To experience financial freedom, you have to be yourself. You have to resist pressures from all quarters to be someone else. Parents, more than any other set of humans on the planet, attempt to make their own children into their own image. In the attempt to bring up the child right, they muzzle their children’s identity and sometimes their dreams. They try to influence everything from your likes and dislikes, dress code, choice of friends, career and marriage. Some parents not only dictate your vocation, they get to choose where you work after graduation. You are not given enough space to be yourself.

Parents do mean well when they interfere. For sure they have a very major role in the upbringing of the child. It is their primary responsibility.

However, the line between guidance and manipulation can become blurred in the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

Sometimes one sibling is used as a benchmark to judge others, forgetting the fact that we are all unique, with a different set of strengths, weaknesses, temperaments, talents and personality. Often times, parents try to make their dreams come true through their children.

Having more than enough money and material things does not fill the void created by lack of self-fulfillment. Success cannot be equated with money, material things or position. Success is not what you have, but who you are. It is not about having, that is external. It is about being; that is internal. The external cannot satisfy in the long term. It cannot fill the void on the inside. Ultimately success will be judged by how well you became who you were born to be.

The highest form of self-actualization is to discover purpose, and fulfill it. Life outside of purpose is meaningless. For those trapped in the rat race, survival is still an issue. You definitely need to stay alive to fulfill your dreams and purpose. This is where financial freedom kicks in. it is not about money. Money cannot buy purpose. It is about freedom to pursue your dreams and purpose. Financial freedom is not a destination, but a bus stop along the way.

Financial freedom seems to be the current buzzword in the world of self-improvement. This has spawned a new industry, and alongside it, some curious schemes and fantastic claims of how to achieve financial freedom in months.

Financial freedom means different things to different people. For some, it means freedom to spend, as they want without seeing red. For others, it means freedom to do whatever it is they really want to do without finances having to dictate what, how and when. Financial freedom encompasses both, and more…

I have found that enduring financial freedom only comes about by discovering your talent and developing to mastery level. At this level, you skill commands resources effortlessly if you know how to market yourself, or get an agent to market you. You will not need to depend on questionable schemes to make you rich in months. You will get to the top and remain there if you do not go to sleep. You can go the distance because it is something you love. You make money while having fun.

If you do not have a clue what your core talent is, and go about chasing money, you will jump from one scheme to another, pursuing a mirage. Even in the event that you finally land something that makes you money, you will not last.

For instance, if you are not salesperson material, and you join a network marketing organization, you are useless to the network and to yourself. Some promise, “no selling/recruiting required”. I wonder if the money will drop from the sky.

If you do not know who you are or what your areas of core competence are, trying to make money online or offline is a waste of time, energy and resources. You may manage some here and there, but frustration will soon set in. If you are a fish, water is the best place to be, and if you are a bird, take to the sky. Do what you love.

You need to look beyond money. If you are a slave to money, you may never attain financial freedom. For most folks, their life decisions are based on money. If you are offered three jobs same day, chances are, you will go for the one with the most generous offer. You may never stop to ponder where you are headed as a guide to what steps you take, what choices you make.

If you are addicted to money, you will lose your way. Money will lead you off your trail to a highway to nowhere. You will lose your focus completely. This is why it is critical to have clear goals and focus, in your head, heart and on paper. If you have it clearly spelt out, you will be able to withstand the temptation to derail. You will be able to keep your eyes where you are headed.

If you know where you are headed you will not jump at any offer that pops in front of your computer screen. You will judge every step you take and every move you make in the light of which direction you are headed. Your progress may seem slow, but you are moving surely and steadily towards your destination.

It is very hard to navigate your way to financial freedom from the plethora of claims and offers on the net. You have to remain true to yourself, to your core values and innate character. Do not be swayed by every whim and caprice. Chart your path and follow it through.

There is no one way to financial freedom. You have to chart your individual path. We are all unique, with a unique set of talents and temperament. There is no one on this planet like you. You alone know what you are about. You are the only one who can find your way home. Sure you need the help of others, but the buck stops right at your desk.

If you are willing to discover your talents and take it to the sky, then you are ready to fly. Be the best that you can be. Just do it. Bon voyage.

Then the commercial establishment descended and hijacked the season. Coca Cola dug into the archives, fished out Saint Nicholas, dressed him in Coca Cola colors with a long white beard, and christened him Santa Claus. It has become:

“Joy to the world, and good sales to all shop owners”.

It is the biggest sales season of the year. Shops prepare all year for this moment. To boost sales, high street shops offer some tantalizing price reductions, 50% off, buy one get one free etc. They work on your psyche until you give up the fight, switch your brains off and give in fully to your emotions. There is a nice sounding word for this victory: consumer confidence.
Buy now, regret later.

You must buy new clothes for every member of the household, especially the kids, take them to Santa arcade, and send gifts/hampers/cards to relatives, friends and foes. You must upgrade your living room, get wider screen TV, upgrade your cable subscription, give your home a fresh coat of paint, change the curtains, the list goes on.

Buy one, get two free, and suffer buyer’s remorse later. It is all in the spirit of the season. You can think of the credit card companies later. You are helping to crank the engine of the economy.

How do you withstand this massive onslaught against your fragile purse strings, this war against the soul of your finances?

Befriend your budget. Run back home and make friends with your budget. Period. The standard advice is, “Make a budget and stick to it”. A lot of folks like us have attempted that. If you make a budget and stick with it, you are home safe and dry. This article is not for such lucky folks. It is for folks that are still struggling, budget after budget.

Befriend your budget. A well-made budget is a good sight to behold. The snag is, you have to follow it. That is when the rubber hits the road. This is where most folks take a bow. If your budget is balanced on paper/computer, and unbalanced in reality, something is wrong. That budget is not you. It is an expression of your wishes. There is a communication problem between you and your budget, though you live in the same house. It happens all the time. Married folks will understand what I mean. You guys are speaking in foreign languages.

How do you befriend your budget, and speak the same language?

How can you turn your budget into a friend, rather that a cruel taskmaster?

To attempt to answer these posers, let me tell you a story about two friends: Mr. Nice and Mr. Necessary.

Meet Mr. Nice. An easygoing guy, does not like stress; cares a lot about what others think about him, especially his clique and peers; generally goes with the flow of current trends and fashion; does not like to be the odd man out; does not mind “buy now, pay later”; likes eating out a lot and enjoying the moment to the fullest; hates “cracking” his brain etc. Likeable guy, Mr. Nice…

Now meet Mr. Necessary. Easy going but seriously minded guy; thinks long term; does not care much about public opinion; has a long term focus and is ready to delay immediate gratification; does not care much about trends and fashion; has his eyes on his goal and dreams; does not window shop; would not touch consumer debt with a ten foot long pole etc. Mr. Necessary, seems quite boring to his friends…

Now imagine both guys coming together to form a partnership to float a small-scale business. Sparks will fly, guaranteed. They will forever quarrel about money and expenditure decisions. Now do you still wonder why you are having problems with your budget?

Can these two guys ever get to work together towards a common goal? I think so. It takes a lot of work. All relationships do. Ask your favorite Agony Aunt. Something has to give. If both guys remain in their trenches, then status quo rules… The only way forward is to come to a common ground: an alignment of two different paradigms.

First, get to know your budget. How it thinks and operates, its mindset and idiosyncrasies, modus operandi etc. Then you evaluate your similarities and differences. Then work at bridging the gap. There are three ways of approaching this. Lets call it option A, B and C.

Option A:
Meet your budget all the way. Change your ways and habits, and adapt to suit.

Option B:
Middle of the road option; you give some and your budget gives some. This will entail re-writing your budget to suit the new scenario.

Option C:
You don’t move an inch. Your budget comes to meet you. This will also entail re-writing your budget to reflect your current cash flow. Of course you will make provision for deficit financing. You are not making any progress here, but at least you know where you are.

Whichever option you choose, you will end up with a budget that works, a budget in touch your reality. Being frank to yourself is key; if you deceive yourself, you will continue in the merry-go-round. Put your finger on where you need to change, and work on it. Stay focused at you short and long term goals.

Having a budget that works is your only bulwark against the yuletide madness. When you befriend your budget, you form a formidable team.

While making your yuletide budget or wish list, always remember that your November salary is for December expenses and your December salary is for January expenses. It is so easy to forget this in the midst of battle, especially as some employers pay December salary mid month. If you mix it up, you will join the bandwagon of folks that believe that January is the longest month in the year. For them, it is, and their creditors will love them for that…

Joy to the world, and goodwill to all men.

Attaining financial freedom basically entails discovering your talent and passion, and developing it to a level that it begins to attract money. You ultimately get to do what you love, enjoy and have fun doing, and make lots of money while you are at it. When you get to that level, you no longer work for money. If you learn to deploy your money in wise investments, you get money to work for you.

Faced with everyday pressures, bills and the need to put food on the table, it is very easy to believe that more money is the solution to all your money problems. If you have money problems right where you are, chances are, more money will not get you out of the hole you dug yourself into. It will make matters worse. More money will simply generate more expenses and more debt in tow. You end up becoming worse off than you currently are.

To attain financial freedom, you have to take control of your expenses and finances, and not the other way round. You have to build a quality asset base that that will bankroll you expenses and current standard of living; assets that generate cash flow even when you stop working.

To have a good snapshot of where you are, you need to step back a few steps and look at the bigger picture. Come out of your small world, and look up five years down the road you are taking.

Where will it lead you? Is that your desired destination?

Now, take a look back at where you are coming from.

Is where you are today according to plan, or you just stumbled along, led by situations and circumstances?

Attaining financial freedom is embedded in the fulfillment of your God given dreams and purpose. If you are working for money, whether under your boss or working for yourself, you are still a slave to money. Money dictates what you do, when you do it and how you do it.

To make it to the field of your dreams, you have to have a plan, focus to execute it to its logical conclusion, taking it one day at a time.

As you pursue your dreams, you still need to put food on the table. That is reality. You may need to work for money, as it may take quite a while to develop your talents and skills to the level where you begin to make good money. You may have to do some things that you don’t really love. It is for a season. It is part of the plan and process. The fact that you don’t really love what you are doing should propel you to double up effort in the direction of your dreams.

There is no highway to financial freedom. Your path is as unique as you. There is no one like you on this planet. You have to discover yourself, and on the strength of that, work out your route to freedom and your dreams. No one can do it for you. They can lay out the general principles. You have to work out your salvation. No one knows you as you do. You are the only one that can navigate your way.

There are many rivers to cross to the field of your dreams. It starts with discovering your talents and area of core competence, having a dream/goal, drawing up a plan and getting on with it.

There will be obstacles on the way. There will be setbacks. If you stay focused on your dream, delay gratification and rise up each time you fall, you will get there. It is only a matter of time.

If are ready to attain your utmost potential, then you are ready to fly. Go for it.