The 23rd Birthday Project. Day Three

Financial Freedom is the key to a lot of doors

 'With your financial house in order, it is easier to pursue your spiritual life' - Steven Silbiger, The Jewish Phenomenon.

The importance of financial independence cannot be overemphasized. I like the correctness of what Steven Silbiger said, because lack can be a huge distraction from actually being spiritual. One can only wonder how many people would still be spiritual or religious if they had everything they'd ever wanted or needed in this life. But then, the world is not equal and can never be.

So I graduated from school, and it started to hit. I went to camp, and it got closer. I finished camp and first allowee entered and then I realised what 'it' was. It was that I was now an adult and had to bear my own financial burden. Some of us are familiar with that, damn adulthood 😩. Like I was so comfortable before, but then it is what it is. We move.

I have dreams just like everyone else and everyday I keep dreaming more (some days shaa because sleep can be so sweet 😋). I keep dreaming because practically everything we see now all around us were once people's dreams, people like me and you. Imaginations turned into reality. Personally, I don't think we tell girls enough to dream big, like they should dream without cap and actually pursue those dreams. What we see in most cases is that girls should do what they want, but not to the extent that she won't be able to attract men for marriage. We can do better. There's no wrong in achieving those dreams and getting married too. It should seemly be a matter of choice. It is much better to make choices when one is fully aware of all the possibilities there is or can be. The world is evolving everyday anyway and will continue to evolve whether we like it or not. 

During this year of intro into adulthood and conscious living, I learnt how to manage my finances better, save and invest, and to make plans properly. We know financial freedom doesn't happen in one day. It is important to make plans, execute when the time comes, prepare for wins and also, failures. Also remember to move with strategy not with emotions. Like everything else in life, financial freedom is a choice and it doesn't just happen without work (hard and smart). Some people will argue that there are just lucky people in this world. I agree that being born in the right country, family, time, etc is an added advantage, but what of us here in average or less than average conditions and circumstances? Are we lucky or not? 

Psychologist Richard Wiseman defines luck (good or bad) as the results of a human being interacting with chance, and some people are better at it than others. A person that believes he/she is lucky will try multiple possibilities as many times as possible because he/she believes they'll win. Even when a failure occurs, they brush it off and keep trying, while this is the opposite for a person that believes that he/she is unlucky. 

Let me share lessons I learnt from the book The Jewish Phenomenon by Steven Silbiger. I mean, who knows better about creating wealth than the Jews, right?😏.

The Seven Keys to the Enduring Wealth of a People

1. Real Wealth is portable; It is Knowledge. 

2. Take care of your own and they'll do the same.

3. Successful people are professionals and entrepreneurs. 

4. Develop your verbal confidence. 

5. Be selectively extravagant but prudently frugal.

6. Encourage creativity. Let individuality be your pride.

7. Be psychologically driven to prove something.