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I said goodbye to the rat race when I became an Entrepreneur nearly 15 years ago and have never looked back. It does require the 3 c’s of courage, clarity and commitment to succeed outside the parameters of a structured 9-5 job structure, but it is available to anyone who has an inkling of courage and is willing to claim it.
When we go through life, there are three choices that I believe we make and whether consciously or not they really do dictate every moment of our existence. Brendan Burchard, one of my mentors talks about these three choices and how each of us fit into one of the categories. Which one are you in?
The first one is the “Caged Life” and it’s the one that people who have very little faith in “possibility thinking” usually choose because it is safe, familiar, and doesn’t ask you to be courageous or make a fool of yourself. Yet this choice has imprisoned you in something that is no where near what your potential could be and deep down you know it and feel dissatisfied.
It’s that person who has the job that holds no meaning for them anymore. Maybe they settled for the career that seemed convenient or they just fell into it. It’s likely just enough income to live paycheck to paycheck and then justify to yourself that it’s all that’s available to you. Of course it provides some kind of security in the form of a steady paycheck but will never have you test the limits of your creativity or give you a sense of pride or accomplishment. You feel enslaved and yet too frightened to pull off the bars of the cage you’ve created, even though if you did that you would have herculean strength to do things you never dreamed possible.
The second choice is the “Comfortable Life”. Here we have people who have actually managed to live a reasonably good quality of life, taking the two or three week vacations every year, perhaps living in a nice home having regular fun activities with friends and family to keep you very busy and it’s all quite cozy and familiar. We have greatness in us and yet perhaps suppress that because “hey why rock the boat?”
We tell ourselves “I’m good. I have the good life or don’t I? Who am I to think I can change the world- feed starving children, make a movie, write a great book or take on some huge business venture?”
However the truth about the comfortable life is you are on an even bigger wheel than the rat in the “caged life.“ You have so much more to lose in the way of comfort if you step out on a limb. But there is a deep restlessness that every now and then catches you by surprise. Maybe it’s when you read a story about someone else’s success or meet someone who has got a “fire in their belly!”
If you are honest with yourself you know deep down inside you are being somewhat lazy or selfish in not reaching for more. Especially because you do know there is more. Taking this leap out of your comfort zone would be so exhilarating and even if you did it for no other reason than it could wake you up! Or perhaps you could inspire others, maybe even your own kids or the friends who look up to you.
The last choice is the one called “The Charged Life.” This is the one that has you leap out of bed each day with excitement and inspired action. You take on tasks that to others might seem impossible but you know even if you don’t get it perfect all the time you are in the game of life and the ride is spectacular. The mavericks who choose to embrace this option are your leaders, your motivators, your great adventurers and they live in the zone of true potential and endless possibility.
I decided a long time ago that I wanted to live a Charged Life. It started when I paid cash for my dream sports car at 21. Not long after, I started a beauty franchise at 24 and then purchased my first real estate property at 25. A few years later, my air force pilot husband and I moved our family to Italy for three years. Upon returning to Canada, I launched a part time home based business that allowed me to achieve a six-figure income which provided the seed money for investment properties into my current 13 rental unit portfolio. Residual income and inspiring others on how to generate this concept of leveraged passive income is now my passion!
If we are to be honest with ourselves we have all fallen into one of these and if we are ever to escape the maze as it were, it starts with acknowledging what is true. What can we do to lead the life of pure joy, inspiration and courageous action today? Leave the rat race for the real rats and take on the new cloak of true freedom. It’s a path that most don’t even embark on so the way is quite clear and un-crowded. It’s the path that leads to a sense of authentic joy and pride.
Let me know what path you’re on and how I can help you get to your ‘charged life’ or enhance it even further! Click here to contact me!
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