “almost secure” way of having a living, I wouldn’t have a chance to get out. Again, what I can only say is thanks to those who kicked my ass out of the rat race.
Nice read, specially the rat qoutation. hehehe
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