If you don’t have to worry about money for the rest of your life, what would you do?
Have you been asked that question before? I know I have. The idea is so powerful and alluring that various machinations have been created to sell the idea of instant riches (lotteries and get-rich-quick scams).
Our modern society works by exchanging labour for money. As long as we breathe, we need to keep on working in order to meet our basic needs and survive.
This creates endless cycles of trapped human creativity that is wasted because of the mismatch in what a person is best suited for vs what the person is doing currently just to put food on the table.
I find this highly disturbing. Like a trapped mouse in a maze, I want to rebel so badly against the system.
My personal aim in life is to achieve financial independence to break free from this cycle. In order to achieve that, I have distilled what I learned from years of poring over many personal finance books to come up with the Financial Independence Manifesto.
This is a document to guide myself and fellow aspiring Fiholics on this journey.
Financial Independence Manifesto
This is a set of definitions and guiding principles for financial independence.
- Financial independence is a noble goal that every able-bodied individual should strive for.
- An economically stable and financially independent person is infinitely more valuable to the society than a person who is stuck in a dead-end job and unable to escape the rat race.
- Financial independence is not equal to early retirement. In fact, people should continue working to the best of their abilities even after reaching financial independence to contribute towards making the world a better place.
- Financial independence frees an individual to pursue his or her purpose in life, enabling talents and passions to flourish without financial constraints.
- The only way to achieve Financial Independence is to accumulate wealth via assets.
Rules for Financial Independence
Do you want to live free?
I know I do. I want to live free from financial constraints and not worry about career progression and office politics.
That’s why I came up with these rules I set for myself.
- I will spend less than I earn
- I clear off my credit card debt in full before due date every month
- I will invest my money to grow my assets and beat inflation
- I will protect myself to prevent financial catastrophe by buying insurance which are appropriate for my needs
- I will strive to increase my financial knowledge ceaselessly
- I will avoid stupid financial mistakes to preserve my wealth
Want to Join the Rebellion?
I started this blog at first to share my thoughts and my personal journey towards financial independence. Over time, I found more and more like-minded people from all walks of life who have the same ideals for a life free from financial constraints.
That’s why I want to share this Financial Independence Manifesto to the world. I want to create a movement comprised of folks who want to achieve financial independence. A rebellion, even.
Spread the word. Recruit more converts. Share this article.
Never stop until you’re free. See you on the other side.