I got tired of the rat race, working 9 to 5 in a job I hated and making money for my boss. I’m sure most people here have the same sentiment as me. I decided that I needed to work myself out of the 9-5 trap rather than accept my fate. I started living far below my means and pulled in as much OT as I can (am an RN). In 10 years I managed to save up enough and have enough capital/borrowing power to invest in RE and stocks. Currently, I’m well-diversified and own multiple incomes streams (mainly from my rental units). I’m able to live just off my investment but I still work 20 hours just to get myself busy. It’s not impossible guys. Sacrifice a decade to live the next 5 happy!
Edit: Lot of assumptions that I'm privileged or got lucky. I grew up in a first-generation immigrant family. We lived in a poor neighbourhood and my parents worked odd jobs for cash while we got social assistance (cash, EBT, Medicaid, etc). My parents managed to find formal jobs and bought a house after I graduated and left home. I'm only privileged in the sense that I grew up in the U.S and got tons of support from the government. I got grants and scholarships and got a full ride in college and I had an average GPA. If you live in rich developed countries, you're already privileged. Opportunities are there!
Remember, the only force that's keeping us from achieving our dreams is the fear of failure!
I think Coelho said that.