CategoriesFinancialGratitude

The Freedom Factor

What does freedom mean to you? Is it about going where you like, saying things you think, not having to work or having any dependents? The freedom factor determines a lot about your life.

For many people, they can go where they like. In addition, within a very wide spectrum, they can say what they think. In many developed countries, you can already choose not to work and survive with social assistance programs. Finally, you can choose not to have a partner or children or pets that depend on you. That’s usually in your control.

So, a great many people already have freedom. Sometimes we don’t realise how fortunate we are. Because there are still quite a few people, and places, that don’t have these basic freedoms, which many people take for granted. And it wasn’t that long ago you could have lost your head for being in the wrong spot, saying the wrong thing or not paying bills.

Which leads us on to financial freedom. This is the freedom that allows us to choose those things we want to do, when we want to do them. For many this equates to retirement.

But if you love what you do, you may never ‘retire’.

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CategoriesActionObserveReframe your thoughts

Decipher The Headline

‘Rock Star Dies in Tragic Accident’ was the headline I saw 20 years ago while I was walking past Richer Sounds and heading to London Bridge Tube Station. I tried to decipher the headline.

I knew instantly that this death was not of someone I had ever heard of. Had they been sufficiently famous, the newspaper would have put their name in the headline. Jagger Found… or Elton Tragedy… or something like that.

I tried to guess who it could be. I didn’t want to buy the paper to find out. I new I would find out eventually from the tv or a friend if it was sufficiently big news. When I did find out, I don’t recall ever hearing of them.

It was a pivotal moment because it made me really focus on how I assessed what people said and what the media led with as their headline. Since that time, I have always enjoyed playing my own little game of decipher the headline. I enjoy trying to decide whether something is going to be truly important or a waste of time, based on the headline.

You can save a lot of time as you develop the skill of quickly deciphering what the underlying message or motive is to any communication. Sometimes I nail it and sometimes I don’t. But I always enjoy playing the game. If you enjoy mysteries, psychology or solving puzzles, you may like to give it a try.

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