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Signed up for the newsletter, very curious to see what you come up with in 40 days and a bit.
I don't suppose you've read any Stuart Wilde have you? A lot of what I've been reading on your site seems to reflect many of his teachings...
I'm really looking forward to Financing Your Freedom. Just to get things straight, is Financing Your Freedom and Project Liberation going to be one thing, or two things?
Btw, maybe ala Chow your tagline should be "I liberate myself telling other people how I liberate myself."
I'm living proof that you can walk away from a 9-5 job and create a better life. I even walked away from a second career that should have been "great", but it was killing me to work in it (I left even though it took years and lots of money to prepare for it). Now, I have more free time, less stress and good money working on my own in a third field (welcome to career #3). I could never imagine going back to a 9-5 life again.
I'm excited to hear what you have to say about creating even more freedom and developing alternative income streams that aren't so tied to my presence. I don't want to hire anyone else in my current field and I don't really want to own a "job" any more than I already do.
I'll be waiting!
All the best!
Evelyn
I'm really hoping you create something "unique" :)
BTW: Do you know wickedfire / bluehatseo / digitalpoint / warriorforum ? Might be of interest to you..
--Clay
Kel
It will be grounded in the ideas expressed here.
But I feel that logistics are important. And helping people with the "inner game" and "out game" of liberation is very important to me.
Hence the new project (which will be much more than a blog).
FYF will be as much about liberation as it will be about making money. I promise.
I can't wait for this. Liberating myself from the 9-5 is my number one goal.
You have me intrigued and I look forward to see you on the other side. As it happens, I'm just reading the 4-hour work week now and am dead set on moving head to liberation.
http://www.jyesmith.com/the-growing-life-almost...
As a follower of your blog for several months, I feel compelled to match your "long-ass post" in kind...
I believe I can be more of a "friend" by asking you a few tough questions rather than "pat you on the back" like everyone else:
It sounds as if you are a person who has difficulty finishing things that you start. How is "Finance Your Freedom" any different? Is this really something that reflects "who you are" or is it an imitation of other similar ideas, such as "4-hour work week?"
How do you define "freedom?"
Do you believe you have "found" something or do you believe you are "in search of" something?
How can you lead others to "financial freedom" if you've not done it before? Or have you?
Is there really such thing as "financial freedom?" Is it not more prudent to seek contentment?
You said in your post that "Finance Your Freedom" is not for you but for the readers. Since I don't know you, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but I still find it difficult to believe that this new project is absolutely an altruistic venture.
Here's my assessment: You are trying to "figure out" the world and your personality has you floating around like a leaf in the wind. You are not doing this new project for anyone but yourself because it helps you make sense of things. Your writing is not a selfless exercise to "help" people -- your writing helps yourself, and if it helps others then that is even better.
I could be wrong, but if I'm right in my assessment, then you are exactly like me...
As always, I will crystallize my thoughts with those of someone else -- this time all of the thoughts are from the same person -- Michel de Montaigne:
"I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of."
"Not being able to govern events, I govern myself."
"No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port."
"I put forward formless and unresolved notions, as do those who publish doubtful questions to debate in the schools, not to establish the truth but to seek it."
"Every one rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self."
"I write to keep from going mad from the contradictions I find among mankind - and to work some of those contradictions out for myself."
Let me know if I can do anything to help. I am an entrepreneur on a path to self-discovery and would be happy to share more thoughts with you.
Kent @ The Financial Philosopher
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response:
Hi Kent,
Thanks for the comments. I have found financial freedom. But my site isn't about financial freedom. It's about the logistical aspects of liberation. It's about the practicalities and real world aspects of freeing one's self from a 9-5 job.
And I never once say that I don't benefit from my own writing. I love writing and find it very rewarding.
Thanks again for the questions,
Clay
If you can honestly provide an authentic, ethical way to accomplish what Tim outlines in what many consider the most useless section of his book - well, you're a genius. I look forward to bowing at your feet.
I also like Kent's questions.
I'll be there with you - check your email.
I wonder what view of productivity you don't give a shit about. Is it merely the lifehack/GTD conception? - in which case I'm there with you.
Or is the conception of productivity as a way of instantiating oneself in the world? I'm not seeing how FYF is much different than that.
Much grist for my blog mill - which is why I appreciate Clay Collins, however he chooses to spread his message.
In your case, I'm guessing you make your money from your private clients, who become clients through your blog. But how do your clients make their money? Is it from what they long to do or from advising others?
So, looking forward to seeing some real "product" here....
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Reply:
Well, unlike the Rich Dad, Poor Dad author, I'm not claiming to have made millions. I do, however, claim that I used incoming generated directly from this blog, as well as AdWords affiliate programs, and work with clients to -- at first -- hack together an income doing things that I loved.
Once I was able to HACK together an income, I used my newfound freedom and lifestyle as a base from which to create steady and dependable streams of income. I'll be writing about that later.
I'm not selling a "Proven System (TM) for Creating On-Demand Cashflow." In fact, right now I'm not selling anything.
I have, however, created the life I want. I'm comfortable and have radical amounts of freedom and flexibility. And that's what's most important to me. Life is better than it's ever been.
--Clay
Thanks for the direct response. It appears, as I suspected, that you have a good sense of your direction. I only read a few blogs and I like to gain an understanding of the person behind the words.
It is quite easy to fall prey to the "illusion" that is the blogosphere, both as a reader and as a writer, and my faith is restored that you are "real."
"Art has a double face, of expression and illusion, just like science has a double face: the reality of error and the phantom of truth." ~ Publilius Syrus
"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." ~ Sigmund Freud
I will look forward to following your "growing life" with the new project and again, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help...
Kent @ The Financial Philosopher
For those who have found some freedom in your own ventures, I am trying like a mofo to get mine off the ground but Im not much of a Salesman. Any pointers would be sweet. Viscotroy@gmail.com
I'm with you, and looking forward to the new project. Personally, I'm intellectually ready to make the leap but I'm missing a piece somewhere and I don't know what it is. Maybe I'll find it in your work. Either way, it's an inspiration to continue working for it.
Did the survey and signed up. Looking forward to reading and learning what you have to say.
I have only been blogging since March and it is interesting to see how thoughts about what I wanted to blog about and the direction that I should go does seem to grow and evolve over time. I can see how that is happening here. The more experience we have, the more we can narrow in our focus to our clear desires. Growth is good. Best of luck!
Also, it occurred to me last night after reading your tribute to your grandparents that the existence of (perhaps illegal) migrant workers had helped your grandparents survive in their business. That brings up the same issues that The Four-Hour Week brought up, namely, is it ethical to profit from the exploitation of others.
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Response:
Good point about ethics. My grandparents provide FULL INSURANCE to their workers and the highest rates in the industry. And personally, I don't hire VAs from out of the country.
Exploitation is, by definition, unethical.
--Clay
Thanks so much for writing this and everything you're contributing. I feel like this post has given me a lot of strength. I'm looking to get myself out of the 9-5 thing. Superficially, I have the "perfect" job, but in all honesty I feel like it's taking the life and creativity right out of me. I'm looking incredibly forward to seeing what Financing your Freedom will have to offer.
Ironic? Maybe not.
I like your thought process and the fact that you follow your heart.
I salute you and look forward to the value that you plan to share.
I share the sentiment of this post, specially the part of not being able to afford my own time. I had been struggling to find just the right words for this feeling.
Cool to see you're moving in a similar direction I'm going.
Vitor
thank you for keeping up this good work.
No more self-referential meta-blogs about the blog, please. I like it when you just speak your mind. I don't care what direction you take it, you have an interesting voice and it's worth reading. But I'm not really interested in the rationale behind the work, if you catch my meaning.
One of the best sites I've stumbled upon this year. This blog, and what it stands for, speaks almost holy truths to those who sit glued to a monitor, watching their gut grow larger, feeling their creativeness and aspirations dwindle; all for what? A paycheck? At some point I had to step back and say "OK self, you're where you're supposed to be (as others have told and pushed you). I don't think I can last another month, but it will be easier knowing I have this source of information (and many others) to guide me along the path of self liberation. Took the survey and signed up. I want to thank you for all the time and energy spend creating and maintaining this blog. Every post rang loud and clear, and I hope to see the continuation of that and much more in FYF.
We're working toward this. I took my love for writing and connected it with my desire to be home with my children and created a website helping people recover from depression naturally. It's not easy to make money doing your passion, and it's easy to get caught up in simply "working" for your passion - no different from a job.
Clay, so far you've more in terms of helping me think differently about this than anyone I've been in contact with and I really want to thank you. I am really looking forward to this new site and will eagerly read what you have to say. I wish you all the best.
Nothing grows forever not even TGL.
j-
When I was a math tutor, people would tell me (all the time) that getting good grades was importaint to them but their actions told me otherwise. My clients would go out drinking and couldn't study the next day, cancel tutoring sessions and sleep in class. It was very frusterating and I see you lament some of the same frusterations.
This has led me to get started on my dreams. thanks.