Money - My Selfless Servant !

Lot of people confuse financial freedom with money. A financially free life is not about big cars, new gadgets, international travel, needless luxury etc. All this is good and can be planned as a part of financially free life, but there is a much more gratifying aspect to life. I thought I would share 5 such examples to show you how financial freedom positively influences every single day of your life.

Well, there is no debating the fact that you do need 'enough' money to be financially free.  And that is what we plan with so many of our freedom seekers. But once you have achieved financial freedom, money does start to lose its focus from your day to day activities. A financially free life is not about big cars, new gadgets, international travel, needless luxury etc. All this is good and can be planned, but there is a much more gratifying aspect to life... I thought I would share 5 examples to let you know what is more satisfying post achievement of financial freedom.

1. Who decides your meeting?
Its 9:00 am on Thursday morning of a pleasant September month. I am sitting in the balcony of my house. Kids are at school, and wife has gone for a doctor's appointment. I am all alone right now, in our new house. I have to meet a potential volunteer after some time, regarding the tree plantation activity for our NGO Kalpavriksha. But that meeting is still an hour away. For now, it is the big balcony, and the time at my disposal. So, I thought of enjoying this journey, and living my dream. I am sitting on a chair, relaxed, watching the lush green scenic beauty of the park facing our balcony, and have bulged my face out, for the cool fresh morning breeze of fresh air to zip right past it. I feel the freshness, and smell the fragrance. I was missing all this for so many decades. I will be sipping my favorite coffee, until, say 10 am, when the traffic clears off a bit. Most of the rat racers may be in office by 10 am, and that is when I will leave my home. I have that freedom today to decide the participants, time and the agenda of the meeting.

2. Who decides your 'To Do List' for the day?
Its all decided. I have to work on my next bestseller for 4 hours today. I must do it today. It has been many months since I have written anything for my next title. While I was clear with my plans for the day, the situation takes a U turn as soon as the kids come home in the afternoon. They inform me that there is an extra class in the school today, and I need to drop and pick them up. Also, I will then need to drop the elder one for her internship program that she is undergoing. I would be occupied for the next few hours. That would also mean giving up on my personal target for the day as far as writing 4 hours was concerned. So be it !! I will reset my target. There is no hurry. Kids will get priority. Today, I am free to decide my To Do List, and re-prioritize them at will.

3. Do you need to impress anyone today?

I decided to work from Cafe Coffee Day today. I do this 2-3 days in a week. I choose the days. It is a blessing that I don't have to dress in a formal wear. No ties, no suits, and no need to clean shave. I  am most comfortable in jeans and t-shirts. And I will wear that everyday. I have no one to impress except myself. And I get impressed by my passionate work rather than my looks. No bosses, no clients, no forced meetings, no power-points, or excels, no data mining (manipulation), no politics, no stress. Its my freedom of expression, and I want to express myself every single day of my life.

4. Can you bring your workplace near your Dream Home?
So many of my friends I know in corporate world are very smart. Many of them decided not to own a house for themselves. They played a smart move. They went for a rented accommodation so that they can stay close to their workplace and avoid too much travel. Makes sense. Makes absolute sense, considering the travelling time they would save. Of course, they conveniently ignore the fact that their kids school and their spouse's workplace has to be compromised accordingly. 

Can you reverse the trend? We bought a dream home - with a terrace garden. No renting. No pressure of a 'landlord'. I am free to buy a house at the place where I like it, because I have no constraints of a 'formal workplace'. My workplace should come closer to where I stay, than the other way round. do you have that freedom to choose your workplace? And as I said, the nearest CCD point is usually my workplace - that too when I am not working from home. 

5. Are you always available for help?
What good is human life, if it is all consumed just for one's own self and nearby family members? That is what every single species does on this planet. What is so great about it? At least, I do not see anything worthwhile being a human and just spending time like any other animal on this planet. There are so many people seeking out your help, only if you are available, and are not hidden behind the compulsion of not being available because of the rat race that you yourself chose to be a part of. 
Parents need help. Relatives need help. Friends need help. I can dump everything and go. Just drop and go. No constraints of clients, bosses, targets, budgets, timelines. I am free. I have earned the freedom of time, the freedom to prioritize the activities I wish to do in a day. A help to my friends and relatives is just a call away. Anyone can try anytime.

So, What defines Financial Freedom?

Simple. 

The ability and freedom to choose your friends, meetings, co workers, workplace, priority of the day, location of your house etc etc..it is this freedom to choose the important things in life that sums up your financial freedom.

And What about Money?

Now, if you are wondering where is money involved in all the above aspects of financial freedom, or whether I have become a saint with no relevance to money, then let me tell you that I truly respect my money, and what it has been doing to me and my life. It is the 'Ramu Kaka' of our life - or even a few steps ahead. Money is such a wonderful servant to me. Believe me. It never takes even a single holiday, works 366 days a year, sweats it out hard to earn me my grocery, bills, kids fees, movie tickets, eating out, and everything else, and keeps working - and the best thing - it does not want to be paid for doing all this for me. I have full respect towards this awesome servant of mine. Hats off ! It allows me to take care of myself and my family, provides me all the time to run my tree plantation NGO. What else can I expect from a servant as selfless as money?

Money, as I realised, after spending two decades of corporate rat race, is a ruthless master and a  selfless servant. If you can plan and work on your financial freedom, and make money your servant by achieving your personal financial freedom - each day will be a beautiful experience for you. And an awesome life is nothing but a collection of beautiful days.

As I have also been saying in my books: Financial Freedom is less about Finance, and more about Freedom.

Hope to see you across the line one day!
If you need any help, write to me at help@manoj-arora.com. 

Regards

Manoj Arora

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