Freedom Without Purpose Is Nothing
Dear friends,
I’ve come to the realisation that chasing freedom without purpose is detrimental. We commonly hear about financial freedom and time freedom, and even I’ve written many articles about both. But, I’m going to admit I might be wrong. I think chasing “freedom” is actually just a means of escaping something else, here me out on this.
Picture this, if one is completely free of financial difficulties and if one is in complete control of one’s time, you could argue they are essentially free from the shackles of modern society. Of course, we all know that money makes the world go around and we all have the same 24 hours in the day. So, once you escape these restricting factors, you’re in cruise control, right? You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, at whatever cost. But does this provide fulfilment or inner happiness?
I don’t think it does. For sure, I think we all should strive to be financially free and in better control of our time. This allows us to be less stressed about money, more able to live an enriched and experience-heavy life, but also focus more on relationships and our personal health. Those are the common reasons why people seek financial and time freedom. We often hear that once you’re free, then you can focus on yourself and the people around you. I’ve also been peddling this same narrative for the past few years. But, I’ve had this realisation that there is something much greater.
True fulfilment and an inner sense of happiness, in my own opinion, come from contributing to society. It doesn’t come from being in tip-top shape nor come from having super healthy and organic relationships. Sure, without a doubt, these will contribute to both fulfilment and inner happiness, but they won’t define either.
For me, I am at a stage of my life where between myself and my fiancee, we earn a healthy salary (we’re essentially not restricted financially within reason) and we have some element of financial flexibility. Now obviously, we can’t splash out on first-class flights or afford a huge mansion, but all things Maslow’s-hierarchy-of-needs-concerned, we’re covered.
Anyway, my point is now that I am in this very grateful position, it doesn’t feel as satisfied when I make an expensive purchase. As a student even a latte required careful thought, now it’s a thoughtless purchase. In my first year of working, new clothes or semi-expensive purchases required thought and reason, now it’s a simple quick decision. This has not really made me feel fulfilled or reach an inner sense of happiness. Sure, I feel freer and less stressed about money but it hasn’t added anything more to my life. In some ways, it was more satisfying when I had to save and really wait on a purchase for a few months. This pattern will continue even when I reach financial freedom, those purchases that currently seem unfathomable will be simple quick decisions.
What brings me true fulfilment is my contribution to society. When I write a newsletter or post content online and I get emails saying how helpful it was. That really excites me. That warms my heart. Similarly, at work, when a patient thanks me, that is a feeling much more fulfilling than whatever money or time could ever do for me. It’s just something so much more beautiful. So, my point is in searching for or accessing financial freedom or time freedom, we need to first seek clarity on two things.
- What will you do with your freedom to contribute to society?
- Why are you, in the first instance, seeking financial and time freedom? What’s that itching desire or passion of yours you want to explore freely?
I think once you have the answer to this, you will feel far more excited, motivated, and likely to achieve financial and time freedom. You will be seeking it with a purpose.
For me, it’s very simple. I want financial freedom and time freedom for all the common reasons like being able to focus on relationships, health, and family. But I think my purpose, and the thing that will bring fulfilment to my life is to create more useful and valuable content. Anything that may change the life of another human. The content could take many forms - videos, podcasts, guides, courses, or even books. I also want to use my medical background to influence this but not to entirely focus on health.
Quote 🧠
The 1% Rule: 1% progress + daily application (consistency) + persistence (focus) + time (endurance) = success.
Link Up 🔗
Stretch bands - I have been using these before workouts and also generally to improve my posture.
Podcast — I really enjoyed this conversation between Ali and life coach Simon Ong. It opened my eyes to the power of a life coach.
Five Minute Journal — I’m loving the idea of this 5-minute journal notebook. A simple, structured, and beautifully designed way to start journalling.
As always be safe, and be happy.
Warm regards - Yath 🤟🏾
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