none but ourselves...

General Discussion
1

…can free our mind.

Once again this is not surfcraft related but I feel like voicing myself. No intention to offend anyone!

Out of my experiences made working in the “surf industry”, my last job was a painful one.

Working at the local quikripoff store for the past few months has not only been another eyeopener on how our lifestyle is being raped to pieces in the name of profit, selling an image, -made by nonsurfers, sold by nonsurfers, consumed by nonsurfers pretty much…yet still adding to the crowd factor somehow as a few make it to the beach.

No, I am not here to lament the late great 100 year sell out of our lifeform and what not, whilst being part of it… No! Please spare us a discussion about that, -normally I avoid work like that but you gotta have some money and as I was passing through to take care of a sick beloved one for a little while, the job seemed convenient.

Anyways, what I really want to write about is that I finally had the guts yesterday to blow off this job

simply because I had to tell the truth!

The head guy there is such an asshole, -unfriendly, always negative, just a constant nag to all of the staff.

Everyone is bowing to him though, for job security and reasons I don’t understand.

I was playing that game for some time. Slowly my anger built up, and this morning after him being a total d…k again, he was asking us out for a shop dinner that evening, the kind were you only talk business and share fake courtesies.

Instead of lying to him; “Well, I can’t come because my neighbours dog is sick…”, I had to let him know that I better not come because of what I really think of him and that he can very well stick this job up his arse! I will Not get deeper into our conversation here, but it felt great!

-Fired!!!

What a relieve! -Freedom!!!

Yeehaw!!!

In 30 years I have never had to do this before, luckily! Anyways, I think it was the right thing to do and if anyone out there feels like their boss behaves like that, I hope that you can do the same! -All it takes is a bit of courage, another job can always be created!

Never surrender your integrity for money, NEVER!

Thank you for listening, have a nice day.

Shaazam

2

All of my boss’s have been fairly good people.

Some a little smarter than others

and some a bit more generous than others

I havent had the oportunity or the need to " unload" on any of my superiors.

I have always recieved courtisy and respect at all places of employment (except boot camp)

but I have seen the kind your talking about

Let us know how the next boss is

3

Hey Shazzam,

Yep, blowing off at the boss is but a fantasy for many people. And the hot rush of giving a piece of your mind is so satisfying!

There’s a better way though…Give polite notice, never look back, leave them wondering and then proceed to far better things.

“Job security” is something of a gamble in a world where all business is at the mercy of markets. I’ve seen heads roll, corporate bosses of decades standing, there one day and gone the next.

They had staked a peg in shifting sands.

Stay on your toes, never get complacent…

Speedy

4

“your fired”

to which i would have said

"you cant fire me mutha f#$ker, i already quit d!ckhead

catch you loozers later,im going surfing!!!

any way

well done shazzam

stick it to the man as jack black says

5

Well done, man.

Wonder why I’m working on my own? No selling out, no f…ing boss, if it works or if it doesn’t is entirely my fault. Not easy at times, but soooo rewarding in the long run…

6
Quote:

Stay on your toes, never get complacent…

Great sways quotes…

7

One word: Self-employement. It took me over 25 years to confirm that the corporate world and all of that mindless, fake, useless crap didn’t fit me. I probably knew it all along but it was easier to have somebody else tell me what to do, pay my insurance, taxes, retirement, and I could just call in sick.

Your story about where you work(ed) struck home with me. Our repair business does some work with a mall-based store that sells boards. Almost all of the work is brand new Merrick’s and Rusty’s that were dropped, fell of the racks, etc by customers. The managers are deekheads (as my Euro friends would say), and I won’t even go in there, only my son does. I’ve fired them as a customer twice, but they get a different manager to plead with us to do work for them. Each time I jack up the pricing, and tell them they’re on probation. I don’t do this to act like a bigshot or be manipulative, but only because I know that they are doing something similar to somebody who works under them.

8
Quote:

One word: Self-employement. It took me over 25 years to confirm that the corporate world and all of that mindless, fake, useless crap didn’t fit me. I probably knew it all along but it was easier to have somebody else tell me what to do, pay my insurance, taxes, retirement, and I could just call in sick.

Your story about where you work(ed) struck home with me. Our repair business does some work with a mall-based store that sells boards. Almost all of the work is brand new Merrick’s and Rusty’s that were dropped, fell of the racks, etc by customers. The managers are deekheads (as my Euro friends would say), and I won’t even go in there, only my son does. I’ve fired them as a customer twice, but they get a different manager to plead with us to do work for them. Each time I jack up the pricing, and tell them they’re on probation. I don’t do this to act like a bigshot or be manipulative, but only because I know that they are doing something similar to somebody who works under them.

Self employment is the only way to freedom. Even if you only just get by. The big one for freedom is being able to overcome the male need to breed. Get that one under control without guilt or feeling the like you must compete and you truly own your own life. Whatever made us…sure didn’t make that one easy though.

9

The big one for freedom is being able to overcome the male need to breed.

Oh jeez, it’s too late for me then. But I swear my two children were nothing to do with me!!! I was an innocent bystander…

Yes, a family puts a whole new slant on employment needs, and so many dads live in fear of failure and destitution as a man and a Father:- Fear that keeps them from leaving jobs where they suffer repeated humiliation from a########…

Despite copping the “…think about what’s best for your family…” line, I recently left such a job.

So Solo, I’m finding seat-of-the-pants adventure in my new self-employment gig, and I’ll celebrate like I’ve never known when I take that first paycheck home.

I agree with you, but my family has to come for the ride. Its a huge motivational force.

Speedy

10
Quote:

The big one for freedom is being able to overcome the male need to breed.

Oh jeez, it’s too late for me then. But I swear my two children were nothing to do with me!!! I was an innocent bystander…

Yes, a family puts a whole new slant on employment needs, and so many dads live in fear of failure and destitution as a man and a Father:- Fear that keeps them from leaving jobs where they suffer repeated humiliation from arseholes.

Despite copping the “…think about what’s best for your family…” line, I recently left such a job.

So Solo, I’m finding seat-of-the-pants adventure in my new self-employment gig, and I’ll celebrate like I’ve never known when I take that first paycheck home.

I agree with you, but my family has to come for the ride. Its a huge motivational force.

Speedy

I agree on family. I have one myself. However…understanding how to transmute sexual energy is what makes people make it or not. I was more talking of that time before we get families. Once your there …you play by a different set of rules. The transmuting thing still works though. Think and grow Rich spelled it out better than most books. Most men never learn how to keep their desires of some things in proper perspective. Namely that in roughly thirty years or so for most of us…it aint gonna matter anyway.

11

Both of you really got a good point there!

After 'spreading my seeds for last couple of years -not meant exactly literally;),

I am trying to really make a relationship work and stop living just for myself. I’m finding strength in a great partner and somehow feel ready for the next step. It would be good to settle somewhere with her and have a future together. It’s a big challenge too because I am used to being alone, coming and going when and where I please. I have not always been faithful in the past and the prospect of serious relationships more often than not made me leave a continent. Always had a stronger curiosity what other waves and women were out there…

I’m still wondering sometimes if this is the right time to give up my freedom. Always thought that I would continue for at least another ten years.

It’s not easy for a young man as there is not a marked road. Some man are happy alone, some resent it looking back wishing they had done things different, perhaps stuck to that relationship way back when the call of adventure was louder. Yet for some their family is hell and to them woman are the root of all evil. I’ve come across quite a few whose advise was to steer clear of marriage for the sake of a happy life.

Well, love found me for now but there are days where I am getting crazy, feeling the urge to just pack my things again.

I too find great inspiration in the words of N. Hill. The transmutation has been impossible in my ‘younger years’ but now it feels like I found my muse and with her the inspiration to make things happen. Hopefully I can live up to whom I aspire to be. Could also be that I’m just a fool.

Anyways, very few guys that I came across seemed to be able to do the transmuting, the testosterone is a tough nut to crack…

The ones that do are true zen masters to me. Whatdaya reckon?

Shaazam

12

my wife lets me go surfing whereever ,whenever i want for ever

no debates

otherwise it would be over pretty quickly methinks

13
Quote:

I’m still wondering sometimes if this is the right time to give up my freedom. Always thought that I would continue for at least another ten years.

It’s not easy for a young man as there is not a marked road. Some man are happy alone, some resent it looking back wishing they had done things different, perhaps stuck to that relationship way back when the call of adventure was louder. Yet for some their family is hell and to them woman are the root of all evil.

Relationships are nothing compared to owning an older house. You can take your relationship person somewhere - but property is a huge anchor for a small ship.

Balancing the two - the relationship and the material needs and wants (two different things)- seems to be the tricky part.

14

I’ve been out of college for 15 years. Worked for others for about 5 and myself for 10. But for me, the greatest difference hasn’t come from employment vs. self-employment but from working in commerce or non-commerce.

As long as what you are doing requires manufacturing products for sale or selling consumer products to people or services designed to increase sales of these products (as in my graphic design career), you will deal with greedy assholes. You will be exploited - the only way the owner makes money is to pay you less than you bring in. And when costs go up, owners will not simply be happy with fewer profits -they will seek to keep the same income themselves by cutting labor costs, requiring workers to work longer hours (on salary without extra pay), etc. If you are the owner yourself manufacturing and selling these items, you will either have to exploit your workers or work yourself to the bone competing with others over a few bucks more here or there. Money, money, money.

I am no longer self-employed, but what I do is basically outside the realm of consumer commerce. We provide a public service, giving people something they really need to live (water!), for a very reasonable rate that is simply designed to break even with no profit. No sales, no money chase, thus very little BS.

So… my advice would be to do something that improves people’s lives and that you can feel proud of and isn’t about making more and more money and your work life and stress levels will greatly improve!

15

Sounds great!!!

Good piece of advice, thank you!

Shaazam

16

In most parts of the US, the choice is really self-employment or no employment. Doesn’t matter where you are on the labor scale, top or bottom, there aren’t many jobs around. Marabout is right about non-profit work, it is rewarding and I think that if you can afford it, you should incorporate it some way in your life. However, for non-profit companies it is still a job you’re hired for and there is no guarantee of permanence. Rewarding as it may be, you are still dependent on someone else. If you put your own dependents as a second-tier to your dependency with any job, it can really be a house of cards. I have found that you have to make your own security, or else pick your jobs based on that factor alone (post office, DMV). The secret to security in self-employment is having diversity and niche markets. That means running a number of projects concurrently, and being of a select few who can/will do the work. If one project falls down, the others will carry the burden until you add another. The scarry part of this is it takes a lot more time and energy than just working a regular job. Projects can be a just collection of part-time jobs that have a high return each. I have spun-off projects for my kids which have gave them financial independence, most importantly from me. Anyhow, that’s what I’ve discovered along my way of trying to do what I really want (surfing) and still get by.

17

Either you’re a door mat or you’ve never worked for the goverment before…lots of penisheaded boss’ in that realm.