I have been unemployed a number of times in my life (it goes along with being an a$$hole who will not conform), most recently about 10 years ago. Each other time I was fired from a job led to a much better situation, so I took the plunge 10 years ago to start my own business. It turned out to be the best decision of my life. I haven't been fired in 10 years now and I have the mix of freedom and income that I wanted.
It's not easy, it might take a few years to get everything running right, but at the end you're your own boss and from my perspective, I will work, doing the things I truly enjoy, until my last breath.
