I Could’ve Been Rich, but I Chose Not to Be

How can you devote your life to money?

Last year I was offered an incredible job opportunity. The position was secure, well paid, suited to my studies, located in beautiful offices in the heart of Paris, with a great team gathered around team-building events and Friday morning breakfasts with lots of croissants and pain au chocolat.

That’s how we do it in France.

I did some quick maths in my head. I calculated that this job could allow me to buy a beautiful apartment in this expensive city, several nights out a week if I wanted, and the latest pair of Nike without even worrying whether I could finish the month. It was more than a 21-year-old could hope for before even finishing school.

I stayed for a month and then quit.

I wasn’t proud. This company trusted me, offered me a golden opportunity, and I left. I probably disappointed them. But I couldn’t help it.

Work, sleep and repeat

From the beginning, I had weekly training sessions, to be operational as soon as possible. They took the time to teach me what was expected of me, what I had to do, and the payroll system.

It was clear that these people were looking for money above all else. There’s nothing wrong with that, except that it’s not my way of thinking at all.

There was a system of bonuses if the objectives were met. It was very motivating. I almost fell into the trap. It dangled things in front of my eyes that only large amounts of money could afford. It excited my appetite for challenge. “If you reach this numerical goal, then you’ll get +x% on your paycheck.”

However, to achieve these goals, there was no other way than to devote one’s whole life to this work. The person who talked about the bonus system proudly explained that some employees stayed at the office from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on some days.

No one told them to do that. It was their decision.

They sacrificed their personal lives, devoted all their time to their work because they wanted to achieve their goals. They wanted recognition, and they wanted the money.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s a personal choice. The problem is that I don’t think these people were passionate about their work. They liked it, yes, but it didn’t bring them joy or a sense of purpose. It was primarily about money.

There are worse working conditions, that’s for sure. But when I saw people staring at their screens 14 hours a day, hardly seeing daylight anymore, eating in front of their computers and sacrificing their personal lives, I knew that this was not what I wanted in my life. That by trying to convince myself of this, I was lying to myself, and that I was taking the risk of locking myself into a job that I would struggle to leave later when I have a mortgage to pay and an expensive pace of life.

I refused to sell my life

This job gave me security and financial comfort. But the tasks did not fulfill me as a human being. All it offered me was a living. But what’s the point if you barely have time to enjoy what your money can offer you?

The employees seemed satisfied with this pace of life and good for them.

But it’s not for me. My life had a beginning 22 years ago. That’s one of the two certainties I have. The second is that I’m going to disappear one day. One day my plans will be canceled because there will be no tomorrow. I don’t know how much time I have left. But what I do know is that I want to make good use of that time.

For me, selling my life, my precious time, for large sums of money is not the place for my happiness. I accept money, but only if I get it by doing something I love. Or at least that I like. Because we can’t always do what we love the most, let’s face it.

This experience has taught me one thing: there are two ways to spend your life. Working for someone or working for yourself. If I had stayed in this company, I would have spent a few years working for someone else. My days would have been spent contributing to someone else’s success, while I would have received large sums of money in return. That’s fair.

But I’ve decided otherwise. I prefer to work for myself. For what puts sparks in my chest. For what makes me want to wake up in the morning. For my personal development. For my goals. For what drives me as a human being. There’s no other way for me to look at it. My life is short, and I can’t use it any other way than to discover myself and do the things I love.

I can’t devote my life to money

There are drawbacks. Yes, I can’t buy a 100-square-foot apartment in the heart of Paris. Yes, I can’t afford expensive clothes. Yes, I can’t buy myself a Tesla, nor can I afford a luxurious holiday in Seychelles.

But why would I need that? I’m about to rent a 40 m2 apartment in the south of France, 20 minutes from the seafront, close to my family. I can afford nice enough clothes. I don’t need an expensive car because, spoiler alert, they all have four wheels and a steering wheel, and will get me to the same places as a Tesla. And I can treat myself to vacation in nice, modest apartments while meeting local people.

It’s a lifestyle choice. What do you choose to dedicate your life to? What does your heart tell you? What do you value as a person? What is important to you?

My months are not insured. If I don’t work like crazy, I may not be able to pay my rent or eat what I want at the end of the month.

But I’m happy that way. Every morning I wake up for myself. I take a few minutes in bed to wake up my mind and body and practice gratitude, then I eat breakfast without being pressed for time, and finish my coffee while turning on my computer. I can work in comfortable clothes all day long. I can work at night if I want to, or take the afternoon off to meet my friends, or help my grandmother with her shopping.

This is the life I’ve chosen. What’s yours?

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