I've had two six-figure jobs in my career, and I've walked away from both of them. To some, that might sound crazy. To others, it might sound like the dream. For me, it was a necessity. It was a choice between a life of comfortable security and a life of purpose, and I chose purpose.
The Golden Handcuffs
A six-figure salary is a powerful thing. It can buy you a nice house, a fancy car, and a sense of security that is hard to walk away from. But it can also be a pair of golden handcuffs, a trap that keeps you in a job you don't love, working with people you don't respect, on a mission you don't believe in. It's a comfortable prison, and it's a prison that many people never escape.
The First Escape
The first time I walked away from a six-figure salary, it was to start my own business. I was tired of the corporate grind, of the endless meetings, and of the feeling that I was just a cog in a machine. I wanted to build something of my own, to create something that was a reflection of my own values and my own vision. It was the scariest and most liberating decision of my life.
The Second Escape
The second time was different. I had built a successful business, but I had also built a new kind of prison. I was working 80-hour weeks, I was constantly stressed, and I had no time for my family or my health. I had achieved the financial success I had always dreamed of, but I was miserable. So, I walked away again. I sold the business, and I took a year off to travel, to read, and to reconnect with myself.
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
The True Meaning of Wealth
What I've learned from my two escapes is that the true meaning of wealth is not about how much money you have in the bank; it's about how much freedom you have in your life. It's about the freedom to work on things you're passionate about, the freedom to spend time with the people you love, and the freedom to live a life that is aligned with your values.
I don't regret walking away from those six-figure salaries. In fact, I'm grateful for the experience. It taught me that money is a tool, not a goal. It taught me that security is an illusion. And it taught me that the only thing worth chasing is a life of purpose.