Independence

A good friend came to visit me a few years ago. Near the end of his trip he said “you’ve proven that it can be done.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant so he clarified “you’ve proven you don’t need a gym partner to workout and you don’t need a job to get paid… you can do it all yourself.”

I was proud to hear that. Especially coming from a guy I’ve looked up to my entire life.

I am proud to be independent. At this point I’ve pulled off more personal independence than I ever thought possible.

• Self-Employment. I haven’t had a 9–5 job in thirteen years now. Since 2008 my income has come from a mixture of creativity, risk and hard work.
• Working out. After having a personal trainer for a few years I started barbell training by myself at the gym. Now I workout by myself at home.
• Cooking meals. I cook almost all of my meals. I don’t need a dinner date, a chef or even a pizza delivery driver.
• Being single. I’ve been single for so long it’s hard to imagine dating or living with someone. I’m pretty content by myself. Maybe not forever, but for now it works pretty well.
• Independent music. I write, record, mix, master and release my own music. These days I play all the instruments. I design my own album artwork and make my own videos.

The Independent Life isn’t for everyone. Some people don’t want this lifestyle at all and there is nothing wrong with that.

But if you’re like me and your dream is to someday become completely independent from the world around you.

I just want you to know that it’s possible.