As Panzer looks back at his posts, he starts to see how his writing is taking a more philosophical bent with each article he writes.

It reflects his life, his experiences, his encounters each day both good and bad that bring him closer to the realisation that financial freedom is getting closer only when he gets less anxious about the outcome. Let Panzer explore the road less travelled in his journey towards financial freedom.

The detached participant

Panzer is writing in the 3rd person because sometimes it’s helpful to examine things from a more distant perspective. In his pursuit of financial freedom, Panzer is starting to see how ephemeral and transient is this concept of financial freedom. Increasingly, he sees that achieving financial freedom is not just achieving $xxx,xxx by a certain time frame. Instead it is reaching the inner consciousness of knowing when is “enough” of materialism.

The recent global financial crisis and upheaval which caused trillions in value to be wiped off the face of the world begs one to ask this question, “was the money ever real?”

Having money so that one can gaze onto his savings account to see a figure that makes him or her feel safe is transient. The money does no good if the bank is unable to honour the deposit. The money does no good if it cannot be used to allow one to live his own life. The money cannot help when one is afflicted by nature of an incurable disease.

In short, money is only useful if it can be used in productive, meaningful ways that adds value to other people’s lives instead of just your own.

The more Panzer sees his own net worth being far less than what he started with, he realises how transient is this focus on building $xxx,xxx by age xx. It is important to set targets. But it is equally important to build processes that allow you to move towards the target. Achieving the target is not the be-all and the end-all. It is the realisation that the process IS really the target.

Financial freedom is the process not the objective

Panzer has come to the realisation that in his pursuit of financial freedom, he has already found the answer. The answer lies in the everyday processes of living within his means, saving and investing, growing and protecting his means. Engaging in this process day-in-day-out whilst living a life worth living filled with meaningful work, loving relationships and supportive friendships is what financial freedom is about.

It is the ability to live each day, knowing that he has done his part in carrying out the process of being financial free that frees him from the mental prison of the rat-race. When one actually longs to wake up to go to work because one knows it is part of the virtuous cycle that breaks you out of the rat-race, then one has achieved the breakthrough. It is this realisation that financial freedom is in being able to engage fully in the process and feel fulfilled that one is truly on the right path towards financial freedom.

Panzer was writing to his good friend KS who remarked that we shouldn’t lose sight of what’s important even when we are engaged towards financial freedom.

How true!

What has been your realisation about the true nature of financial freedom?

Share with Panzer.

Be well and prosper.

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