Summary: Money doesn't buy happiness, but it's a lot harder to frown on your jet ski at your lake cabin.

Body: Somebody said they wanted more financial posts so I thought I'd throw in my two cents. There are 4 main ways to create wealth. You can sell your time, you can sell a product/service, you can join a government entity/non profit, or you can sell other people's time (OPT).

People can find happiness, wealth, and fulfillment in any one of those categories, but if your goal is "more" you should be trying to grow into selling OPT. Bonus happiness points if you can start your business with other people's money (OPM).

I have many friends that "own" their own business, but they are the sole employee or close to it- and more often than not, their job owns them. They work their tails off and make a good living but have failed thus far to create a system that builds them wealth passively.

If you're selling your time somebody is making more money off you than you are. That always chapped my hide. Every job I had when younger I studied the hell out of the entrepreneur that created that system. When I was younger I mowed lawns, now I have a lawn care/snow removal business with 2 trucks and 4 guys 40k. In undergrad I shift managed a pizzeria, now I own a restaurant with 12 workers that just opened up its 2nd location 90k. In undergrad I had to shell rent out to this shady lazy landlord, now I own a rental company with 6 units, 1 manager 1 handyman 15k. My mother ran a DUI jail alternate program for 30 years and I took that over when she retired, 4 counselors, 1 cook, 1 security 30k. I just turned 30 at the start of this year.

I don't come from money, in their best years my parents combined made about 85k, not much when you're raising 4 boys. I'm not smart or even particularly hard working, but I work smart and hire great people. I made it through undergrad and 2 years of law school before I dropped out and realized I didn't want the golden handcuffs and would rather be the guy that hires lawyers than gets hired as a lawyer.

It took me 7 years to get to the level of income I'd have probably had if I could have gotten hired out of law school. But I only work 40 hours if I feel like it (rarely), and never work 50-60 like I would have as an employee if I'm not starting something up. Almost every professional interaction I have, I prefer the side of the table I'm sitting on. I'm crazy happy, my business systems are set up and my schedule is MINE.

I'm able to do the things for joy that other people do for money, like coach football and teach art classes. What's sad is I see my girl who makes more than I do as an attorney, but she's always chasing the dragon, stressed as hell and never not working. She's looking at leaving her firm and setting up an oil and gas lease-title search company, with my help of course.

If you're complacent in your position, more power to you. As Dad said, the world always needs ditch diggers. But if you can learn to sell OPT with OPM, you'll always be able to make time and room for the things you love, and won't ever be in the shower motherfucking that person you can't stand at work but have to be polite with because everyone abuses their power because there is so little of it to go around.

Lessons learned: I've failed at more businesses than I've succeeded at, but you can get it wrong a hundred times, you only have to get it right once. Study your betters, try and emulate them. Learn to sell. Work towards freedom, not for its own sake. And enjoy the ride.