I have been self-employed for well over four decades. It is a privilege and a responsibility I don’t take lightly.
I am also aware that even though it has its stressors, what it affords me is the ability to choose how I work, when I work, and where I work.
In my day-to-day life, I am out and about in this beautiful country, and I am almost constantly in contact with people, either those who are retired, those who have never worked, or those who are still working.
The ones in the latter category may earn a salary, but they are also trapped in having to trade time for money, not being able to take a day out or a few hours out. It humbles me when I see them arriving early at their place of work, going through what is often the daily grind and most of the time without a truly life-changing income.
Yet what choice do they have? They have to put food on the table, contribute to the household expenses, and raise kids.
Being self-employed has its risks, but for me, the rewards have always been greater.
Freedom is among the most underrated values, in my opinion. Freedom also means having good health, a sound mind, and manageable levels of pressure and stress. Freedom also means knowing when to stop working and stop to appreciate everything else life affords us.
It also allows us to choose whom.we serve and why, thus putting us in control of why we work and our purpose is beyond earning an income.
Those who retire early because of the laws of the country might not have the daily grind of work to contend with, but what they have instead is endless hours to fill. Unless one has fulfilling hobbies and ample money to travel, what does one do all day?
I see them here in this beautiful part of the world. Some are still far too young not to be productive, not to contribute beyond doing granny or grandpa duties, or cleaning the house. I see them trying to fill the hours, and for me that is sad – life is for living, fully, productively, making a meaningful contribution. Yes, it is great to have downtime, but thirty/forty years of downtime is a lot of downtime.
How does one fill the hours by pottering around or spending hours on the couch watching sports? For me, that is such a waste of one’s abilities and brain power.
I’ve been working all my life, from the moment I finished school, through my tertiary education, through taking care of family. Now, at this age, I am even more productive than ever, and I love it. I am also so grateful that I can still work.
I am probably fortunate to be doing work that I love, that is fulfilling and meaningful. Others have the privilege of not needing to work and have found meaningful ways to pass the time.
In a recent article about Marcus Aurelius, Adrian Villellas wrote: “When you struggle to get up at dawn, remember: I rise to do the work of a human being”
On that note, please don’t forget to contact me if you feel I can contribute a guest article, interview, workshop, or discussion for your audience. Please contact me here:
https://everydayempoweredwomen.mykajabi.com/contact-me-2adb77ed-882d-4e58-9e05-432cb60a2164
Thanks for reading this 17th opinion piece.
XMBP 6.7.2026
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