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Vic, Jacob and Kee - friends of mine - have something in common. They lost their jobs at different times over the last three years. All of them were highly qualified, hard-working, nice family men in senior positions. They gave their all to their respective companies and made sacrifices beyond the call of duty thinking they would be duly rewarded for their loyalty and hard work. These gentlemen walked into their offices one day and were asked to leave. The reasons for their lay-offs ranged from policy change to down-sizing. Neither of them expected it.

Vic and his family had grown accustomed to the good life and losing his job was a huge blow. Jacob didn't have time to panic. He had a family to feed and since he had been dipping into his savings for two years because of three prior pay cuts, he had very little left. Kee was more fortunate. His wife was already running a day-care center and they at least had some form of income even though losing his job meant losing sixty percent of their gross monthly earnings.

While Vic, Jacob and Kee struggled to recover lost ground, their bosses continued to live the good life, oblivious to the suffering of these men and their families who contributed to their wealth. When my three friends found themselves dangling at the end of their ropes, one thing became apparent - they regretted that had given the best years of their lives and sacrificed so much to make their bosses rich. What they probably regretted more than that was neglecting their own financial well-being while MAKING SOMEONE ELSE RICH.

Statistics reveal a frightening fact that more than 80 percent of the global workforce will experience down-sizing directly or indirectly at least once in their working life. Many people are simply at the mercy of market forces and corporate decision-making. We've been conditioned from our childhood to study hard, get a good job and work hard. But just where does the hard work stop? Do the rewards justify the time and effort that we put in? Are our bosses getting rich while we struggle to feed our families?

If you're experiencing one or more of the following, then you may need to re-assess your goals in life and consider if it's worth your while working your heart out to make someone else rich.

* You're spending more time at your job without any significant rise in salary or benefits not because you love your job but because you HAVE to.

* Your relationship with your family is deteriorating because you're giving your quality time to your job.

* Your family has to make do with less because your salary isn't enough to cover those little extras that help to make life more enjoyable.

* Your health is affected by the pressures and demands of your career.

* You're taking pay-cuts and extra work because you're company is in a financial crisis or you're at risk of losing your job.

If more than one of the above describes your current situation, then maybe it's time to open your eyes. See the whole world is your oyster instead of harvesting it for others. Money making opportunities are plentiful, but only for those who dare to try. You do NOT need to spend your daily existence fearfully holding on to a job that you hate. Why envy others who have more than you when you have the potential within yourself to achieve all that you desire?

Nobody's asking you to quit your job this instance, but sadly, many people end their careers with very little to show for their effort. They've spent their entire working lives, making someone else rich! The first step to breaking free from this cycle is to realize that you DO have a right to MAKE YOURSELF RICH!