Yesterday I was talking with one of my kids (the one who doesn’t like me to use her name when I write about her) about her future. She is confused about what she wants to “do” when she grows up. She is a gifted artist, but struggles with the idea of a “starving artist.” Recently she has said things like, “I wish you were rich so you could buy us stuff.” Really???
After that statement she told me she was just kidding, but she doesn’t like that we struggle so much financially. Hello! Single mom with six kids at home. I know it doesn’t mean we have to struggle just because of that, but I honestly feel like I do the best I can with the resources I have, ie my brain and my computer. It hurts me that we struggle so much. But what hurts me more is that she somehow thinks having your own business means that you don’t have enough for your family. That’s not always the case. But building a business does take time. It usually doesn’t happen over night. There are difficulties and struggles along the way.
But now that she’s at this major point in her life, she’s looking at what I’ve built and doesn’t see the benefits. She was talking about advancing her studies to get a job. That’s all she wants, a job that pays well. I asked her why she doesn’t have a job now. She didn’t have an answer. But I do. She doesn’t want a job, she wants to do the things she loves doing, like painting and drawing. Having a job would interfere with her life. As she was talking about this perfect job out there for her I held up a printout that I keep in my office. It says, “If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to build theirs.” thanks to Enlightenednetworker.com for that.
The whole reason I printed out that quote, was because I was thinking just like her. “I need a job to feed my family.” Oh yes, that is a noble goal. But the more I thought about it for me, the more I realized what I would lose in the process. I would lose the times with my granddaughter when she comes bursting onto the scene in my office to show me her newest treasure, or just to say, “I love you Gramma!” I would miss seeing a project unfold in my mind from a small idea, into a giant venture. I would miss the tiny moments that happen every day in my house when I am here. I would miss taking a couple of hours to take my kids to a matinee, because I set my own time. I would miss those hours late at night when all is quiet, except for the tapping on my keyboard as a new idea forms, takes shape, and gets acted upon. I would miss the dreams that are interrupted with new marketing thoughts keeping me in a sort of awake state, yet waking up refreshed and ready to tackle the world. I would miss that I’m not building my own dream.
The question, “Is Being Your Own Boss Worth it” has to be answered by each of us. For some, it’s not worth the difficulty and lack of security. For others, the sacrifice of working a 9-5 job isn’t worth the freedom they would lose.
Which one are you?
Thank you Terri! This was a fabulous post
I for one, did, as a single mom, take a job outside the home for awhile, and it was horrible. I loved the job, love the computer work. But I hated dealing with the customers, hated that I missed time with my teens that I couldn’t get back. That is why, along with an injury that I think G-d was telling me it was time to go back home. Is it easy, nope. And I am still in the baby steps of building a business, so have to rely on outside help for the basics, but I get to spend every day with my kiddos. That is worth it alone! 
Hey Terri, thanks for this post. Our youngest daughter is a gifted artist, too, and like your daughter, she still doesn’t know what she wants to do yet. (She just graduated from our homeschool in August.) We are talking about her possibly taking some online (art) classes to dip her little toe in the water to see how it feels – if college may be right for her. We’ve also talked about what kind of job she might like to have. Like your daughter, if she gets a job, that might take away from her being able to do her art. I commend you for being a single mother with six kids, having your own business! I do believe the freedom of being your own boss is so worth it. I related to the keyboard tapping at night as a new idea forms….loving being able to take your kids to a matinee because you CAN. Good post!