Evolving Self

It is romantic to say 'do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life'. It is also very privileged. The vast majority of people do what they have to. Some get to choose. Increasingly, people are being empowered by health, wealth, and education to make more choices. People around the world are living longer, becoming connected, and gaining a voice. The choices on all of our menus are not the same.

Even in the United States, the primary determinants of your success are whether you come from a wealthy family, and if you got a good education. Of course, just being born in the United States gives you a much better menu than most people on the planet.

Many surnames come from the jobs ancestors did. Under 'know your place' feudalism, you probably did the job that your parent of the same gender did. Social Mobility has slowly increased as we have let go of the idea of God-ordained life roles.

We still answer the question, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' by a job. Social Mobility is still often cross generational. Someone gets and education or chooses to work incredibly hard. They give their children a better menu. Their children give their children a better menu.

But things move faster now. It takes developing countries less time to implement new technologies. They can even leap frog entire generations of technological development.

There is no reason you can't be your own parent. Your own grandparent. 'Trust Fund' babies have Engines handed down to them because their parents, or grandparents, or great-great-great-grandparents worked really hard. Or did something bad to someone and got away with it. Or because God willed it. Promise.

You can be your own 'Trust Fund' baby if you build an Engine. 

Initially your labour is what generates your income. You are your job. Then maybe you start a business. The business isn't you. There is a separation of self. The business solves problems. *You* don't have to be the one solving the problem. Then eventually (and you can skip the own business step) you can invest in other people's businesses. 

My money is invested in two Funds and 20 businesses I selected. One of those Funds currently has 67 businesses in it, and the other has just over 20 too. So my money has more than 100 jobs. I care about how those companies do. It matters to me, but they don't define me. Any single one of those companies can go bust, and it won't destroy me.

I am clearly very privileged. My parents were professionals. A Teacher and an Engineer. I was lucky to go to a good school where my school fees were waived. I was lucky to have a Teacher as a mother who was incredibly supportive of my studies. I was lucky to be a stubborn, competitive, nerd who played by the rules. I then didn't pay for university because the first company I worked for paid for me. Rather than choosing a job 'for love', I chose the thing I would be best at (paid the most) that I would still be able to motivate myself to do. I was then lucky to get jobs at fantastic companies, surrounded by awesome people. Then I only had manageable obligations in terms of others to support, and was able to invest heavily for a decade.

My money earns way less than I did, but working is expensive. I now spend way less than I did when it was me earning.

I am now plotting a Community Wealth Fund. My dream is to be part of community of 150 people that all receive Universal Basic Incomes from the Engine we have built together. To do what I did for myself, but for a group of people.

You are not your job. You are your relationships with other people.