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 WHAT MAKES YOU FREE |
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Let's
apply the idea of achieving personal power to your own life.
In what areas of your life would you want to feel personally powerful?
Is money involved in the attainment of all these goals, some of these
goals, or none of these goals? If so, how much money?
What adjectives would best describe how you would feel about achieving
personal power in your own life?
Money = Freedom
Money equals freedom is a myth that many of us hold dear. As long
as we secretly, or not so secretly, cling to this one, we never have to
ask ourselves what we really want to do with our lives, and what might be
preventing us from doing it. We can comfortably tell ourselves, "If only I
had more money, I'd be free to paint; write that novel; travel to Europe;
change professions ... to do what I really want to do or what I was meant
to do." And, of course, since doing some of the things we want to do in
fact does cost money, the partial truth of this myth makes it convenient
for us to hold on to it, instead of challenging the notion and perhaps
achieving real freedom.
Do you believe that Money =
Freedom?
If you think you may be controlled by this myth,
determine whether you agree with the following statements:
Having more money would enable me to do what I really want to do in my
life.
It is mainly money that is preventing me from doing what I really want
to do.
Wealthy people are truly freer to create the kind of life they want.
The key to real freedom is to have enough money.
I often think wistfully about all the things I could do, and all the
freedom I would have, if only I had more money.
If you answered
"true" to three or more of these statements, money equals freedom to you,
at least to some degree.
Debunking Money = Freedom
If you believe that money equals freedom, here's an exercise you
can do to begin challenging this notion. Identify and describe, in as much
detail as possible, a few people you know personally, or have read or
heard about, who:
Don't have a lot of money but seem very free to you.
Have a lot of money but don't seem to be free
at all.
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