Money makes a difference

An old friend just asked me again to join his group as an insurance agent. My answer after 8 years remains the same, NO.

Other close friends used to persuade me to be one, with my back door knowledge about insurance, they have confidence that I will really sell them products that are most suitable for them. Afterall, before they buy any insurance now they will ask me for my opinion before signing on the dotted line.

But therein lies a difference. I tell them my frank view of their impending purchases, simply because I'm not getting any commission from the sale. Good or bad I speak my mind. Once money comes into the picture, it's a totally new ball game altogether. My views will be skewed as my focus is no longer for the good of them but for the good of myself. I do not believe that you can sell something for the good of both parties. There's no way you can be 100% honest & still make tons of money. The world's just not that perfect.

I envy those with the gift of gab. Sometimes I wished I had that, that I can speak positively without batting an eyelid. I have tried but I just cannot. I'm not the kind of person who can go on & on raving about a product I'm promoting and convincing people to dump their ideas & buy mine. It's a pity sometimes as this means I lose out in many areas. To me, it's simply a case of I tell you the facts, whether you believe or not, that's your own call. Rather boring yeah.

Similarly, I love matchmaking people. Out of the 3 couples I matched made, 2 are now happily married with children, 1 should be walking down the aisle anytime soon. I love preparing for weddings. I enjoyed mine. I enjoy helping my friends with theirs, to choosing their gowns or venue research or actual day arrangements. But to start a matchmaking or wedding planning business is out of the question as when that happens, a very thin line between true happiness & the bottomline will be drawn.

For the above same reasons, I think I now understand why it's so difficult finding a good childcare centre for JD come 2011. Many of these places are now operating via a franchise. It is not a surprise that these owners put their own interests before the children's. I don't blame them, after all they need to make a living too. Just that it's quite sad to see the quality degenerating. During my visits to the school, the director / principal will try to show their passion for the children by addressing each of them by their names but ask them about curriculum, they become evasive & try to generalise & talk through their noses. They attempt to justify their high fees with specially tailored programs but what's the use of these programs if they do not know how to carry it out or if their teachers are so passive!

Back to the original intent of this post, my direction is pretty clear. Whilst this means that I probably need to contend being a salaried worker for the rest of my life, I can go to bed each night without any prick of conscience that I'm not doing enough to warrant my worth.