This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Taking matters into your own hands
Yet, we believe we can’t get fired, and we are full-proof from getting let go when there are budget cuts. One guy told me he got a 30k salary decrease. The least he could’ve done was look for another job; instead, he stayed bitterly as if he had no other options, which he most definitely did.
People today rely heavily on an employer for their income, benefits, and lifestyle without ever considering what life would look like if they didn’t have this employer. The dependence has been created before we even get a job because we’re taught to:
Finish high school.
Go to college and graduate.
Get a good steady job with benefits and security.
This is the game of life. And what happens when we lose our job? Instead of taking time to breathe, relax, and re-orient ourselves, we jump right back into the game of life and seek a new job because we don’t know how to support ourselves.
We’re like babies who can’t stop getting milk from our mothers.
5 Things You Can Do To Stop Relying On Your Employer
Start your own business.
Become an active investor.
Build passive income streams.
Start a side hustle or two or three or four.
Learn about insurance outside a traditional employer.
Passive Income
It doesn’t take brilliance to execute these five things; you can start all of these today. The best option out of these is number 4, though. Passive income requires an initial investment of time and maybe resources, but once you’re set-up, you’re golden and never need to invest much additional time, energy, and resources outside of maintenance. A perfect example of this is publishing a book or online course. Another example is actively investing.
Insurance
I can’t stress enough the importance of learning about your insurance options. Most of us are ignorant when it comes to insurance. Hence, we believe we need an employer to get affordable insurance. Wrong. There are many options available to people depending on their unique health situation.
Read the article: Never Rely On An Employer For Health Insurance Again to learn how you can relinquish some of that unnatural dependence on your current employer.
There Is Safety In Tradition
Jobs make us feel safe, and if you’re lucky, you’ll enjoy your job, which is not as common as it should be. The one thing people often enjoy is the benefits and funding their jobs provide. For most people, their jobs are funding their lifestyles. They need their jobs to buy a new house, rent a new apartment, get a line of credit, or purchase a new car.
Having a form of income is required in our society, and the easiest way to do this is to get a job. But nobody said it was the right way.
The best mixture is to have a job you enjoy and also have other income sources that make you less dependent on an employer and more financially independent.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.