Detaching from the Matrix...Small steps to big rewards
We are in a mess. We got this way because people forgot that the power brokers of the world treat life like a chess game, and we think of life like a daily or hourly experience.
You see, while you were sitting in traffic on your daily commute to the job you probably hate, dreading the stress and pressure of a boss that expects you to work 16 hours a day and never entertains your requests for a pay raise, and having to deal with the costs of funding your kid's college fund, the leaking roof you have to pay for to fix, the dentists bills for fixing your teeth that you dread and can't afford to pay for, let alone the constant phone calls from the credit card companies for the payment you missed, etc. you can't really think that far ahead.
I hate to tell you this, but it is set up that way. If any of this rings true to you, you are just a pawn on someone else's chessboard. You are one of the millions and millions of income & tax producing "nodes" that feed a much larger system - a system that benefits the elite and powerful, at the expense of your life.
If you haven't seen the movie "The Matrix", then stop right now and watch it. You will realize that much of your life is an illusion that is created to keep you obedient and following the wealth creation path of the elite. This might sound like some crazy conspiratorial rant, but it isn't. Consider the following and tell me you are NOT in "The Matrix"....
- You watch more than 1 hour of TV and find yourself falling asleep in front of it, in some hypnotic state
- You subconsciously are bombarded with advertising everywhere you go - billboards, ads at the gas pump, ads in elevators, bus stands, radio, TV, Internet, spam, popup ads, magazines, newspapers, etc.
- You find yourself using consumption (retail spending) as a "quick fix" to get through stress
- You identify your ideology not with things that benefit your actual outlook on life, but with partisan support of a political party that really hasn't done anything to increase the security or quality of life for you and your family
- You take for granted a surveillance state, where you "get used to" CCTV cameras everywhere, in fact celebrate this by watching TV shows that let you be the watcher of other people's lives through those cameras (ie. Big Brother, etc.)
- You are overweight, yet you continue to consume food products at the supermarket that are high sugar and carbohydrate content, forcing you to get that quick fix from the chemicals in them, only to be hungry again an hour later
- You are addicted to the feedback loop you get from social media and have to check your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. feeds at least 3 times a day
It's pretty sad, right. If you live in the western world, you probably deal with most of these issues.
Is this life? Why is it like this?
The rich own assets. The assets generate income or dividends. The rich use that income to buy more assets. The circle of life of money continues. You are an asset in their chain. It is that simple.
Think of it this way. If you grow crops, you plant seed, nurture it, let it grow into a harvest-able product, pick it, consume it, rinse & repeat. So if you work for an employer, they want your labor output in the same way they want the harvest of a crop. The second you are less valuable to them than some automated robot, you are gone. I mean they have no loyalty to you. They see you as a liability, only justified by the fact that you could generate more income to them than it costs them to have you around. If you think there is anything more to this equation, you are delusional. If they can take your labor cost, and mark it up or multiply it by the return on that investment they get, they will keep you around. You are just another crop in their farms to harvest.
It's ok. This is capitalism. There is nothing wrong with it. Really. You might feel like you are the victim here, but you chose that path. How? You were hypnotized to be that victim. You were mesmerized by the ads telling you to spend your money, or spend money you haven't earned yet. Why? Because society tells you that you need to dress this way, drive that sort of car, live in that sort of neighborhood, send your kids to that sort of school, etc. You are a willing participant in this "middle class" illusion that was created to force you into credit card debt, car loans, mortgages, etc. It is the way of the western world. This is apparently prosperity.
But there is a way to break free of this cycle....
Breaking free
The first step is to realize you are in the cycle and learn to recognize the signs that you are being hypnotized. How do you do that? Change your environment and your habits.
Have you ever been away on a vacation - maybe you travel abroad, and you are coming back home. When you get back for a very short period of time (maybe a day or so) you see things a little clearer. Things that you didn't notice before, are glaringly obvious. How the people act, how the ads are everywhere, how the speed of society is faster, etc. Take note of this because you had broken free of the Matrix for a short period, and you return to see it as a newcomer would see it. But then you get back into the swing of things, and you return back to the machine again.
What if you could recognize these things before you become a victim to them? When is the best time to do that?
There is a pivotal time in one's life that you can seize control here, and it is right at the time you are about to leave your parent's "nest" and go into the real world for yourself. You don't have any debt yet. You are about to be offered housing, cars, utility bills, jobs, etc. Right there the Matrix is calling you. You are about to take the Blue Pill and then you are in the machine.
Seizing control
Stop right there. Before you do anything, realize that there is a community of people out there who have already broken free of the Matrix and they are thriving. It isn't easy, but they did it. They are called "FI" (Financial Indepence) followers. Here's where it should all start for you:
You should subscribe and read this Blog:
This lays out the groundwork for what you need to plan to do. This preparedness is the key to avoiding the Matrix. Because you will start to think like the wealthy. You will start to see the cracks in the system that let you regain your freedom.
How? You need to save a ton of money. That means you go into the workforce with one goal. Save 75% of your income. Use it to invest just like the rich buy assets, so that you can begin to generate the self-sustaining dividend generation that they wanted you to be. But you are now the rich & elite. You just have to get through a few years of massive savings and you will be in control. For the rest of your life.
I'm not going to try and tell the entire story here, other than to make you aware that there are thousands of followers of FI (I'm one of them) that have broken free of The Matrix and we live a life of leisure, travel, and most importantly we get time back. We don't sell it out to any employer or give it away for the quick fix of a new car, etc. We know the value that money has as a way to freedom. We respect it, and we protect it.
Act Now
If you are just as likely to pick up the phone and order that piece of crap on the TV from the infomercial, how about you click on the hyperlink for Mr. Money Mustache and do that instead. It won't cost you anything, but it will give you back your freedom. If you decide to take the Red Pill, there are plenty of other resources and communities that will help you. I recommend subscribing to the ChooseFI podcast
This is not some paid endorsement or ad for some product where I benefit. I get nothing from this other than the satisfaction of trying to detach yet another node from The Matrix.