How did I become financially free? It’s because I had to. That may sound a little strange, especially if you’re new to the blog.
But know this…
Financial freedom was never an option for me. It was always a duty. Something I had to do. To satisfy my heart. Something I had to finish..
And you have something you’re supposed to finish, too.
You do. It’s that little voice inside that haunts you sometimes during moments of quiet. When you think to yourself, “Wow, life is passing by so quick.”
You know the voice, everyone has it.
“Write your book,” it whispers.
“Go see the world,” it intones.
“Start that school for poor children,” it encourages.
Everyone wants to live a good life, to make the most of their time. Everyone wants a sense of fulfillment, to live successful lives.
Why?
Simple.
To flourish. To live fully now.
But what does it mean to live a life of success?
I can’t define it for you – everyone needs to define it for themselves. I can tell you that the ones who live a successful life have a very clearly defined idea of what success means to them. They know their duty. They live by Oscar Wilde’s famous words, ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ They live being their truest selves. To them it’s a deeply personal endeavor.
And that’s the crux of the matter friends…
You see, mediocre people don’t take success personally. Average people don’t aspire to great things and they don’t second-guess their life choices much. They just settle for normal.
Why? Because they have to.
Because greatness abhors normal. It always has.
So, there’s no other choice for them. If they won’t demand greatness for themselves, then by default they summon its opposite, normalcy.
That’s the way it works. As I’ve said before, the opposite of success is not failure. It’s apathy.
If we reverse-engineer that, this means that to achieve greatness you must take it personally. You cannot be apathetic. Wishy-washy. On the fence.
No sir.
You must have a duty for financial freedom. It is either who you are or not. To not have it means you are being in-congruent with your true self. Like oil and water. Like a sweater that’s two sizes too small. It just doesn’t fit for you. You’ll never be comfortable with anything less than being financially free. Greatness abhors normal.
When I was a young whipper-snapper (now I’m an older whipper-snapper), one of the nicest compliments someone could give me was this…
“You’re the most determined person I’ve ever met!”
Yep.
My determination bled thru me. And I got what I demanded for myself. And just like Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poem, determination meant that I also got what I deserved…
“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.
Gifts count for nothing; will alone is great; All things give way before it, soon or late.
What obstacle can stay the mighty force of the sea-seeking river in its course?
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait?
Each well-born soul must win what it deserves.”
What do you deserve?
Is it a life connected to strings that someone else pulls? Is it a life of work, paying bills, doing the laundry and hitting the repeat button on Monday? Is it a life of just getting by?
One of the greatest problems people face is not giving themselves the time to figure out who they want to be; what they deserve. When they haven’t taken the time to figure this out, they generally look to fulfill others expectations. Or they settle for mediocrity. Or they look for fulfillment at the bottom of a bottle, or in the cheap thrills of infidelity or of the maxing-out of a credit card.
So their life becomes a chase for the wrong thing. And this is one of many reasons the 99% exists.
The 99% exist because they refuse to save and invest intelligently, yes. But more importantly, the 99% exists because they refuse to demand something better for themselves.
And just so that we are clear… most of the people who end up as 1%-ers didn’t start out that way. Nope.
They didn’t inherit wealth. They made it themselves. How? By making it their duty to be wealthy.
Remember this…
Every second you are where you are not supposed to be, you settle for normal.
Don’t settle my friends. Get the life that you want. Get the financially free life. Why? Because you have to.
Be free. Nothing else is worth it.
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P.S.S. What’s this got to do with you? If you don’t take action, absolutely nothing. But remember this – most people fail to achieve what they want in life simply because they never start. There’s nothing for sale on this blog or in my newsletter. I just provide actionable advice for free. Lastly, if your definition of achieving success cannot tolerate even the slightest inconvenience, then you are not cut-out for success. What do you have to lose? Subscribe today.
Ready for more tips on how to achieve the free life? Check-out more articles from the blog archives below:
Not Financially Free Yet? Maybe You Haven’t Been Selfish Enough. That’s Right, I Said It
Apocalypse Now! Doom & Gloom: Why You Should Ignore The Financial Doomsday Practitioners.
Are You Seeking Advice That Can Change Your Life Or Just Validation…For Your Bad Idea?