what is being financially free?

Each of us has a different definition for financial freedom. For some, it means having millions. For others, it means having the choice of not having to work for money anymore. Yet we know of people who have “made it” financially, and they still choose to work.

On the other hand, we have heard of people who have won the lottery and then wished that they never had, or others who have gone on to lose all their money. We may also come across a person who must surely be financially free, yet who is constantly worrying about their finances, or never has the time to enjoy it.

Is being financially free really about the amount of money one has?

The Abundance Reminders Definition of Being Financially Free

Being truly financially free is exactly that – feeling free. Feeling free of the anxiety of where it’s going to come, free from the attachment to money because of the fear that there will not be enough, and feeling free to make the choices that we want, not those that we should or have to. Feeling free is a sense of absolute well-being.

Do you notice how it comes back to a feeling and not the money itself?

If you absolutely love what you are doing for work, would you think, "I can’t wait until I retire" or "I wish I could win the lottery so I could quit my job"?

If you knew how to identify and seize opportunities, if you had the tools and the knowledge to create enough for what you need, if you knew that you would always be provided for, would you feel anxiety around money? Would you worry about enough?

Gone would be the fear of needing to have a large accumulation of money. In its place would be a feeling of enough, and true financial freedom for the rest of your life.

Many successful millionaires have this attitude and belief. They know that somehow they will get the funding they need. They also know that they can build up what they need, even if it were all taken away from them.

Many tribal groups also have this attitude and belief. We often think that these tribal groups are less civilised than we, because of the way in which they choose to live. Perhaps they are happy to live the way that they do because of their attitude and belief. The book, Mutant Message Down Under, by Marlo Morgan illustrates this beautifully.

The Paradox

The paradox is that many think that they have to have the money first in order to be financially free, when feeling financially free now brings the very thing we want more easily to us.

The first step is knowing what that feels like in the first place. So, for now, feel great about what you already have and what is yet to come – forget for the moment about the "how will it happen".

Action Points

Why do you want to be financially free?

What is that good feeling that you are looking for?

What can you do today and everyday to feel more of it? These may well be just simple things. Surprise yourself.

Everyday, notice what you already have and feel good about that.

Quote

"You aren't wealthy until you have something money can't buy" - Garth Brooks

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one" - Benjamin Franklin

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