I was working remotely with a company in the US, and it was a job I loved in every way. I enjoyed the freedom of working remotely, which let me travel, and I valued the team, the owner, and nearly everything about the experience. It felt like a dream that was too good to last—until the day I received a message that brought me crashing back to reality.
On March 15th, my manager informed me that the project would be put on hold indefinitely. In an instant, I was forced to confront a harsh truth: despite earning a rewarding salary—at least seven times what I had been making before—I had no savings. I’d bought things on credit and now found myself in debt without a source of income.
I had many battles to fight to reach where I am now, but this experience taught me a lasting lesson. I've become extremely cautious. It’s like when I wear a white shirt—I always carry a black one just in case.
I wouldn’t call myself a pessimist, but I’ve learned to find the right balance: hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. The financial stress I endured drew a line in the sand, and I promised myself that I’d never allow myself to end up in that situation again.
Sure, I can’t stop my coffee from spilling on my shirt, but I can be ready for it. Life is much the same; while you can’t prevent an economic crisis, you can prepare for it in advance.
In the upcoming economic downturn—which is likely around the corner—some people will tragically face hardship, while others will use it as fuel to succeed. This cycle has repeated in every economic crisis before.
Those who are well-prepared aren’t necessarily predicting the crisis; they’re simply people who know that adversity is inevitable. They understand it’s not enough just to enjoy the good times; they also prepare for the difficult ones.
The path to wealth has definite rules and principles, and each time you break one, there’s a price to pay. Warren Buffet once said about unnecessary purchases, “If you buy things you don’t need, soon you will have to sell things you need.”
Because I ignored this principle, I had to sell my camera, my laptop—shoot, I even sold my memory card for forty dollars. Eventually, I had to leave the office I was renting because I couldn’t keep up with the payments.
Work hard and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, for you never know which will come first.