Excellent. 95% of people can't grasp this simple step. I have been telling my teenage kids this for several years now.
I'll second that. The colonel, as others have pointed out, must have some other problems than just employment to deal with, since he is eligible for a significant pension. But for healthy people who simply can't get a job it is always possible to find some way to create your own job. Being able to do so is a vital skill, and every young person should learn it.
Needless to say government regulations weigh down on small scale entrepreneurs, but it is still possible to generate your own income without having a "job".