Really, this is not an article about quitting your job, nor about moving to paradise, nor getting paid to change the world.
It's an article about grit.
How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
51–60 of 86 posts
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#52The author is selling people on living his lifestyle, a lifestyle he gained by telling people how to live his lifestyle. These sorts of bloggers constantly talk about 'changing the world' but ultimately they aren't promoting people to build useful products and services, but to step up and join the blogging wealthy. Are there people making good money blogging? Of course. The problem is in the 'token' people who sell m…
"The author is selling people on living his lifestyle, a lifestyle he gained by telling people how to live his lifestyle."
Oh, like Tim Ferris.
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
A colleague of mine signed up for an MLM a few years ago (He was broke at the time). He put massive effort into it and now makes more than $50K per month pretty much without working. Would I do it? No. Do I recommend it? No. Can it work? Absolutely.
I don't believe in "pretty much without working" part. I'm pretty sure he's still working pretty hard. Anyway, I see your point and agree with it.
As far as I know, he has developed a network of websites (all outsourced) that filter the prospects (they have to go through a series of videos and tests or something along these lines), then those warm leads get in touch with one of his "leaders" which explains the program and so on. If they sign up for it, he has a new person in the downline, recruiting more people for him.
Could be untrue, though he's always traveling with his family all over the world and I know his income is at least $50k/mo
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
A colleague of mine signed up for an MLM a few years ago (He was broke at the time). He put massive effort into it and now makes more than $50K per month pretty much without working. Would I do it? No. Do I recommend it? No. Can it work? Absolutely.
I'm sure people on HN also know folks who won the lottery after playing it for years. The odds are still well and truly against you. Very few benefit, mostly the manufacturers of the dream.
Actually, I've met two people that won the lottery. Both were broke a few years after they won.
I've never been involved with an MLM, and I don't plan to either, but I think it can't be compared with winning the lottery. Your efforts/connections/skills play a big part in being successful in an MLM.
EDIT: And by the way, after thinking about it, the same could be said for any environment in which you don't control the rules of the game, such as the app store. The odds are against you, and the one who benefits the most is Apple.
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm sure people on HN also know folks who won the lottery after playing it for years. The odds are still well and truly against you. Very few benefit, mostly the manufacturers of the dream.
Actually, I've met two people that won the lottery. Both were broke a few years after they won. I've never been involved with an MLM, and I don't plan to either, but I think it can't be compared with winning the lottery. Your efforts/connections/skills play a big part in being successful in an MLM. EDIT: And by the way, after thinking about it, the same could be said for any environment in which you don't control the…
The house always wins; so the surest way to win is to be the house.
This is true of casinos, lotteries, MLM schemes and app stores.
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually, I've met two people that won the lottery. Both were broke a few years after they won. I've never been involved with an MLM, and I don't plan to either, but I think it can't be compared with winning the lottery. Your efforts/connections/skills play a big part in being successful in an MLM. EDIT: And by the way, after thinking about it, the same could be said for any environment in which you don't control the…
The house always wins; so the surest way to win is to be the house. This is true of casinos, lotteries, MLM schemes and app stores.
I agree with you 100% on that my friend :-)
That's why I don't blame anyone: casinos, lotteries, MLMs or app stores; anyone is free to join and play, is up to them if they want to.
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree with you on all points. The guy is on top of a pyramid scheme where there's only room for a few. However, it is posible to live a quality life in third world countries. This was the view of an apartment I had in Puerto Vallarta: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dfmedrano/377695445/in/photostr... . I shared it with two friends. Price per person? $200/mo. My total expenses were perhaps $1000/mo (five years ago). To…
If I may ask, why did you give it up?
I grew up in Mexico, and I had more interesting professional development opportunities in Spain, and later Canada. I've actually saved enough for a two year runaway in Mexico, which I will do in August to create a MVP.
Mexico (or any 'third world country') is a great environment to bootstrap, but not to generate income locally.
Speaking frankly, not all is great. When you switch your social context entirely you instantly lose all your friends and the safety net you have living close to your family.
There's a TED talk that talks about about how people who win the lottery often end up less happy than they were before winning because of different factors, such as moving to a fancy neighborhood with people with whom you share nothing in common.
It feels an awful lot like that, except you don't have millions of dollar to cushion your exile. And this goes for both sides (moving to a "better" or "worse" country).
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually, I've met two people that won the lottery. Both were broke a few years after they won. I've never been involved with an MLM, and I don't plan to either, but I think it can't be compared with winning the lottery. Your efforts/connections/skills play a big part in being successful in an MLM. EDIT: And by the way, after thinking about it, the same could be said for any environment in which you don't control the…
The house always wins; so the surest way to win is to be the house. This is true of casinos, lotteries, MLM schemes and app stores.
The tricky thing about MLM schemes is that the house is a gradient. When you sign up you hope you can keep it stretching.
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, I believe that I do get what you're saying. I just don't agree that the message preaches magical thinking. It very clearly depicts a process of deciding on a goal, and focusing your efforts (actual efforts) to obtaining that specific goal. In this specific case, you seem to me, to be off-put by the fact that he hustles with motivational speaking to obtain his goals. I think, personally, that the very hustle is a…
I don't think the post is meant to be just generally motivational, he lays out specific tasks that people should do that align with what he did. He isn't just saying 'go out and live your dreams.' He is saying 'go out and live my dreams.' "You want to quit your job and become a professional blogger? You can. You want to travel around the world, living life to its fullest? You can. You want to dedicate your every hour…
I hate it when I agree with both sides of an argument :-)
So on the one hand this guy is clearly in the 'make money stuffing envelopes by selling information about making money stuffing envelopes to other suckers' genre of advocacy. That being said, he was in a place that is probably worse than what the average reader is in and is now much happier with his life now that he has 'taken control of his life.'
I read his story and liked how he discovered he was being held back by his own pre-conceptions of how he "should" be living his life. Now that he's doing something he loves doing he's both happier and more successful than he has ever been. Score one point for doing what you love.
The cautionary tale is that his 'recipe' won't work for everyone, and probably not for a lot of someones. Writing, like drawing, or programming, or fine carpentry, or any of a number of things takes dedication to learn to do well and hours and hours of practice. If you don't love to write, trying to re-make your life as a blogger is going to fail and fail big. So exhorting people to "Do what I did, be a blogger!" is ultimately bad advice for the verbally challenged. (I guess in that regard he's not helping people but we'll set that aside for a moment)
It does also reinforce the notion that one's quality of life is most affected by your attitude about it. I had an opportunity to hear a great commencement speech from Doug Ulman (CEO of Livestrong Foundation) where he very eloquently put that into perspective, his advice to accept that you aren't in control and to live fearlessly is solid advice, regardless of your gifts.
Re: How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World
#60Hello cynics.
This is one of the most inspiring stories I have read in a long, long time. A guy who is paralyzed from the neck down builds a lifestyle (similar to what I want for myself) for himself, through willpower, dedication and determination.
This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but a truly inspiring read for me, that will help motivate me to live life on my terms. No, it's not about "blogging your way to riches". It's about conquering fear. letting go and going for what you want.