Golden handcuffs kill more people than fentanyl every year.

When you’re a young buck you have all the ideas in the world but no money.You’re an optimist with rose-colored glasses.

You think your future is still bright.

As the years pass by you eventually find yourself working for a company paying you just enough money for you to live a good life. Financial Mediocrity (aka Golden Handcuffs) sets in and slowly eats away at you.

You become comfortable and risk-averse in your decision-making. You tell yourself the job is temporary but as time goes by you begin to question if it is. You know deep down in the pit of your stomach you should be doing better.

This is how I felt at the start of 2022. I’m living in Thailand and partnering/working for a private equity real estate company based in the US making the best money of my life but am unhappy. Our company was starting to acquire more properties and was now starting to grow.

More deals = more responsibility, more work, more stress, more money, did I say more stress and more problems!

The Golden Handcuffs were shackled to my wrists tighter than two childhood friends from the same block.I didn’t want any part of it.

Actually…the money was nice but I wanted out.

When it came down to it I realized a couple of things:

• I was building someone else’s empire.
• I wasn’t in charge of my income.
• I wasn’t growing as an individual.
• I would never be fully fulfilled working in private equity.

Ultimately, I wanted more out of life and wanted to do my own thing.

On May 1st, 2022 I put in my formal resignation and resigned from the company. I decided moving forward come hell or high water I was going to be my own boss, build my own empire, and take control of my life. I was no longer going to be at the mercy of an employer. Leaving was the best decision I’ve ever made and has forced me to sink or swim. As I sit here in my 11×11 square foot office reflecting on my decision I know I still don’t have it all figured out and that’s ok. I have faith and know that I WILL figure it out. Like Steve Jobs says…

You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them by looking back. Having faith and being willing to bet on yourself is the biggest lesson I’ve learned in 2022. If you’re not willing to bet on yourself then why should someone else? Bet on yourself for once and make it happen