Do not compromise your HEALTH and FREEDOM in pursuit of money and societal status. 

Your job compromises your health if:

• You are exposed to toxic chemicals or gases at your workplace
• You work on machines that are not safe
• You are not provided with the required safety equipment, such as gloves or a harness and lifeline for falls.

Some companies expose you to these dangerous situations, yet barely take responsibility for the hazards that arise on the job. The unlucky employees may get deformed in the process, and lose their appointment without adequate compensation. Then it dawns on them that they spent a large chunk of their adult lives as slaves.

In the USA, employees are free to alert the authorities of their organisations if they believe their working conditions are unsafe. If they do not respond, they have the right to file a confidential complaint with OSHA and ask for an inspection without fear of retaliation. OSHA protects them from retaliation by their companies. That means they do not get fired for complaining to OSHA. In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity provides similar support.

If you live in a beautiful house located close to a telecommunication mast, you might be hurting yourself gradually by continuous exposure to radiation. Continuous exposures to radiation, toxic gases, loud noise, sun rays, and the like take their toll on the health of an individual. Research has shown that these harmful radiations could lead to infertility, hearing problems, respiratory problems, skin irritations, and other internal organ problems.

The workload of some jobs has created unnecessary stress, anxiety, and depression in some people. People know these things, yet stick to these jobs for survival.

 “Is it worth it?”

Living in Nigeria might be a constant struggle for survival for some. The hustle is real. But you can only hustle when you have good health. Nobody wants to make money, just to spend it all on treatment.

If your job does not put your health on the line, how about TIME? Does your job allow you some time for yourself and your family? I heard of a company driver who spends all his days on the road. He only had the night to go back home. The journey from his workplace to his house was about 2 hours, and he resumes work by 5 am. Imagine closing at 10 pm, arriving home past midnight, and waking up by 3 am to travel back to work. So he decided to stay away from his family. He spent a little of his salary on his personal upkeep and sent the rest to the family. 

Do you work for a family that never gets to see you? Organizations use the youthful vigor and intellect of their employees, and when they have sucked it all out, they retire them. They seem to say: ‘You can now take the leftover of yourself back to your family, you are of no use to us anymore.’ At this time, their health has been seriously dilapidated and they take it back to their family, expecting to be taken care of by them. The same family they have been separated from all these years, trying to make money. Meanwhile, the family moved on without them. This is why children are more attached to their mothers in some homes. Only their mothers were available for them. Their fathers may have been separated from them for a good reason (to take care of them). But naturally, it is hard to get attached to someone who is never there.

Way Forward? 

Learn how to strike a balance. If your job is compromising your health and freedom, find an alternative source of income. It is okay to start small as long as you have a vision.

If you work or live in a place that exposes you to harmful substances, draw an exit plan.

According to James Clear, there are 4 types of wealth:

Financial Wealth (money)

Social Wealth (status)

Time Wealth (freedom) and

Physical Wealth (health).

As important as money and societal status are, YOUR HEALTH AND FREEDOM ARE PARAMOUNT.

Do not compromise them.

Do you know you can write for income as a side hustle? I wrote as a side hustle for a while before I retired to become a freelance writer. Now I have authored 5 books while working from home. I can show you how. Send me an email for a FREE CONSULTATION SESSION.

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