What Does It Mean to Be Rich?

FIRE MOVEMENT

Do you know what being rich is really about? I don’t mean fake, flashy, name brand rich. I mean true wealth.

It’s about time. I’m not a rich man because of the possessions I have. I am a rich man because of the time I control — no meetings on my schedule, no boss to report to, no debt that has to be paid back. I own free, open, one of a kind time.

Warren Buffett said that if you never learn how to make money in your sleep, you’ll work until you die. All it takes is a quote like this to realize that we are really doing this work-life balance thing completely wrong.

I’ve always had a child-like curiosity about life. I’ve always asked the question why. I remember that when I was in college, I was looking for the best internship in town. That internship happened to be at an insurance brokerage who sold trucking insurance. My friends always told me that this company was the best place to get a job. Why? Why was it the best? They said that it was the best place to make the most money compared to any other businesses. So, I applied for the internship and got it.

In my first weeks, I got to job shadow a trucking insurance salesman. My curious mind wondered how much money he made…