“America, the land of the free.”
Ring a bell? I’d like to suggest a tweak. -> “America, the land of choice. Freedom is optional.”
Yes, freedom should not be taken for granted because many are still not free around the world to chose their own paths. But can I let you in on a secret?
In many ways, you really are a part of the matrix. You’re part of the collective called the consumer. And living as just a consumer you will not change your trajectory.
Now you might decide like Cypher (Joey Pants) that you don’t want anything else in life than an 8 hour job with a steady check for as long as your employer will pay it.
But if you’re looking to ‘break free’ keep reading…
My journey is not unique. That’s good news for you!
I grew up over seas in South America. My father was a petroleum engineer who took the job with Gulf Oil to “break free” from the cast of working the American dream. He had married my mom while still in college and they barely made it financially but after some hard times including the loss of their first child he worked for a few years doing what every red blooded American male does. Buy a house and 2 new cars!
After getting into the normal debt cycle with a home, cars, and now 2 kids(2 more before they called it a wrap), my dad came across an advertisement in the newspaper for over seas engineers. I don’t know if he saw the vicious cycle of consumerism he had already stepped into but he didn’t hesitate to take the job. He came home and told my mom and my 2 oldest sisters that they were moving to Venezuela. He would go first and get the housing setup and they would follow leaving my mom to take care of selling the house and cars and packing up the furniture to ship.
Wait! I thought you said ‘My journey is not unique’
I did. I’m getting to that. Despite growing up in the South American culture, of which I’m incredibly grateful, I returned to the states at the age of 15 to finish out my public school education. I then went on college and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in computer science. Then started my career in 1989 for a well known airline.
Fast forward to today or rather to 2008. After working nearly 20 years in corporate America, I saw my retirement savings cut by 50% in the matter of 3 months. This was a ‘Hell No!’ moment for me.
I am that person who was putting my energy & hope into believing in a system that didn’t reciprocate the same concern or care for my financial future.
Most Americans, even after the 2008 financial collapse, are still believing in this dream except now it’s even worse because it cost more to follow the same path with less likely hood you’ll ‘break fee’ must less retire at 65.
Seek and Ye Shall Find
After 2008 I started looking. I mean really looking. Before it was a passive search. Now it was I’m going to do something, anything because this system has some flaws that will leave me like hanging.
The epiphany came while reading ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Richard Kiyosaki. I’ve read many of Richard’s books since and while good they never equaled the ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. The lights just came on for me.
The journey begins. Enter the abyss this way…
Every new path starts with more questions and potholes that you expect. I’ll leave that experience for another post but suffice it to say that I started attending some seminars and more importantly Real Estate Investment groups to help me find my way. Luckily I found a few(1 or 2) people who helped me by sharing and motivating me past my analysis paralysis stage to purchase my first real estate property in 2017. It was a duplex in a rough neighborhood that ended up being one of the best investments I ever made.
Fake it until you Make it
I went on to purchase other properties, some more successful than others. Some I spent too much to purchase, too much to fix up, or too broken to fix. But I learned as I went not before I went. I own 5 rentals today most recently selling 3 in my portfolio to upgrade to some nicer neighborhoods. I still work my 8-5 job and I’m still looking for alternate forms of passive income where I can ‘Fake it, until I Make It’…