Lessons on the Road to Financial Freedom

The interesting about the journey to financial freedom is that at the start, the major drive is to achieve financial independence and financial freedom, but as you go along, you see that it is not really all about money. It is more about freedom than money, freedom to really be yourself, live life and contribute at your own terms, and give others permission to live their dreams also. This is one of the key lessons on the road to financial freedom.

There is one major milestone on the road to financial freedom, the point at which you realize that you need to change before things around you can change on a sustainable basis. It is the milestone of becoming aware of the ongoing imperative for personal growth and development. You cannot achieve beyond your capacity. You get to a point along the way you come to the realization your current methods and thinking cannot get you much further. You have literally come to your last bus stop. To go further, you have to increase your capacity. You have to be more to achieve more. To achieve what you have not achieved before, you have to become who you have not been before. You have to grow upwards.

The most gratifying reward of the journey to financial freedom is not the money you make along the way, nice as it is. It is the person you become in the process. When you become a wealthy person, your wealth is on the inside, not in your possessions. If they take away all your worldly goods and dump you in Tahiti, you have what it takes to make it back, all over again. Who you are on the inside becomes your greatest wealth, not what you have.

The journey is much more exciting than the destination itself. Nothing beats the feeling of knowing you are growing and making an impact at a higher level. Your environment starts to testify that you are changing for the better. You have better focus, think more clearly, have improved relationships and a better handle on your finances, bring your health and emotions under control, and be more in tune with your spirit and the still small voice. It is an amazing all-around makeover. Common sense becomes common, and you start to create new habits that will help you get from where you are to where you want to be. You set goals and are confident you will achieve them. All dreams become possible. It is an amazing feeling. As Brian Tracy puts it, you become unstoppable.

Getting to the top may turn out to be an anticlimax, the end of a journey, and the time to say goodbye. You have achieved it finally. You start to ask yourself:

Is this all there is to it?
Where are all the feelings I thought I would feel when I get here?
What next?
Where do I go from here?

Many folks have fallen into depression after getting to the top. The thrill of getting there does not seem to last very long. If you made the journey alone, it could be lonely at the top. It is advisable to set new and bigger goals the moment you get to the threshold of achieving your current goal. We should never run out of goals. The moment you do, life starts to become boring and devoid of meaning. Many retirees have died a few years after active service.

The journey to financial freedom is one of the most exciting journeys you will ever make. If you remain true to yourself, you will surely find your way home.