[Mr. Shift:] There was a turning point in my life after reading the book Rich Dad Poor Dad. I believe what is most valuable thing the book offers is the it presents the foundational mindset needed for financial success. It presents an alternate narrative to life which contrasts the one taught in society; for the first time, you are told financial independence is within your reach through a shift in perspective.
After gaining inspiration from the book, I strapped on my big boy boots on and ventured out into the world and I’m proud to say that after a year I achieved… absolutely nothing. Although the book completely changed the way I looked at finances and the world, the thing that set me back ironically were the endless possibilities in which financial independence could be achieved. Ironically, it was in this freedom, the freedom of choice to do what I wanted which was my biggest burden, resulting in the year of passivity.
“Can freedom become a burden, too heavy for a man to bear, something he tries to escape from?”
Erich Fromm, Escape from Freedom
An interesting psychological concept is how freedom is a double edged sword, with its shadow side being anxiety. Through envisaging freedom, we are shining our awareness on our limitless possibilities; but this shining in contrast darkens the shadow of anxiety; the anxiety of not living up to what we know we could be. Upon reflection, it’s understandable why I took so long to action, and it made sense to me that we would naturally gravitate towards the path of least resistance and follow society’s narrative.
A simple antidote to this problem which I’ve found is to choose one thing, set a goals and work backwards from there. The goals may change as you grow and learn, but in having your goal, your north star, you at least are moving forward. A way I like to think of it is that if you’re in a blizzard and can only see a few feet ahead of you, you can either choose a direction to keep moving forward, or you can stay in one spot and freeze to death. The best you can do is one foot in front of the other, and see how your path unfolds.
