Let’s play a quick imagination game.
You’re standing at a junction, and in front of you are two rides. One’s a car, the other’s a train. You can choose only one. The car gives you the keys and says, “Here, drive yourself.” The train hands you a ticket and says, “Hop on, we’ll take you where we’re going.”
Sounds simple, right?
Now here’s the twist: the car is running your own business, and the train is earning a salary.
Driving the Car: Business Mode Activated 🚗
When you’re behind the wheel, every twist of the steering, every push on the pedal — it’s you. You decide when to speed up, when to stop, and how scenic or brutal your route’s going to be. Sure, there are potholes, flat tyres, and that one damn cow that won’t move — but hey, it’s still your journey.
Running a business feels a lot like that. You’re steering your own future.
“The harder you work, the more revenue you can generate.”
You hustle, you fail, you learn, you pivot, you win — and through all of it, you’re deeply, madly, obsessively involved. That’s the thrill of being in control. That’s the high that keeps entrepreneurs up at 2 AM googling ‘how to file taxes for a side hustle’.
It’s yours. It’s messy. But it’s yours.
Riding the Train: Salary Life Express
Now, let’s look at the train. You get a ticket. You find your seat. The train starts moving. You scroll Instagram. You watch a YouTube video. Maybe stare at the ceiling for a bit. You’ll get there when you get there. Not your job to worry about how.
This is what the salaried life often feels like.
“When the outcome is out of your hands, the effort fades.”
Your promotion isn’t solely based on effort; it’s based on office politics, company performance, or that one manager who still thinks Excel is a personality trait. You do your part, sure. But the destination? Not really up to you.
And so, you start to disengage. You look for distractions. You daydream more. You wait for weekends like a prisoner counting down parole.
The Real Talk
None of this is to say salary jobs are bad or businesses are glamorous 24/7. Honestly, they both have their perks and punches. Some people love the structure of the train. Others crave the chaos of the car.
But here’s the bottom line:
“When you own the journey, you commit to the ride.”
It’s about ownership. Whether it’s your work, your time, or your decisions — the more you feel in charge, the more alive you feel doing it.
So, ask yourself — are you driving, or are you just being driven?
And more importantly… are you okay with that?
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