Remember the air traffic controllers strike of the 1980's? Then President Reagan ordered the striking workers back to work under threat of termination. Those who didn't return to work were fired. Those who did are now headed for handsome retirement packages. Their replacements earn 70% of the outgoing workers' salary, yet they work harder and under much more stressful conditions in the aftermath of 9/11.
Meanwhile, inflation is rising far faster than wages, even when wages are headed in a positive direction. Let's face it, the rewards of traditional hard work are not what they once were. The handwriting is on the wall, and it's not in pencil or subtle black ink. It's in bold fluorescent colors and blinking wildly to get our attention. No matter where you work, who you work for or what you do, if you don't own a business of your own, it's time to get busy.
I used to date a guy who could not hold a job. When I expressed my concern about this, he told me, "Don't worry about me. I'll always have a hustle." I had visions of him pimping and selling drugs on street corners. Today, he is a business owner, and upon reflection, I now know that what he meant when he said "hustle" was that he would never rely on other people to meet his needs.
It's great to have a job, but now more than ever, you also need a "hustle" of your own. Check out these examples of people just like you who started with a "hustle," and are now supporting themselves and their families:
Kibby and Jay Mitra
Rebecca Picard
Nikki Rodriguez
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