Money is a choice.

Jeff Bezos used to be a hedge fund guy. My guess is he made $500,000 a year, so good money. He could have stayed on Wall Street and made millions over the years. But he wasn’t content with that. So, he started Amazon and became the richest man in the world.

That was a choice.

My Choice

When I was in my 20s, I was a lieutenant in the Coast Guard. I made $45k a year. Eventually, I probably would have made Captain, with a salary of $120k or so. But the military wasn’t for me. And I wanted to make a lot more money.

So, I went to graduate school, got an internship, and got hired at Lehman Brothers, where I worked for seven years. At the peak, I made around $850,000 a year there. That was a choice. It allowed me to start my own business, write a few books, launch my own podcast, and continue pushing…

I didn’t have to do any of that. I could have been content with my old life—content and complacent. But for some reason, the older I get, the more I want to push myself. Because more money is better than less money.

Your Choice

Everyone across the income spectrum is capable of making more money. It all depends on your priorities.

If you’re happy with a low-paying job, and you want to plop yourself on the couch every night and watch Outlander… that is fine. I can sympathize, and I don’t judge. But that is a choice.

On the other hand, if you want more—if want to choose money—you have some options. Let’s start with the obvious ones:

• Work longer: Work more hours or get a second job.

• Work more productively: Get more done in the time allotted and maybe get a raise.

• Illegal stuff: Drugs/prostitution/whatever. I hate to bring it up, but some people take this path (at the cost of their character, health, safety, etc.). Walter White did it. You should not.

• Win the lottery.

• Sell platelets.

• Get a different job.

• Start income investing (real estate, etc.)

The Best Option

Hands down, the best way to make money is to start a business.

There are an infinite number of ways to be an entrepreneur. Some people make seashell necklaces and sell them on Etsy. Other people open restaurants or start financial newsletters. They’re all businesses, and they’re all a lot of work.

Building something of your own is also a lot of fun. And you get to choose how much money it generates. If you’re dentist, and you open your own practice, you can build a $400,000 business or a $4 million business. Again, it’s your choice.

The original McDonald brothers only wanted one hamburger stand. They were content with the money it brought in—that was their choice. Then Ray Kroc came along and turned McDonald’s into a global cash cow. That was his choice.

Be a Beacon

There are two kinds of people in this world: People who produce more than they consume, and people who consume more than they produce.

I encourage you to be the first kind of person… a beacon… a source a strength. That means doing lots of hard things, over and over again. And the person who does the most hard things, gets the most money. It’s your choice.

Jared Dillian