[3] business

I will freely admit that there are plenty of people in this world who love running their own business or for whom the upsides (flexibility on when you work, e.g.) outweigh the downsides (accounting, e.g.). 

I am not one of those people. 

I really admire those people, but I am not one of them, and I do not want to be one of them. 

 

Running a business makes me feel like the world is falling down around me. I do not want to run a business, I have never wanted to run a business, and I hate running a business. 

Periodically people who run a business try to convince me of how great it is. 

"You get to set your own hours!" they say. "You don't have a boss! You can make more money in the long run! You just have to sell yourself!"

I have to tell them to stop. I can't listen to this. 

They tend to push the issue, these business-running people. They want everyone to love it as much as they do.

I finally have to tell them that if they continue to push the issue, I am going to either leave or cry, because I hate running a business. The downsides far, far outweigh the upsides for me. I would rather be part of a team than have flexible working hours. I would rather make a steady salary than make a fortune. I would rather use my skills than sell them for money. I do not, in fact, like money very much. I don't want to have to think about it.

I really, truly hate running a business. It is a source of incredible stress. I have more admiration than ever for people who do it and do it well, but for me? It's probably the worst thing about my life right now (or a close second), and that is saying a lot.