The curse of the employee mindset

Why is it that people who stretch themselves and refuse the status quo eventually rise above mediocrity and live a lifestyle that exudes freedom and gives one the ability to express self and live life on their own terms instead of only using a small portion of what they were given by their Creator? Awareness of the fact that you can be more than average is what separates the powerful from those who choose to live a meager, lifeless existence.

Ask the guy or gal that delivers your mail if he or she thinks it is possible to earn 25, 30, or $50,000 per month and their response will be something along the lines of “Yeah right! There’s not enough time in a day for that! What are you smoking by the way?” People don’t even realize that it is possible for them to earn “CEO” income; therefore, they go merrily on their way continuing to serve somebody else who exercises their right to earn from the production value of others time and energy.

By looking around society and our current culture, it’s obvious to see the widening gap between big business and the ever-dependent middle class. The reason this gap is growing larger is the fact that the “system” conditions people to become employees who grow dependent upon the “system” for their survival and livelihood which, in turn, creates followers who are afraid to be and are only focused on what they are told to do. This “conditioning” creates dull, listless, zombies who have to walk on eggshells and always have to worry about being pink-slipped and sent out into the streets begging, yet again, for another man to give them permission to earn a paycheck.

The whole purpose of the “system” of the rich is to create doubt and fear by instilling a sense that their J-O-B is their life and this dependency enslaves those who blindly follow this type of mental control. Notice how any time you accept a new J-O-B that you are handed a nice thick “employee handbook” that lays out dozens of things you can and can’t do? Park here. Punch in there. File this. Sign that. Give up your dreams here. Wear this noose (oh sorry, I meant ID badge) around your neck. Go on vacation once a year for five days there. Control. Control. Control. On the other hand, when you decide to become an entrepreneur, there is no such handbook that you are forced to follow. You are free to be and do as you please and that is the beauty of being brave enough to follow your heart and live the life you were born to live.

Possessing the employee mindset often creates laziness, addictions, and often times competition among co-workers who develop unhealthy relationships that are based on “getting ahead” with the boss and it’s often marred by a “who cares who gets in my way” mentality. This is never good and often leads to back-stabbing, greed, and troubled work environments that only continue to serve the machine that disperses paychecks on Friday.

Society, as a whole, conditions people to become employees and this process often starts in elementary school well before the kids reach the age of ten years old. Children are taught from an early age to start thinking about what they are going to “do” when they grow up. When they reach high school, they are steered like lemmings towards a
“guidance counselor” who pulls in a whopping $35,000 a year and spews out advice to kids on how to spend the rest of their lives. Their role is to “help” a confused teen determine what he or she is “good” at and this often places undue pressure upon a young person who is unsure of his or her calling. Then, the impressionable teens are forced to choose a course of study that will shape the rest of their lives, while at the same time, proud parents have to come to the rescue once again by financing four years of “employee preparation”. This four year stint is commonly known as “college”.

This is where massive debt obligates a bewildered young person to “BE” something they aren’t because at $30 grand per year, it’s hard to “let the parents down” after they invested so much money into their pride and joy’s new J-O-B! This is also the time period where loads of MasterCard, VISA, and American Express credit cards “mysteriously” show up at the doorstep of millions of gullible and unprepared young adults. Here is where the downward spiral of dependency shows up and is plainly evident as the “system” places another victim on the “highway to hell”; otherwise known as a commute to a corporate cubicle to slave away for an entity that has no feelings, no personality, and no regard for its prisoners. Is it any wonder that a good portion of the wealthiest people in the last century have had little to no “formal” education and decided to forego the “conventional” ways of the masses and chose to cement their own path into the history books?

Most people who have had the “employee” stamp tattooed upon them have been further conditioned that “it takes money to make money” or “most small businesses fail”. (Look up who publishes that statistic!) Is it any wonder that these same people cannot even fathom earning income based on who they are or that one idea could earn them millions of dollars? Is it any wonder that the average employee continues to earn the same level of income for the majority of his or her working years only to “retire” on below poverty wages? This happens for a reason and the reason is obvious; it is because the employee, by becoming an employee, unconsciously forfeited his or her right to earn like those who have risen above the masses and are guided to a life of struggle under the guillotine of debt and financial burden. The curse of the “employee” has kept too many good people down and out but with proper education and faith, the employee mindset can be conquered and overcome. Most often, a person becomes so conditioned to living an average existence that he or she no longer believes they are worthy of their own freedom and are, in a sense, their own jailors.

Once the “employee” mindset is fully ingrained into a person, it is often very hard for that person to venture off into a business of their own because they often cling to the narrow views of an employee who has to be paid on Friday, wants things for free, and never really understands what being an entrepreneur is all about. The process of instilling the entrepreneurial spirit into a person who has been an employee his or her whole life can take some time but it is possible. It takes effort to accomplish this metamorphosis and the first step is stripping away the false beliefs that have been burned into the subconscious of the affected individual. And with shear determination compiled with the will to achieve, anyone can reach any goal they set to conquer.

Rehabilitating a person that has succumbed to the rat-race can be initiated by increasing an individual’s awareness of the potentialities that we all have available before us. Awareness of the fact that there are people out there with little formal education (and certainly no more God-given talent than an average human) making a name for themselves while enjoying all that life can give is the first clue that success can be had by anybody willing to work for it. Most people unconsciously believe that they are unworthy of earning CEO level income and this lack of self-esteem is the first roadblock that needs to be addressed and overcome to climb the mountain that leads to the land of Prosperity. A higher view of self is necessary to believe that something can be done or accomplished and it is the person who asks, looks, and takes action towards opportunity is the person who ultimately finds it. This concept is clearly laid out in the Good Book on several occasions;

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

This does not show up in the Bible to merely take up space; it reflects the fact that by reaching to higher heights, doors will open for you and you do not have to settle for less than you are capable. When you align with the Universe, you ultimately take on wings and can do things that seemed impossible before. Your whole world expands and new possibilities become reachable and come into view when you give yourself permission to BE, DO, and HAVE all that it is you seek. Living a lifestyle that does not reflect your abilities is denying glory to God. You owe it to yourself and your Creator to use all of the tools that were given to you so He can celebrate your life with you. And when you share your gifts with others they will naturally be moved along too, and that creates a win-win situation for everybody in your sphere of influence.

When you stretch yourself as an entrepreneur or someone who can see past the trap, you can pour energy into what you love and you’ll notice you seem to have more energy and a clearer vision of what you want and where you want to go. And by doing as such, you give others direction and permission to live to their potential as well. It is as if you are freeing slaves from their self-imposed bondage and allowing them to be who they truly are by giving back to them an awareness of what is possible. Always remember it’s not about you or how large your bank account is; it’s about the number of people you can ultimately touch that proves your worth to humanity and God. Having talent, millions of dollars, and abilities that you keep to yourself does nothing but waste life and energy. By sharing your gifts and living fully, you not only benefit humanity, you’ll inevitably inspire future generations and the world will stand back, applaud, and make room for you.


Mike Malone

This copyrighted material is from my upcoming book "Mindspeak"; set to be released early 2011