Proverbs 24:27
It’s easier to grind every single day of your life than to make one big, upfront sacrifice that frees you forever.
Passive Income vs. the Mortgage Trap
How many people have passive income covering their mortgage or rent? Take a wild guess. Less than 1 in 10, if we’re being generous.
If most people can’t cover a $500–$1,000 emergency without swiping a credit card, do you think they’ve built enough passive assets to cover rent or a mortgage?
Take away someone’s job and maybe they’ve got some emergency savings, maybe a few investments — but consistent passive income? Rare. The house is just a dangling carrot. If too many things go wrong, it’s gone.
Renting from the Bank
New house? Cool. Congratulations. But can you own it without working? Can you live in it without clocking in? When will you own it outright? Until then, you’re just renting it from the bank. Are you much different from the long-term renter?
The Cycle: Work for Pay. Work for Pay.
Most people work just to live in their homes. Why? Because the mindset is drilled in: work for pay. work for pay. work for pay.
To invest upfront and build a passive asset — a business, rental property, dividend-paying stocks — requires sacrifice.
And here’s the kicker: it’s actually easier to grind every single day of your life than to make one big, upfront sacrifice that frees you forever.
The Addictive Safety of the Paycheck
Similar to the “15 Million Merits” Black Mirror episode — most people are biking to their death, trying to earn their way through life or hit some number, working their asses off for a lifetime.
Going in every day to build someone else’s asset is way easier. The friction is lower. The bar for “success” is simple: show up, do what you’re told, and collect the paycheck. It’s safe. It’s addicting. It’s hypnotic. It’s significantly rewarding…in the moment.
That’s why most people never leave. Why would they, when someone else is taking care of them?
The paycheck becomes a pacifier. It soothes your anxiety, convinces you you’re secure, and tricks you into believing you’re free — when in reality you’re chained tighter with every bill, every new purchase, every liability that eats from your pocket the second you stop working.
Building Fields Requires Sacrifice
But building a passive asset requires another caliber of gusto. It demands sacrifice. It forces you to transmute your standard way of operating. It means years of sowing seeds without seeing fruit, trusting that what you’re building will one day take care of you even when you stop showing up.
What’s in Your Field?
This scripture stays etched in my mind:
It’s tempting to buy liabilities — the dream home, the luxury car, whatever your “thing” is. But the real question is: what’s in your field?
Income is meaningless. What’s your field producing? How strong are your plants? Is your ground fertile enough to sustain the dreams you’re chasing? How much passive income do you have consistently rolling in? If it’s not looking right — keep building.
Avoiding a Life of Servitude
That house, car, or precious thing you keep dreaming about may feel good for a moment, but for most, it’s just locking themselves into a 5- to 30-year contract — another form of modern-day servitude. One slip, one job loss, and it all collapses.
So build your fields first. Then your barns.
Are you willing to pay the price?
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making investment or financial decisions.
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