Monday, April 16, 2007

Is Self-Employment Good For the Self?

There are so many things that I enjoy doing and the list grows daily. Reading, cooking and watching television (particularly bad reality shows) tops the list. These are all activities that relax, inspire and energize me. And yet I can not allow myself the time to do any of them between Monday's and Friday's. Come to think of it, the weekends are pretty much consumed with work as well.
"Oh, you must have a strict office job?" People often ask when I complain about my inability to seek solace and relaxation during the day. I must them solemnly and with tremendous guilt, tell them no. I must explain that I am, in fact, my own boss. And quite possibly the worst boss I have ever worked for in my life!
The soft cushions of the couch do not touch my posterior from the moment I rise. It must seem the most trivial complaint of someone who is self-employed, but I truly have no time for myself! Why is it that the self-employed portion of our society are often the most over-worked, under-paid, under-appreciated and depressed? Why do we monopolize our own time so rigidly when for most of us the reason we left corporate America was to have MORE time? Why do people choose to be self-employed and how many of them are really happy?
There are over 10 million self-employed people in the United States today. I would like to explore these careers, find out what made these people take this leap of faith and determine their level of happiness and success?

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