This week as we celebrate the 234th anniversary of our nation's independence, I want you to take stock of your financial independence. I'm not talking about the false sense of independence that debt gives you. I'm talking about true independence or freedom that comes from not being a slave to your creditors. The fact of the matter is that 7 out of 10 households in this country live paycheck to paycheck. This is because we've chosen to have a mortgage that stretches us, a car payment or two, student loans, and to buy things on credit that we can't pay for, all in the name of financial independence. We try to show the world how independent we are by having all these things. When the reality is that we have made ourselves slaves one purchase and/or one loan at a time. As a result, we may also be slaves to a job that we don't really like because we need that paycheck to make our payments.
Today, I want you to think outside the box. If doing those things cause nothing but stress, worry and heartache, how is that freedom? Today, I want you to dream about what it would be like to truly be financially free. What would you be able to do or not have to do? Who would you help? I'm asking you to dream about where you want to be and what you want to be able to do 5 or 10 years from now. Now ask yourself if what you are doing today will lead you to or away from those dreams. Some of you cynics might be thinking, "well, I won't ever get there, so what's the point of trying." That attitude is exactly what is going to stop you from even trying, let alone, actually achieving your dreams. One of my favorite quotes is by Zig Ziglar, it's one of his mantras. "If you aim at nothing, you hit it every time." He also says that, "failure is an event, not a person."
I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter where you stand financially today, what are you doing to achieve your dreams of tomorrow? Remember true financial independence comes from hard work and patience. Only you can decide if it's worth striving for. Celebrate your Independence Day by choosing to make changes that lead to financial independence!
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