Have you heard the phrase “self-made man”? It’s a pretty common one across the world of self-help, business advice, and autobiographies. Everybody wants to be self-made nowadays, man or woman. Entrepreneurship being glorified has made this phenomenon worse. It’s gotten to the point that people are willing to scam in order to succeed. This often ends in disaster. I think it’s possible to “make it” ethically, but you have to give up on the myth of being self-made. Instead, you should look for opportunities to gain leverage.
Why nobody on earth is self made
The simple fact of life is that nobody on the face of the earth is self-made. Even if you managed to start something from scratch and get it going without outside investment, you aren’t self made. This is for two reasons. The first is the government. Unless you’re some kind of homesteader born to survivalist parents, you’ve probably made use of government resources. This means you depend on the existence of others. The second reason nobody is self-made is that no matter what you create, other people have to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor for you to have an impact. This means that every honest way of making money involves satisfying someone else. So let go of the idea of being self-made. It’s completely oxymoronic. What’s the point of living life completely alone anyways? Sounds like a terrible existence.
If you’re starting from scratch, you’re going to need a handout
This is the simple fact of life. If you have little or nothing, you’re going to need to be given something in order to get ahead in this world. Even if you have a bit of something, you might need time, money, food, shelter, or a loan in order to follow your dreams and achieve your goals. This applies whether you’re studying, working, or starting a business. You need to start with something. Make sure you ask and communicate. Closed mouths don’t get fed.
What is leverage?
I define leverage as what you’re given. When you’re given something, you’re able to make use of it, and create additional value to what that resource was originally worth. In financial terms, leverage is defined as follows, according to Google.
So basically, what I’m saying is that in order to succeed, you’re going to have to borrow money. This can be in the form of cash, goods, or services. Then you’re going to need to work. That’s just how things are unless you’re born into wealth.
The most common form of leverage is a loan
This means that you’re going to want to look for work even if you have leverage. This is because loans usually come with interest. Interest is the cost you pay for the risk that the lender takes on lending to you. It’s often charged yearly or monthly. The longer you have the loan, the more interest you pay. This means that life is drastically harder for those born into poverty than those born into wealth, as always.
Look to create interest free forms of leverage
This is where you really win. Leverage that you don’t have to pay interest on is the best way to make money. The best and most common form of interest free leverage is the one utilized by most young people: living “at home” with their parents. Another form of leverage is to get your friends to help you, either for free or in exchange for equity. Interest free loans and investments are other good forms of leverage that you don’t really pay for. You are giving up equity, but your equity isn’t worth much without the money. So, by making a move like this, you’re able to create value out of thin air. This is why free forms of leverage are especially valuable when you’re in the world of making money online or investing. You can basically go from adding to zero, to multiplying a number. Massive win for your finances.
There’s no such thing as being self-made. You need to work with other people if you want to succeed. You need to create leverage and use that leverage to propel yourself ahead of the average person income and wealth wise. This is often easier said than done. But once you do it, you’re likely to find that it was highly worthwhile. I’m only just beginning to get to the point where I can enjoy the fruits of my labor, and I can attest that it’s all worth it. Things are looking good for me and it’s only because I bit the bullet, took all the free leverage I could get, and worked my butt off. I suggest you do the same if you want to succeed.
Thanks for paying attention.
