Crusader or Complainer?
Dec

I seem to have come under fire recently for some of my posts. As it turns out, not everyone think that jobs rants are funny and/or interesting.
I wanted to take some time to explain why I write about this subject.
First off, the main idea behind this website is to reach people who are in a similar situation as mine. That situation is being trapped in a job they absolutely hate. This is a subject that I am incredibly passionate about because I have been living it for years.
The second goal here is to help people build an online business that can eventually replace their day job income, so they can quit!
Lastly, I hope that I might inspire others to find something in their lives that they can get excited about and begin living their lives with passion.
Now, maybe my message is not clear with the posts I’ve written so far, so I want to make sure it’s fully understood. Although I have received a lot of positive feedback from my readers, there are some people, who are close to me, that think I am being ungrateful.
This was recently demonstrated by a friend of mine who posted a response to a recent blog post on Facebook.
The message went something like “Stop being a puss. You need to be grateful for what you have. There are millions of unemployed people in this country who would happily take your job”.
I can certainty see how my blog comes across as ungrateful. After all, I AM ungrateful. I worked my ass off to get where I am today and have not been handed anything. If I’ve earned the right to work here, don’t I have the right to complain about it as well?
Now, I am happy to have a job that pays my bills, but I am not happy to be stuck in a thankless job which makes my life miserable.
The Two Camps
There seems to be two camps when it comes to this topic.
1. The “Stop whining and be thankful that you even have a job” camp
2. The “Life is too short to waste your life working in a miserable job” camp
It’s pretty evident which camp I fall into.
Ungrateful Bastard
I have had more than one person accuse me of this dubious distinction. Hey, I get it, I really do. The vast majority of people are sheep who need the security of the flock. I just happen not to be one of those people.
People will beg for table scraps and I find it sickening. There is nothing that any one of cannot accomplish, yet we are willing to take any job that will have us.
I have no problem with people who believe in playing it safe. Hell, I’ve been doing that myself for years. The problem is that there is no reward for doing this unless you consider being in a boring and monotonous 9 to 5 job rewarding.
Being in financial services, I am fully aware of our country’s economic situation and of the jobless rate. Knowing this information doesn’t make me like or want my job any more. Personally, I feel like an unemployed person has just as good of a chance of creating a successful business as I do.
Live Your Passion
I could spend hours talking about this subject. It absolutely infuriates me that I have put myself into a position in which I cannot control. I am not even close to living my passion and may be years before I do.
One of my favorite quotes from The Shawshank Redemption is “get busy living or get busy dying”. Each day that we spend doing something we don’t want to do is a wasted day. Life is going to be over before we know it and there’s nothing we can do about it.
When you’re 90 and unable to take care of yourself, do you want your memories to be about the 45 years you spent working a lousy job? You will wish that you spent more time with your children or grandchildren. You will wish that you had visited The Vatican, Prague, or The Sistine Chapel. But you didn’t.
You will have spent your life working the grind, living paycheck to paycheck, and just eking out an existence. It’s fucking bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit.
The more I think about it, the more I believe it. Don’t waste any more of your life. Find something that gets you out of bed in the morning without an alarm. Something that keeps you awake at night because you love it. Something that drives you to be the best you can be.
Am I a complainer? Yes. Only I call it ‘not settling for the grind’.
A crusader? I don’t think I would go that far, but I will say that I feel very strongly about what I am doing here.
I would love to hear your thoughts about what I’ve written here, so please leave a comment, email me, or find me on Twitter.

Steve
I completely agree. Yes, I could try to make my situation better by being more positive. The problem lies in the fact that many people, including me, get sucked into the grind and have a very difficult time getting through it.
Keith
Since people are complaining or bitching, I would have to say you are doing something right! Keep it up!
Steve
Thanks Keith, I appreciate it!
Fernando
I will have to stick with the second camp!
Life is too short!
Steve
I hear that! Life is waaaay too short to be miserable…
Dlysen
Is that image from brave heart?
I got more complain too, but the more I do it the more it becomes tiring. Sometimes it is better to quit and find your passion to do so.
Steve
That’s what I’m working on every day! The whole goal of this site is to allow me to quit my job. The only reason I don’t get sick of complaining is because that’s exactly what I write about here! And yes, the picture is from Braveheart.
Greg
You are not a complainer. Just ahead of the curve. You should always be happy for and grateful for what you have but not if that means sacrificing your happines, well being, and true desires. There may be millions of others unemployed who would happily take your spot and one of them should because that spot is no longer for you. Growth is a part of life.
Steve
Very well said Greg. I couldn’t agree with you more about this. I, along with so many others, are sacrificing happiness for a paycheck and it has to change!
Laura
Yes, you are complaining and showing very little gratitude for what you have. I’m totally in your camp when it comes to “ending the grind.” I can identify completely with your feelings of being trapped, pigeon-holed, under-appreciated, etc. I too am striving to live my passion and create a life’s work on my own terms.
HOWEVER, I’ve learned that gratitude for what I DO have puts me in a far better state of mind to create that life and attract the people I need/want to become part of it. Gratitude and the expression of it is incredibly powerful.
The other idea I keep in the forefront of my mind is that of accountability. I alone am accountable for where I am in life, who is (or is not) part of it, the success (or lack thereof) that I’ve attained and the decisions I’ve made. Railing against the things that I DON’T want and blaming others for their presence, only shifts the focus away from what I need to change and how to pursue it.
Steve
I readily admit that I’m ungrateful because I have earned everything I have. I am thankful for the good things I have life family and friends, but not for a miserable job.
I agree that focusing on all the negatives keeps you mind off of what you actually need to do, but I like to complain. Actually, it’s not complaining, rather venting my frustrations at something I feel very strongly about. And that’s living a better life. I fully accept all responsibilities for where I am in my life right now, but that doesn’t change the fact that it sucks..
Ashraf
Most people want to stay in their current jobs because they fear – and that is the keyword – from not being able to bring food to the table if they quit. They fear that the money will stop flowing permanently. So they swallow their pride and stay
Steve
This is exactly the point of this blog. People need to understand that there are many ways to get out of a miserable job. We just need to get overall the fears we have and take action to make it happen.
Keshav
All the folks who talk about being grateful, Please visit India. You have no IDEA how fortunate you are!
There are millions who are fighting for their daily bread 3/4 of the population has no proper access to Education, Healthcare let alone jobs. Social Security? The under poverty masses will kiss your feet for a concept like SSN!
So if “they” talk about Steve being happy and just shutting up, I would ask them to do the same. The amount of natural resources (water, land, food or Credit Cards ..heh) you spend, could save nations.
Anyway, man has the right to strive for more in life than a paycheck and food in his mouth. Go For it Steve!
Steve
Keshav,
You are becoming a commenting machine on here. Thanks, that’s awesome!
I don’t know a lot about the culture or economic conditions in India, but it sounds pretty desperate. We do take lots of things for granted, but I still say that nobody needs to settle for what they have.
If you are unhappy in your job, you CAN do something about it. Make your life one worth remembering. Don’t piss it all away doing something you feel you should.