I. Why I joined the FIRE movement.

Why I joined the FIRE movement.

The Great Resignation is a clear sign there's something wrong with our society. In January 2022 more than 4 million people quit their jobs in the United States. Although there are a lot of reasons for this phenomenon, I believe more and more people start to realize there's more to life than just work. Especially when the current wages and higher living expenses no longer justify working more and more, for less and less purchasing power. Unfortunately, this is becoming a world wide trend. Who wouldn't like to tell their employer to 'shove it' in an environment like that?

I myself have two different jobs (and even had three at one point) that required more effort than ever during COVID, where neither of those single jobs would be able to provide me with a decent middle class salary and the accompanying life style. This is where I discovered FIRE, which stands for financial independence, retire early, and other concepts such as minimalism, frugality (which are not the same thing by the way), as well as entirely different believe systems such as Stoicism, Buddhism, and so on.

The purpose of my journey however, is not to stop working entirely and retire forever at an absurdly young age. Sitting at a beach with beautiful bikini models seems nice at first, but I strongly believe people need purpose in their life, and purpose can be found in work (among other things). However, the insane amount of hours we currently have to endure in a job where we are easier replaceable than ever, for a ridiculously low wage, are a clear sign we need to do things differently.

I am only at the start of my FIRE Journey, but have already discovered so many interesting concepts that I just have to share my discoveries and experiences with you. I would also like to motivate you to start this process of discovery and reflection together with me. For my part, I will try to offer a very honest and critical perspective. I hope you will forgive the episodes of dark sarcastic humor in between. The most important thing I can already share, is that if you are unhappy in your current work life (for whatever reason), the time to start changing is NOW. Usually, you will find a sales pitch when you read a phrase like that. I however, am not trying to sell you anything, but would like to reinforce this reasoning with a quote from Warren Buffet about work:

"Taking jobs to build up your resume is the same as saving up sex for old age".

- Warren Buffet

I would like to add to this quote: "Taking jobs to build up wealth, to enjoy your life at an old age, is the same as saving sex for old age". It makes no sense at all to do a job you hate and/or work 7 days a week to build up some wealth, to go on a great vacation once you retire, only to realize you are too old to enjoy it because everything in your body starts to fall apart. Hiking in the mountains is nice and all, if you don't have to stop every 5 minutes to catch your breath or to take a leak... Even that scenario is a positive one, since there's no guarantee you'll make it to your retirement at all. So, lets end this intro with another quote, and hopefully I've got you hooked for more to come.

"Change starts with you, but it doesn't start until you do" - Tom Ziglar

So welcome to this blog, and hopefully to the start of your new life.

- Mike