Ways to Succeed in Life

There are roughly four options available to people like me to succeed in life:

1 - Winning the Lottery
While highly unlikely, winning the lottery can provide a low-income, working student like myself a bit of capital to put a down payment on a house or start a small business.

2 - Being CrEaTiVe
Making a name for myself on YouTube (with interesting amateur documentaries), penning a novel (I'm working on a couple), or entering essay and movie contests to win cash prizes, internships, and trips to work alongside professionals in various fields. Being creative includes sports. Honing my soccer skills and potentially trying out for a semi-pro club (about as good as I'll ever get) in the Canadian Soccer League or USL where I can depend on a half-decent salary. Using our creative talents can make us rich. Painting, acting, becoming a travelling busker, etc. There are all sorts of ways.

3 - Education
I can put my nose to the grindstone and work really hard to get a law degree or a master's in my field. With a master's in hand I'd be almost guaranteed a lifetime of employment in the civil service (or so I've heard). Getting a law degree or psychology degree would allow me to open up my own practice. The pay is quite good.

4 - Joining Organized Crime
While often glamorized by Hollywood, I somehow get the feeling that "The LIFE" ain't all it's cracked up to be. Lengthy prison terms, the chance of getting "whacked", and the drugs make this lifestyle quite unattractive. The pay is good but it's a fast and windy road.

5 - Creating a Commune
It would be nice to have a few million bucks in my pocket. I would buy up an uptown block of dilapitaed buildings, have them bulldozed and torn down, and then put up some shiny, new, state-of-the art communal condo complexes. Equipped with solar panels, they'd have rooftop balconies, communal sun/sitting rooms, and would surround a communal courtyard where residents could mix and mingle. I would set the rents at an affordable price. Gradually the members of the commune (working professionals, single mothers, people from all walks of life) could create pottery cooperatives, car sharing arrangments, and stuff like that to generate income for the commune. We could pool our resources together and buy up nearby stores and turn them into artisanal cooperatives, health food stores, daycares, and martial arts studios.