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 TRUE FREEDOM |
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Figuring
out what constitutes true freedom is the work of a lifetime. But I don't
believe that money is the major determinant -- as long as we have enough
to meet our basic needs and wants, for food, shelter, clothing, and for
some pleasures of life that do cost money.
Speaking of pleasures,
let's focus for a moment on travel. Recently, a wise old friend of mine
named Richard made some astute observations on the connection between
money and the freedom to travel. He described the experiences of friends
of his who had gone to Europe on a shoestring many years ago. They
hitchhiked around, stayed in small villages as guests in the homes of
people they met while traveling. They really got a sense of what each
culture was like. He contrasted them to people he knew who were rich and
wanted to go to Europe but who felt they had to stay home and make sure
their money was growing. He also mentioned those who went to foreign
countries and stayed in ritzy American-style hotels, never getting out and
seeing the people and experiencing these cultures. To him, that didn't
seem like freedom at all.
Of course, freedom is a tricky notion.
We are not talking about freedom to act out all our impulses, however
destructive. No amount of wealth makes this freedom permissible. We are
talking about the freedom to do all that we wish to do, and to be all that
we wish to be.
Let's now turn to an exercise that you might find
useful in debunking the myth that money equals freedom:
For one week or one month, keep track of what you spend your money on.
On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how much pleasure each expenditure brings
you.
Note how much time you have to spend working to make the money to pay
for these expenditures.
This process can be revealing, for it may
point up ways that you are giving up your freedom and free time to
purchase things you do not value or enjoy very much.
If you are
willing to take a positive step in moving closer to your dreams and goals,
think about the following:
What could you do in the next six months that would give you more
freedom without requiring a major change in your financial situation?
What has prevented you from doing this thus far? Is it really money or
something else?
How could you do this, or take a step towards
doing it, in the next week, couple of weeks, or month?
If you do take this action, remember to reward yourself and to monitor
your thoughts and feelings (in writing, on tape, or at least in your
mind) about moving in the direction of real freedom.
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