theratracejournal.com

Self-sufficiency means different things to different people. My own definition goes something like this:

“I want to balance my basic living expenses (food, rent, etc…) and my income without the need to hold down a traditional job.”

Now, where we get into different shades of gray is the definition of expenses. Many of my former friends would scream bloody murder at the thought of giving up their “essentials.” To them, self-sufficiency means having enough money to keep the big house, 2 cars, and blah, blah, blah…

In their minds, they have no choice but to keep their wage-slave jobs because it keeps things in balance. I mean, god forbid that they should have to give up the March-break vacation.

If, in fact, they did leave their jobs for self-employment, it would be an all-out effort to become independently wealthy. This is the only form of self-sufficiency they would accept.

I don’t want to become rich, period. As I mentioned before, if I find myself making more than I need, I will give it away to those who really need it. My ultimate goal is to have choices and to make my own decisions - not to become rich.

Why? Well to put it simply, it would take too much effort and dedication. My goal is to create free time to do with what I please – not to get stuck working 12 hour days keeping a business afloat that just might make me rich some day (and that’s a big might). If it got to that point, what would I be gaining?

Yes, you might argue that with one’s own business you don’t mind putting in the effort because any return will all be yours. True, if your goal is to be well off financially, but I will surely trade time for any sort of financial reward.

So, what do I want? What ideal lifestyle would I choose?

Well, ideally, I would like to have 100% of my time as leisure. Time is infinitely more valuable than money. Realistically, I know I need to trade a few hours a day in order to maintain my minimalist life-style. Whatever I do in order to survive will have to be very much unlike a typical wage-slave job.

That’s why it’s going to be critical to choose the right source of income. One thing is certain; I will not work for anyone else. Whatever I do will be on my own and self-generated.

So, my ideal life will be to work just as much as I need for survival and the rest of the time will be mine.

In short, I want to be able to walk to the coffee shop in the morning while the wage-slaves hurry through grid-lock traffic. I want to wake up naturally everyday, not to some blaring alarm clock. I want to be able to just pick up and go for a day, week, or whatever. I want to come and go as I please. I want to stop and smell the flowers. I want to really drink in life.

People caught up in the rat-race will never have this opportunity, nor would they understand someone like me.