I’ll be discussing if financial freedom is about looking wealthy or feeling secure.
Many people in the world get this mixed up, so we’re gonna get to the bottom of this.
Financial Freedom is one of the foundations of this site.
Let’s break this down and hopefully get a better understanding.
Is Financial Freedom About Looking Wealthy Or Feeling Secure?
Feeling secure. This is where you find comfort despite your spending habits. 2 people could make the same amount but feel different ways about their money. It‘s not always the feelings though. Some people are even secure with the assistance of spiritual guidance. Eventually you look wealthy through the happiness you show. It shows because you clearly have options. And in this feeling, no one choice determines the outcome of your personal satisfaction.
Finding comfort despite your spending habits
Finding comfort despite your spending habits is what financial freedom looks like.
This is a form of feeling secure because you will not be swayed by money.
It will not fuel your decisions when it comes to picking and choosing whatever product or service you want to purchase.
You’re going to buy whatever it is that you want and you will feel good about your purchase after everything’s said and done.
The cost will not be influential in your feelings. It’ll only be whether the product works as advertised or not.
And this is an important benefit because there’s many people that end up resenting whatever it is that they bought simply because of the cost.
Ideally, this is a better way of looking at consumerism.
If I can remove price from the equation and choose something solely based off the features or benefits that I’m supposed to get from it, I can much more accurately judge what it is that I bought.
It’s going to help the creator or whoever makes the product create an even better one moving forward because the customer will always believe that the price is right.
2 people could make the same amount but feel different ways about their money
Two people could make the same amount of money but feel different ways about the amount that they have, and this relates to that feeling of security again because it’s very telling in many ways.
It reveals what state each person is in.
This is a lot more of a personal feeling that’s being dealt with.
In observation it boils down to the person that’s more grateful for the amount they have.
And you usually see this more with people that had to work harder to obtain whatever the money is that they have.
They will be that much more emotionally attached to it over the person that gets it much easier and it’s not tough for them to get.
But the person that‘s more grateful and appreciative of whatever amount that they have, they’re going to deal with their money in a different way when compared to the other person.
They’re going to possibly spend with a better attitude.
They’re not going to complain as much about whatever their decision was after they spent it, and it won’t be the only thing that they’re talking about or reminding whoever they’re around.
When it comes to whatever amount it is that they spent, they feel secure in understanding that “I am exactly where I need to be” financial wise.
- “ Everything that I’m able to afford is earned”
- “I will have enough to purchase whatever it is that I desire and it’s going to show”
They’re not going to be cheap when it comes to providing a tip.
They’ll feel more confident, or at least show a level of confidence that’s admirable when discussing whatever it is that they bought.
And if price comes up, they can gladly speak on it without it being an issue.
Some people are secure with the assistance of spiritual guidance
It’s important to note that it’s not always about the feeling itself because there‘s some people that‘s secure with the assistance of a spiritual guidance.
So this is where some people are rooted in perhaps biblical text, or other philosophical teachings that tell them how they are supposed to feel about money.
They put this on an autopilot for lack of better terms, where what it is that they’re following will alert them and let them know the way that they are supposed to feel about money, and it’s faith that kicks in and tells them how to feel.
And it could sometimes work in despite of what they would naturally be feeling.
It could be a double edged sword in many ways because it could harbor a robotic way of looking at money.
It tells you how you’re supposed to feel.
It becomes robotic in that nature to where you don’t really form your own opinion on what you think about money and whether the value of something was fair or not because you’re going to feel the same way despite what factors might play a role.
This is where maybe having a more natural and organic feel about money becomes a teacher too.
It’s usually done through trial and error.
You might go through having to take some losses financially before you have that security that‘s seemingly attractive to have.
You clearly have options
And here’s where wealth can show itself in many ways—having options.
Someone that’s clearly secure will be able to communicate (whether it’s verbally or non-verbal) that they are okay no matter what happens financially.
So (whether they have money or not) there is always going to be a door that’s open for them.
It might be where they don’t have enough for one thing, but they will be just as happy if they were to spend their money elsewhere on a different activity.
And these people are more in tune with what they want feelings wise, emotionally.
They understand that it’s not necessarily the particular thing that they’re looking for is what they want.
However, they understand what feeling they are searching for in this sense.
And with that these people are usually more prone to find a plan A, plan B, C, or anything else that can be a solid substitute for whatever it is that they would have liked.
I can even recall days when there would be a video game that I wanted.
And at the time, the one I wanted might have been a little more out of my budget than what I was prepared to spend.
So having that sense of security was in how it showed would be picking a different game that I like just as much.
So I might have not gotten Mortal Kombat that day, but I got Soul Caliber instead or Street Fighter and it just shows that I can have fun with whatever amount of money that I have to begin with.
No one choice determines the outcome of your personal satisfaction
Another way that your wealth will show is that no one choice determines the outcome of your personal satisfaction.
And what I mean by that is you are more satisfied with the journey rather than the result.
This can be where you might have expected a payout that was higher than what you got, but you settle in a way that‘s healthy.
You appreciate the different routes you experience.
It’s something where you understand, “okay, I would have liked to get a hundred, but I’ll settle for 75.“
It’s the same as where let’s say you’re looking to make a deal, some type of negotiation where you walk in and you’re expecting a certain amount.
However, you also have a range and if you can find several points that you will be somewhat satisfied with, it makes the process fun.
That’s where you will find yourself doing it again just because you‘re happy with what you did in order to acquire whatever the money was.
Obviously I’m referencing something closer to a pawning deal or any other bartering system.
But you might also have it where the deal doesn’t go through at all but you still have confidence in knowing that there’s still value here.
I can possibly still get this sold at another time or I can do something else, and this moment I’m experiencing now won’t make or break my overall happiness.
And at the end of the day, that‘s real wealth because you have a charisma or some type of attitude about you that communicates:
- “I’m winning either way.“
- “However this goes, I’m going to still come out on top“
And that energy‘s very noticeable.
That is where wealth is more of a state of a being than it is a cut and dry.
In this scenario you’re OK with whatever the outcome is because you’re positive with where things will be in the future regardless.
This is where you can get out of the current moment and live a little bit in the future because you’ve been there before.
You understand that this is not the end all be all.