In part 1 of Escape From Paid Slavery, I explained a view that has somewhat inspired me to break out of the Rat Race. In the past 5 years I have been heavily studying ways to improve my mindset. Personal development is a passion of mine and, though I’m not totally consumed by it, I acknowledge the massive importance it has in moving forward as a human being.

So, here’s a short story about my life so far:

I have lived in Australia, Denmark and Sweden and have worked in a few more countries. I call Australia home and this is where I was born. My Rat Race vocation was an electrician and I had my own electrical contracting business in Adelaide for about 8 years prior to winding it up and traveling around Australia with my wife Cherie and my Dutch Bargedog (Keeshond), Zac.

Zac spent most of the trip around Australia, hanging out of the window of my Toyota Troopcarrier 4WD while we drove across the country. Many bugs ended their days between his teeth! I became a professional pearldiver in Broome, Western Australia for a short while until my first son decided to arrive on the scene. The oil & gas and the construction industry then became my day time (and night time) occupation for the next 8 years.

I worked in places like Karratha, Mt Magnet, Kunnunurra and some places that weren’t quite the end of the world, but you could nearly see it from there! Karratha became my home away from home. I worked there in 1997, 2000 & 2003-2005.

I dubbed Karratha: Hotel California. “You can check out any time you like but you can never leave“.

Some Left Work In A Coffin

I saw people come and go, then come back again. Mind you, they saw me do the same. Many great friends were made in those years and many are still around. Unfortunately, a few too many aren’t. In the 8 years I spent in the Oil and Gas industry, which has a few too many carcinogens (cancer causing substances), 3 of my friends died from cancer while still in their prime. 1 of my friends overdosed on drugs at the age of Twentythree. 2 of my co-workers committed suicide. 1 guy got killed on the job when I was there (I didn’t personally know him but the impact was still big on everyone). Untold numbers got injured to the degree they didn’t return to work. I could go on, but I won’t.

These are the stories the media won’t tell you. It’s sad but true…

And here I was with a young family, busting my gut with a dayjob and an orchard to run at home. I was trying to desperately make ends meet and it seemed like I was heading down the same road as everyone else. The thing is that I probably was…

Time To Make A Change

What really rattled me was the staggering divorce rate in the industry. I was working shifts like: 2 weeks of 12 hour days, then 1 week home. Other times, 6 weeks at work, 1 week home (traveling 2 days of my time off). So I decided to move my family 1800km north to a new home in Karratha in 2003.

This was my first real solid move to get away from the Rat Race. The answers weren’t quite there yet, but I knew something had to change or I would end up like the rest: Another Statistic. Either dead or dead-broke!

“If you DON’T want the results that average person gets, then you MUST do what the average person DOES NOT”

A few years earlier, I read “Think And Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. Boy, did I discover some life changing ideas in there! Then I read “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki and went on to read many more great inspiring books. If you only read 2 books in your life, make it those 2.

Participation On A Grander Scale

Making a change gave me the start of the recipe for success, but there was something major missing. At this stage, I didn’t quite have the answer. In December 2003, I received the answer. I enrolled in a wealth creation program to learn about share trading and property strategies. If anything, it helped me start Taking Action. It was the final step: Putting the theory into reality. To start participating in life on a grander scale. To hold myself to a much higher standard and to stay there, because I deserved it. Just like everyone else, except it was time for me to step up. No more waiting for things to happen FOR me. Now, I would make it happen. Full stop.

I canceled my weekly Lotto ticket. I still know those numbers by heart. I wasn’t even going to let luck get in my way. I was doing it myself or not at all.

I made a declaration, to much ridicule from some people, that I was going to retire from the workforce and make a full time living from the stock market, property and internet marketing. I set a date and it was in concrete: January 15, 2006 was the date of freedom. Release from the everyday grind. No more Paid Slavery and workforce imprisonment. From the 15th January 2006, I was going to be the one in charge of my own destiny.

I started to get depressed about being at work. My mind was past this ‘stage’ in life. The decision was made and I was ready to leave – at ANY cost! I didn’t care if I left in an Ambulance, seriously, I just wanted to get out.

Well, be careful what you ask for… it seems the Law Of Attraction was listening to me.

Be Careful What You Ask For!

In December 2005, a 6.75kg scaffold tube was dropped from 12 meters and fell, like a spear, towards me and landed within centimeters of my right shoulder. When it hit the ground, it bounced back up and hit me on the shoulder. Besides a bruise, I was only startled. It took 2 days for me to realise that the pole would have paralysed me at best and most likely have killed me. The worksite I was on was so disorganised, it would have takes at least 60-70 minutes to get me to a hospital. Nearly another statistic, I escaped death on that day… only a few days prior to my ‘release date’.

The realisation of this made me physically ill, throwing up, becoming emotional and getting less focused. A workmate told me: “Sean. You’ve just had a Gypsies warning, mate! It’s time to leave…”

And I did.

I Fired My Boss

December 2005, I fired my boss. For good! Things have only improved since. I doubled my income in 23 months while still at work, doing everything in the evenings. Within 1 month of firing my boss, I nearly doubled my income again, then again after another 3 months. This removed ‘some stress’ (tongue in cheek) and I got more time (about 12 hours a day) freed up to do the things I wanted. Motivation, Inspiration and Personal Development have been a true passion of mine since.

Since those days, I have traveled extensively with my family and had much more time to enjoy with them.

People like Charles Haanel,  Anthony Robbins, Dr John Demartini, Robert Kiyosaki, Napoleon Hill, Wallace Wattles and many more have left me inspired to do something much bigger than myself in this lifetime. I will achieve it and it will be good.

One day, I might even let you in on my grand goal dreams. One day…

Until then, have a most brilliant day!

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009

Tagged as: Dr John Demartini, I fired my boss, Paid Slavery, Rat Race, Robert Kiyosaki