So, a friend of mine called me a leftie pinko the other day. Which I am; so, it's all fine. However, I also have this nagging pull toward entrepreneurism. I have goals; I have plans. Even at almost fifty, I am in the process of building up a completely new business concept. So, how does one reconcile these two seemingly unresolvable drives?
Haven't the foggiest.
I do know that I don't make a lot of money.
Which is all fine, again. But why is it fine? I think that when one allows oneself the freedom to do what one loves, it's much easier to value-add, to invest heavily in the quality of the product or service -- even to the point of sacrificing monetary gain -- because it simply makes sense. Greed doesn't become an issue. Sure, sure, I can fantasize about travelling all over the world or having enough cash to produce major musicals but I am happy just making my baby steps toward a healthy, little business.
And I am pretty sure I am not alone. I can see a trend (purely anecdotally, of course) of folks who are giving up on the rat-race, one by one, and going off and leading hectic, crazy lives as self-employed folk. Dog-walkers, photographers, gluten-free bakers. And for every one of those folk, dozens more express disatisfaction with their professional situations. Most people took white collar work so that they would have security for themeselves and their families. So that they could put in their nine to five, and still have time for things they love to do. They swapped independence for promised security in the hope of living the good life.
However, of course, life is not working out the way we were told it would as kids growing up. There is no employment security or employer loyalty in an endeavour that has, at its root, a need to turn profit. Despite the sixties and the Utopian thinking that dominated society in my childhood, we are struggling in a corporate world in which the central truth is profit and, despite having the opportunity to profit us all, wealthy folk are just getting wealthier.
Maybe, we need to start de-valuing money in our lives. Maybe that's the best way to be subversive? Turn away from corporate Canada? Why should they get the brightest and the best? Start investing in the swapping economy? You don't need money as much as you might think.
So, I say: Be subversive! Make your own meals, go to a swapmeet, leave your car at home. Start a small business (even a miniscule one like mine) doing something you love. Why not? It's not like things are going well investing in the current corporate reality. Are they?
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