Freedom, What does this mean to you? What are you willing to risk for it?
Last night I was talking with a good friend of mine, a high earner, a long-time stock investor, a hard worker. Six months or more ago I told him about Steemit, I told him of cryptocurrencies and their potential and how I invest my time and energy.
He asked how it was going and I told him the truth, really well. I am working hard, I do long nights, barely sleep, skip on luxury uses of my time and keep pushing. I told him about the financial side of the equation and he said, You should cash out at least half! This bubble is going to collapse!'
He fancies himself a trader and he has done very well but his information in this area comes from the traditional sources, the financial times, wall street journals kind of things. He talks of Bitcoin and what the bankers and analysts have said.
I explained a little more, I explained how some of the development works, where this is going and potentials for real-world usage. He only half understood, truth be told, he only half listened. It is just not his thing. For him it isn't real until it is 'money in the bank.'
I do understand his position as I still somewhat feel that way but, I am trying to break it, destroy what I have learned and build another path. I tried to explain to him something he has never faced with his specialist doctor parents, financial hardship.
I have been in Finland for 15 years and there has not been a day that has passed by without financial concern playing a role. So many times standing at the grocery store register waiting for the machine to check thinking, 'Will this go through?'
He said I should cash something out so then 'At least I have something to show for it' and perhaps he is right. But what would it do? Yes, I will buy myself a little bit of space, cover a few months of the mortgage, maybe take my wife for a long overdue dinner but, what really changes? Nothing in the long-term.
As the year shifts from one to the next we often think about where we are and where we may be going and for me, I want to be free. I want change, I want to be able to stand at the register and not sweat the payment. I don't need much, I am a simple person. You can keep your Lambos and mansions, keep your Michelin star steaks, Cristal champagne and caviar. It means so little to me.
I told him I am tired of working at what I have been told to, tired of squirrelling away only to have it wiped out by the unexpected out of my control and tired of not being able to provide the basics for my family. I am tired of the life I have created and I am now trying to create something new.
Trying to create something that I have never been able to before. Create a little space so I can live and breathe clean air without the noose of debt constantly tightening. What will I risk for it though?
My blood, sweat and tears. My energy, my sleep, my health if needs be for all of these years, I have pushed against the walls I have been asked to move yet, they haven't budged an inch. How long can I beat my head against them hoping for life to change? How much energy can I burn before I burnout standing in the same position, facing the same bricks?
Is this healthy, is it helping my sleep to worry about if I can buy baby formula? Worrying about the cost of winter shoes for my daughter. It isn't a one off, it is every year at least, children tend to grow and as they do, they get much more expensive.
Yes, I will manage until I can't in that cycle but why wouldn't I attempt to break it? What does it cost me, a year of work, two? And what kind of work? I enjoy it, I am willing, it energises me and I feel I am actually helping others to break their own cycles.
My friend said of his own job 'the worst part is, most of what I do is meaningless.' He is in a cycle too. Sure, it is a few higher rungs on the ladder but, it is the same wall he butts his head against. I do not feel this way about what I do here though.
Risk is a part of everyday life but in my opinion, when you are going to take risks, make sure that if they pay-off your life changes significantly. Steem is my risk, my work is my venture and investment in and if it amounts to nought, so be it. At least what I do here is outside of the cycle, away from the walls, a space to dream a little, a space to grow a little.
Come on 2018, do something.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]
The best thing you can do from this day forward is to follow your intuition. Take risks ;)
Reading your post made me remember a motto I posted on another social media platform a few years back. "Take a risks and conquer your fears." In life, we are faced with a lot of challenges it is up to us how we act upon it. Sometimes there is no certainty but we are provided with the pros and cons of the situation. We just have to choose whatever is right for us without hurting ourselves holistically and not at the expense of somebody else. Freedom is a right and power, we can choose how we run our life,we just have to find that medium where we are not stressed out doing a mundane thing over and over again and can move/work freely without society's prejudism. Me and my husband were introduced to this platform this year and so far we liked it. Nobody can tell what the future brings we just have to take some risks,spend some time and energy,have faith on it.
The system is largely not set up for this to happen. The way of competition and gain requires optimisation and a crushing of supply chains which inevitably lead to the oppression of the most vulnerable. It is not the one percents fault, it is the consumer demand for it.
I SO hear you! My husband and I have a fire burning under our butts SO intensely for better, for more, for freedom. We have decided to never risk our present moment doing work we hate for money. We have been following our dreams. He streams on Twitch. I sell stuff online, and I'm working on my dreams: tarot readings and I'm also a yoga teacher. We have SUCH big dreams. We want freedom. We want a house in the woods. We want one of those nice new cars with a computer in them! :) Times are a changin'. There are so many people like us. I think we are growing immensely in power, and in 2018 we are going to start seeing the world changing around us to fit with our vision. I am SO excited to see what's going to happen with bitcoin. It's our hope for people like us! Not only is it changing our lives on an individual level, it will change the world.
He said I should cash something out so then 'At least I have something to show for it' and perhaps he is right. But what would it do? Yes, I will buy myself a little bit of space, cover a few months of the mortgage, maybe take my wife for a long overdue dinner but, what really changes? Nothing in the long-term.
I agree with this. My goal is to gain enough for it to make difference in my life in the long-term, too. If I cashed out now, the money would be enough to keep us afloat for a few months or so. But then what? If my wife and I both lost our jobs, we'd be in deep trouble anyway. If my wife lost her job, we could survive like we did when she was in school while I supported her except that now our daughter is older. If I lost my job, things would certainly get interesting. Every single cent I make on cryptocurrencies or posting on Steem will be reinvested, go towards paying taxes on Steem rewards or go towards an emergency fund. Financial security underpins everything. Without it, your life quality will suffer tremendously including in terms of your health and relationships.
This is exactly right. the importance (perhaps unfortunately) of financial strength is massive and influences every factor of life. I am hoping that there will be more room, more chance to spread the wealth as there is plenty but, I do not expect anyone to give it over willingly for no reason, and I am not yet in the position where I am helpless. So, I will work and I will help people when I can to do the same.
Couldn't have said it any better myself .. well, I couldn't have been anywhere near that eloquent if I'm being honest. That's probably why I always enjoy reading your posts!
Crypto could create a paradigm shift. Or it might be just a blip on the radar. Only time will tell. I'm hopeful for the positive side =D
If it is a blip, I will be disappointed as we should be able to better than that and cause some trouble ;)
I just hope that if it is a blip, we all realize it before the bottom falls out and get at least a little bit of value from our efforts here!
Very interesting. The topic of 'freedom' is very important, especially in this time when it is both used to get rid of dictatorships and to establish dictatorships. Often I wonder why we take 'freedom' to be the main goal of our lives, can 'freedom' truly be a value in itself, or is it almost and 'empty' value? Freedom from what?
In your post, it seems you start out with this question about freedom, but then quickly go into what could be more important values: self-sufficiency for instance. Or creating meaning (in the case of your friend). Why then, do we think about 'freedom' in regard to being free from the strains of a capitalist society? Free from bosses that tell us what to do, instead of creating our own values? Wasn't capitalism established to provide freedom?
Anyway, I'm also not sure, but I find it at least interesting, but possibly also dangerous to consider freedom a goal, as it leads to relativism as well (something I shortly go into in this post). But maybe this is a topic that I should write and think about some more.
Thank you for your reflection.
I agree, there is no real thing as freedom and even what most consider self-sufficiency is much less than so. Here in this post, I am not getting into the philosophical views of freedom but the personal where I see it as the place to grow and learn from. For me, it is a place of work but what that work is and its purpose is somewhat different than where I largely am spending my time now. I think we can all do a lot better than what we know is 'largely meaningless'.
As you know, I have taken risks all my life and they pay off.
And when they don't pay off?...they still do, strangely enough...
You have got it going on, matey so don't let negativity get in the way.
You die if you worry, and you die if you don't..... Why worry?
There is a Finnish saying I like:
'Tee, tai itke ja tee'
Do, or cry and do. Either way, you gotta do.
😂😂
I wonder if there is a saying that goes anything like....'cold climes and old men make wise words'...?
😂
That's pretty cool to know thanks for the tips by the way, have a nice day..
I'm also reading a book by Anne Dufourmantelle, a philosopher and psychoanalyste, who was also my PhD supervisor, on the importance of taking risks. 'Ode to taking risks'. Will let you know once I've finished it (my French is not too good, and it's only available in french so far, so it will take me some time...)
Post about it and let me know :)
Will do :)
I am a simple person as well. I want financial freedom and it’s not defined by how much money I have in the bank. Instead, it’s defined by my freedom to use the most precious thing we have: Time.
The time to work at something useful is what I am hoping to create.
who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life...
I think it is often the perspective. You call it risk I call it chance😉🎉
Being sincere I share those doubts with your friend, from the clear ignorance this, but I still do not trust me to know that in a day can vary so much, it seems the black dollar in my country (Venezuela) in a day the value can change 3 times and shoot the prices of the items because everything is bought with that currency.
Success in life is measured by these:
It's the process, not the end game. If you die with a fat bank account but lived a stressful, unhappy, damaging life, you didn't succeed. You failed.
There used to be a popular bumper sticker that read He who dies with the most toys, wins! In truth, he who dies with the most toys is dead.
As far as you're concerned, I guess you can be happy with normal wine and not fancy champagne.. As far as the little one is concerned, you'll want the warm comfortable shoes, not the cheap ones that come apart at the first rain... hopefully, your hard work will pay off!
There is no freedom
There are always restrictions and laws on the person to abide by in his life
https://steemit.com/flowers/@tjunaidi/the-flowers-are-red-a0d9ee07b97c3
this is really inappropriate to drop links on other people's posts.
He just did that to me as well.
He must like getting his reputation score wiped out.
what a hapend
There must come a time it stops, right?
Saya sangat beruha memposting bloh saya ke steemky, supaya saya dapat nilai yang banyak..