Salary May Be Small, But Dreams Should Be Big
Author: Hadi Hartono
A. The Harsh Reality: A Small Salary is Not a Curse, But a Starting Point
"What can I do with this salary?"
This question might be a daily prayer for many young people at the beginning of their careers. Every early month comes with hope, only for the end of the month to drag you back to reality. A modest salary feels like a curse from the universe: you work hard, but your wallet stays thin, and your bank balance looks like a beach at low tide.
But is a small salary really a curse? Or is it just a label that's applied too quickly?
1. Everyone Starts at Zero
The successful people you see today didn’t all start with piles of savings. Many began at the bottom—with minimum wages, doing odd jobs, or freelancing with uncertain pay. What sets them apart isn’t the first paycheck amount, but how they treat that small salary: as a stepping stone, not a stumbling block.
A small salary is like the basic class in survival skills: you learn to differentiate between needs and wants. You become an expert at turning instant noodles into three meals, or scheduling hangouts once a month because your gas tank is half-empty.
And that’s where the power lies: you’re being trained. You’re being forged. You’re learning things that high earners often overlook—the art of surviving on little, without losing your spirit.
2. A Small Salary Teaches Big Lessons
We live in an era where social media creates the illusion that everyone becomes successful overnight. Suddenly, a new startup emerges, and its founder buys a house in cash. A high school friend becomes an influencer, and their car is worth more than your parents’ house. All this creates the illusion that if you haven’t “made it” by age 25, you’ve failed.
But the reality of finances is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. What matters is not speed, but endurance.
A small salary teaches many big lessons:
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Discipline in saving, even if it’s just pocket change.
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Delaying gratification for long-term goals.
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Differentiating between basic needs and a passing lifestyle.
People who are used to “making do” in tough times will be better equipped to manage “more” when times are good.
3. Complaining Won’t Make You Rich
It’s okay to feel disappointed. It’s normal to feel tired. But life isn’t a place to roll around and lament fate. Complaining is free, but it produces nothing. What you need is to manage reality, not run away from it.
Instead of blaming your salary, why not make a plan?
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Can you find a side job?
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Are your skills marketable enough?
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Is your lifestyle too extravagant for your income?
A small salary can be a brutal measure of how smart you are at surviving. It limits you financially but can push your creativity to unexpected heights.
4. Little Money, But Self-Worth Is Priceless
Don’t let the number on your paycheck diminish your self-worth. A person’s value is not determined by their paycheck slip. What’s valuable are your principles, your hard work, and how you treat yourself. Many people with big salaries have a poverty mindset: they’re reckless, show off, and live off debt.
On the other hand, someone with a small salary who knows how to think long-term can be richer in substance and in the future. Wealth isn’t just about numbers; it’s about direction. A lot of money poorly managed can be gone in an instant. A small amount, if managed well, can grow.
A small salary is not an excuse to feel inferior, let alone defeated. It’s a reason to work harder and prove that you know how to win with limited resources.
5. The Starting Point Doesn’t Determine the End Point
We often compare our life in chapter two to someone else’s life in chapter ten. A small salary today is not a prophecy of failure tomorrow. It’s just a temporary status that can change with time, experience, and strategy.
See a small salary as:
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A real-world simulation.
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A challenge that will mature you.
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The foundation of healthy financial habits.
Everyone has a starting point, and there’s no shame in that. What’s shameful is giving up at that point and staying there without a plan to level up.
A small salary may taste bitter, but like bitter medicine, it can heal if taken properly. Think of it as practice—practice in growing up, practice in financial wisdom, practice in preparing for the future you’ve dreamed of.
Because in the end, it’s not the size of your salary that determines your future, but the size of your courage and strategy that you carry through the journey.