As you know, I recently went down the path of facing one of my greatest fears, released my credit score, filed bankruptcy and I’m now working on a book “You Are Not Your Credit Score: Myths, Lies & Legends About Money, Debt and the Credit System Keeping You From Living Your Dream Life Right Now.”
Along the way, I am discovering so many ways we are conditioned to believe things that simply are not true.
I’ll continue to share some of those things with you here.
Post bankruptcy, we are required to take a course. In the course, there is a test question as follows:
Q: Money represents freedom. The less you spend, the more freedom you have.
True or False.
Of course, the “right” answer here according to the test is “True.”
But, is it really?
My experience has been that the people who circulate money the most (keep it flowing by investing it in experiences, people and other resources) have the most freedom.
The people I’ve met who are constantly focused on spending less are not the free ones.
To me, they seem trapped in a limited paradigm of not enough resources.
I used to be like that. I was the biggest penny pincher around. Always looking to save a buck. Often stepping over a dollar to get to the dime.
Sure, I had 10,000 bucks in the bank, no debt and a great credit score, but was I free? Hell, no. I was trapped in my quest for freedom.
Contrast: the person who freely circulates the resources she has access to, investing in creating more. Taking risks. Trying, failing, and trying again. Unconcerned with enough. Knowing there will always be enough so long as she keeps saying yes to what’s real and true for her. Trusting all needs are met, always and all ways.
Sure, she seems a bit crazy. Outside the norm. Off the wall even. Definitely living at the edge. And creating more. Hiring people to support her dreams. Building businesses. Increasing her overhead. Not. Spending. Less. Instead, investing more.
Who is more free?
Have you bought into a paradigm that has you convinced that spending less equals more freedom? If so, how is that serving you to more freedom today?
4 Comments
This was great and SO timely. Thanks for writing this.
Loved this Lex.
Great question. I recently vowed to invest in non-biz items that bring more Zen to my day. Some would call me materialistic, others would claim “self-preservation.” It was a great decision.
Love and despise the phrase, “stepping over a dollar to get to the dime,” as this represents a classic struggle. Sadly, we need to reach a place where we’re evolved enough to appreciate the contradiction and discover the wisdom.
My .02. Freedom means you give freely. You don’t worry about the dollars because you invest in the wealth of your experience, your time, your frame of reference, and your resources. We’re wired to connect. And we all have something of value that someone needs NOW.
Lastly, some of the most generous people I’ve met where the most psychologically stable.
How pathetic. In addition very a very unhealthy mindset with regards to money! saving is the cornerstone as is BALANCED frugality. It is true freedom. You reward yourself in a balanced way.