According to the Oxford Dictionary, Freedom can be defined as:
1. The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants
2. The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved
As individuals we all have different perspectives of what freedom looks like to us, but ultimately freedom is usually based on 2 things:
1. Time
2. Money
And in order to have one you, you need the other. Trying to get the balance is where gaining some sort of freedom seems to fall apart. Yes, there may be a point in time where you feel like the freedom you wished for has been achieved, but it is usually short-lived. Eventually, one seems to overrule the other.
Let’s take a deeper look…
What does financial freedom look like to you?
“If I won the lottery, I would….” There’s that age old wish.
But, stop and think about it for a few minutes. If you had enough money to not have to worry about the costs of daily life, where you could afford luxuries without giving it a second thought, how would you spend your money? While it would be tempting to spend your newfound wealth on luxury items, would that lead to a change in your values and personality? Take control by investing your winnings wisely and safeguard your finances. Don't be another victim of 'money changes people'. With a steady income, you can maximize the balance between life's pleasures and the financial security you need. Think of how wonderful it would feel to live without worrying about the cost of day-to-day life and still have time to spend with loved ones and on the activities you love.
What does time freedom look like to you?
If you could pick your work hours and days as you wished and have full control of how to spend your time, chances are you'd want to spend more of it with family, friends and loved ones. But when life is busy, how else could you spend that extra time? You could start investing in your health and wellbeing, finally take up a hobby you've been meaning to try, or start ticking off the items on your bucket list. With time freedom, the possibilities are endless.
It was a book called “You are badass” by Jen Sincero that fuelled me to finally write this blog post that has been rattling around my brain for a while. So, it is only right I share a piece from it:
“It’s like we’re born with a big bag of money, more than enough to fund any dream of ours, and instead of following our instincts and our hearts, we invest in what other people believe we should invest in”.
The truth is that not one of us has been brought into this world with the same privileges. It is our personal experiences and connections that shape how we balance our time and money. For some people, working and accumulating money is more than enough to keep them satisfied, for others having time to spend with those who matter the most is of higher importance than money could ever be. It is not for any one of us to judge another, for each individual has the freedom to make their own decisions.
Whichever way freedom looks like to you; however you find that balance, I hope that you are living your best life with no regrets✌🏽
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