I have had a lot of time to think since I left the corporate world. Financial independence will inevitably cause you to go deeper into yourself, as it is pretty cool to wake up every morning and do what you want. It is an important part of being financially independent that it should not be taken lightly. If you ride the waves of emotions you will find yourself growing and expanding in a lot of expected ways. The rewards are worth the journey.
It can be lonely. You can make lasting connections with a little effort. Some days I miss the camaraderie of hanging out with my old team or clients, but I also can’t remember a time when I felt more rested or calm. I’m thankful for the time I have to focus on my own well-being and give my best to the people in my life. It took me a full 6 months to go through my corporate detox and recover from burnout, but now an immense clarity has been opening up to me. With more time and space, a clarity could come.
I’ve been thinking a lot about success and what it means to me.
Between 2010-2015 I defined success as reaching financial independence, so I could have enough money to live on for the rest of my life. I defined success as escaping from the corporate world and retiring early from the daily grind. I was able to live a life of financial freedom by creating multiple streams of passive income. From late 2017 to early 2018 success was to finish writing my book
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To me success isn’t about money, it’s about peace.
I just want to relax. I want to make that peace a part of my life for the rest of my life. I want to be present. I’m taking deep breaths to achieve that goal. I want to live. I want to experience life to the fullest. I want to be with the world and myself. I want to be in harmony with both nature and myself. I don’t want to worry about money or the future. I want to live in the moment and make the most of it. I want to be at ease. I want to be free from stress and worry so that I can relax. I have found my rhythm. I’m more relaxed and confident in myself every day, and I’m excited to see what the future holds. I am in the right place. I feel like I’m in the right place. That “peaceful easy feeling.”
Over the past week, I have thought a lot about Anthony Bourdain. A guy with money, fame, and the chance to travel the world is here. He felt that something was missing in his life and decided to take a step back and reexamine what he really wanted. Why was he unhappy? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find a solution to his unhappiness.
After hearing about his death, I started watching interviews with Anthony to see if I could spot something that was off, or if he was really unhappy. It made me realize that you don’t really know what someone is going through when you don’t see much of their life. He was asked what life advice he would give to younger people in an interview with Fast Company. He told them to focus on the present moment and make sure to follow their dreams. What you would expect from the advice is to take risks, explore, be open, and be compassionate. Trust your instincts and never forget to enjoy life. He talks about one of his worst nightmares when he talks about being in a room where everyone agrees with him. This would be boring and he would rather have a good debate. He would be bored there. He decided to stay at home because he didn’t know where to go.
Success to Anthony Bourdain meant having the freedom to do whatever he wanted, but in the end, freedom wasn’t enough, and in fact, freedom might have ended up boxing him in because he lost the challenge and thefriction that made him so creative early on. A life of extraordinary accomplishment, but also filled with inner turmoil, was the result of that challenge and friction. He reached a level of success that many people dream of, but where did he go after that? He had to find a way to maximize his success, not only for himself, but for those around him as well. Another season? Another episode? Another book? A job that pays to travel the world and eat food can feel like a routine at some point. It’s important to remember that no matter how mundane the job may feel, you are still doing something that many people can only dream of! It is worth watching the full interview. Stick around until the end for more information.
Anthony might have lost his joy. Maybe it wasn’t enough. I tried my best, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe he was not able to find peace. No matter how hard he tried, his problems seemed to follow him wherever he went. Many of his friends wondered if he spent so much time working because he was running from something because he spent over 200 days a year on the road. It makes you wonder, but who knows. Would he have done what he did if he had peace? It’s difficult to say if his actions would have been different if he had peace in his life.
So what’s changed? Why is this happening? Why are so many people unhappy?
It will take a long time to untangle what is making us so unhappy, but I think it has a lot to do with what we think will make us happy or what we are told will make us happy, as well as how we define success. It’s up to us to redefine our idea of success and start making positive changes in order to live a life with more joy and contentment.
We see how others live and how we compare ourselves to them. If we don’t address it, this comparison can lead to depression. Our brains are wired that way. It’s easy to recognize similarities because our brains are designed to look for patterns and make connections.
Often when I use social media I feel anxious – why don’t I have the same number of followers on social media as that person. The follower who liked everything stopped liking my posts. Should I be more active on social media? In the last 3 years, I have only been on the internet for 1,800 times. I still enjoy using the platform.
It’s dumb, but I can’t help but feel it. I can’t ignore the fact that I feel this way. It’s one of the reasons I took so long to even create an Instagram account – I don’t like how social media makes me anxious. This is an issue that many people face. I enjoy seeing what my friends are up to. I like using social media to stay in touch with my friends. BTW you can follow me on Instagram here (it would make me happy though!).
I can’t imagine how 20-year olds feel when they spend a lot of time on social media. It’s hard to stay connected with so many people. They are anxious and unhappy because of social media. The stress that many people experience in their daily lives can be worsened by the fast-paced and highly competitive nature of social media. Like really unhappy. This past week a new study showed that depression rates in the United States are increasingly rapidly, especially amongst teens between 12 and 17 years old. Life doesn’t get any easier for the future generations. We need to create a better world for our future generations so they can enjoy a life free of stress and hardship.
People are spending a lot of money to get the perfect photo. Businesses are offering services specifically designed for getting the perfect photo for your account. A recent report from Chase showed that 77% of millennials were willing to spend up to $137 for the perfect Instagram shot. 1 shot!
And this one woman went $10,000 into debt for the perfect Instagram shots. We want to be seen as successful. We want to be seen as successful and respected by our peers. The appearance of it makes us want toTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkia Many of us believe that success is the next job promotion, the $10,000 raise, the new car, or the new house, the trip around the world, or even financial independence. Success is more than just achieving materialistic goals, it’s the sense of satisfaction and the feeling that you have accomplished something meaningful, and each step towards our goals can bring us joy and fulfillment no matter how small or large the outcome.
We also spend so much time being busy. Busyness is truly an epidemic.
We live in a world where we chase success and the next emotional high of completing a project, getting a promotion, or winning a new piece of business. The pursuit of success is what makes us strive for excellence. It’s easy to be business and we think it makes us feel good, but in reality, we are often running after something external because it’s more difficult and more uncomfortable to stop and go inside. Taking time to sit with ourselves and reflect on our motives can help us determine if the business we are running is truly based on our values and what matters most to us.
When we are confronted with the death of someone we cared about or someone we admired, we are forced to think about if we are living our best lives. We can honor their memory by valuing our own lives and trying to live each day to the fullest. If we really love our lives. We can either make positive changes that will benefit us in the long run, or we can take the time to appreciate the beauty of our everyday experiences. It is easy to get back into a routine that makes us feel good, but in reality, we confuse being busy with being alive. Feelings of emptiness and a sense of being unfulfilled can have a negative impact on our mental health.
Success doesn’t come from money, or a promotion, or the next big project, or that new car. It comes from the fact that you’ve accomplished something great and made a difference in your own life, as well as the lives of those around you. It does not come from outside. It must come from within. It comes from within.
You need to be your own person. You will always fall short if you measure yourself against anyone else. To bring lasting satisfaction, focus on your own progress, and celebrate the milestones you reach along the way. It will never be enough. It will never be enough, no matter how much I try. If you see anyone featured online, you shouldn’t measure yourself against them. If you compare yourself to others, you will only lead to feelings of inadequacy. Measure yourself against yourself and you will change. Don’t compare yourself to others, instead focus on your own growth and progress. You will change a lot in your life.
It is hard to find peace because we are constantly changing. Even in the midst of change, it is possible to find moments of peace. I am a different person than I was when I started my journey. I’m learning and growing every day, and I’m excited to see who I become in the future. It was almost completely different. This statement is completely different from what was expected. I like doing yoga. Both yoga and meditation help me stay grounded. I enjoy bird watching when I go to the ballet. I bring my binoculars with me. I enjoy staying in on a It’s Saturday and I’m listening to records or getting lost. I like to spend Saturday mornings with a hot cup of coffee and a blanket. Let yourself grow. Growing is living.
Happiness, peace, and joy all come from within
Pursuing financial independence is a lot of fun and it’s empowering to be able to say no to consumer culture and watch your net-worth grow. When I first discovered FI I felt like I stumbled on the “Truth” and there a reason I subtitled my book “A It is a path that works. You can be sure that you are taking the right steps if you follow the Proven Path. It worked for me and it is working for more and more people.
FI can become a money addiction if it feels good to feel in control of your money. The important stuff can be missed if you only focus on the numbers and the spreadsheet. There is a reason we are saving in the first place. Our goal is to reach financial freedom. Money doesn’t matter if you live a life you love. Money is an important factor in achieving financial security and stability, but it shouldn’t be the only factor that determines your happiness and success.
Measure success by how peaceful you feel instead of a number, a spreadsheet, a collection of things, or the next raise. Measuring success by how peaceful you are can help to bring clarity and purpose to your life. It’s a lot more fulfilling.
