http://neweconomy.net/people/vicki-robin
“Financial independence is being free of the fog, fear and fanaticism so many of us feel about money.”
“The
shift from an ethic of growth to an ethic of sustainability will
require nothing less than for each one of us to transform our
relationship with money and the material world.”
“So
much dissatisfaction comes from focusing on what we don’t have that the
simple exercise of acknowledging and valuing what we do have can
transform our outlook.”
How much do you really need?
Philosopher
John Stuart Mill once noted that “Men do not desire to be rich, only to
be richer than other men.” Financial independence is as much
psychological as material freedom, involving shedding your past
assumptions about what is “enough” for you to live happily and well.
Money is often tied to
social expectations: the right house in the right suburb, the right
schools and colleges, exotic vacations. Big incomes often equal big
expenses. Many people’s existing “financial maps” have led them into a
mire of dependency.
Through questioning people who came to their training courses, Dominguez and Robin
found that whatever their incomes were, people always thought they
would be happier with more money. If only they had an amount equal to
double what they had now, they believed, they would be happy.
These days people tend to think of themselves more as “consumers” than “citizens.” As Dominguez & Robin note:
We moderns meet
most of our needs, wants and desires through money. We buy everything
from hope to happiness. We no longer live life. We consume it.
The “rat race”
involves working to buy luxuries that you don’t have enough time to
enjoy. According to the authors’ “fulfillment curve,” no matter how much
more money you earn, it does not lead to increased enjoyment or
satisfaction with life. In fact, if you are able to reduce your
expenditure and “declutter” your life you are likely to experience an increase
in satisfaction. It is very easy to fall into a bad cycle of debt,
spending, and consuming, when all you really want, they suggest, is a
reasonable level of comfort and security—a simpler lifestyle. When you
simplify your life, you tend to spend less than you earn, and this alone
can bring peace of mind.
Frugal people… get value from everything—a dandelion or a bouquet of
roses, a single strawberry or a gourmet meal… To be frugal means to
have a high joy-to-stuff ratio.
“the difference between prosperity and poverty lies simply in our degree
of gratitude.” It’s not about being a tightwad, but about getting
maximum enjoyment out of resources.
“Since money has a direct correlation to your life energy, why not
respect that precious commodity, your life energy, enough to become
conscious of how it is spent?”
You do not have to choose between “your money” and “your life.”
No matter how rich or “civilized” we have become, we still need clean air, water, and fertile soil to survive.
There are ways in which your working self, your money self, and your
role as a family member, friend, neighbor, and citizen can all be
reconciled. Life is not just about making as much as you can and
spending it before you die, but being in control of your finances so
that you have plenty of time to enjoy family and friends and pursue
personal interests. Surely this is real prosperity.
