The nature and effect of financial independence, once achieved, is profound. You stop giving a f*ck what anyone thinks. Before your financial independence, you depended on the kindness of your managers, customers, and so forth. Because you needed the money. Now that you don’t need anything from anyone, you will find yourself much more ready to be YOU.
This is a time of discovering and expressing your true self. You might see straight a laced corporate executive with a conformist haircut turn into a long haired, motorcycle riding, tattoo sporting free spirit who spends his time helping charities and delighting sick children. You might see your old work colleague turn in that pants suit and conformist makeup to become a flamboyant artist or peace guru (guilty on both counts!). You see, the persona we craft for our work and career life, is rarely the whole story. We might take an authentic fraction of our selves and show only that, in order to fit in and climb the corporate ladder. But what if you didn’t need anyone’s approval? It’s more than a matter of designing your preferred lifestyle. It’s about being your full, 100% self.
- What would you wear, if you didn’t care what anyone thought?
- How would you do your hair?
- Would you have tattoos or piercings?
- Unusual makeup or none at all?
- What do you really want to spend your time doing?
- What is your purpose here in this life? Can you live it?
- What do YOU want? Just YOU?
It’s heady stuff. Many people go a little wild in the beginning. It is a fun stage of experimentation and finding self. I bet you had no idea that your money and your expression of self were so closely tied. This is an amazing time to explore YOU, your purpose and what you really want from this life.
