- šLifeLemons
- Posts
- š Why Your Flexibility is Your Wealth
š Why Your Flexibility is Your Wealth
This is issue #130 of LifeLemons. š View the rest here.
Why Your Flexibility is Your Wealth
Time and time again, I rediscover what it means to be wealthy.
Like most, my first thoughts were based on the central notion of financial wealth. Everything was about working harder in order to earn more and maybe even āretireā early, but that belief didnāt last long.
My definition of wealth changed when I saw people who were earning a good salary but living a life I couldnāt see myself living. For example: sitting in an office all day, working far away from friends and family and routinely working unsociable hours. In such cases, the money didnāt seem worth the trade-off; thatās when I knew I had to redefine what wealth meant to me.
I began to ask myself the question: what do I really want from life?
I wrote it all down. Experiences. Relationships. Intellectual curiosity. It was an exercise in understanding myself and what I really wanted (I made a video about this here.)
But I forgot one thing, something Iāve only just come to realise that matters.
Flexibilityāāāa more realistic step before āfreedomā.
Everyone has commitments. But how flexible can you be in your life without disrupting its stability?
Are you able to make time for your friends? Your family?
Are you able to take a week off work and still live comfortably?
Some people run entire businesses and have numerous people working for them, but if they take a few days off then everything crumbles or drops significantly in efficiency.
Is being handcuffed to a profit-making machine truly an attribute of wealth, if we canāt find the will to escape it, even for a day?
I can think of no greater signal of wealth than the ability to adapt in the face of uncertainty, to continue moving forward when everyone is pushed back and, without flinching, place ābusinessā on hold to spend time with loved ones.
Itās made me reevaluate my definition all over again, because if earning a better salary puts me on a hamster wheel that makes me miss out on lifeās most precious moments, perhaps money truly does have a lesser role to play in āwealthā than I once thought.
š Are You Enjoying This Newsletter?
Hit <reply> and leave a š emoji if you read this far, it's nice to notice my regular readers!
Alternatively, tell me how to improve or share your thoughts with me. I'd appreciate it just as much!
š Quote of The Week
āMost writing on art is by people who are not artists: thus all the misconceptions.ā
-EugĆØne Delacroix
Iām creating a series of meaningful video projects on Youtube (self-improvement, philosophy, productivity, intentional living etc.)
Theyāre short, packed with value and always getting better.
š Join 2400+ Subscribers on Youtube by subscribing here.
š¤ About Me
I'm Faisal, a Doctor working in the NHS who writes online and makes Youtube videos on self-development, intentional living and doing the things that matter.
I love writing, storytelling, filmmaking, entrepreneurship and innovating in medical education spaces. If you'd like to go down the rabbit hole and find out more about me, the links below are a good place to start:
Links: Gear | Book Recommendations | Book Notes | Skillshare Classes |My SFP Book | CST Interview Course
Disclaimer: I use affiliate links in this newsletter (always honest recommendations). They give me a small kickback with no extra cost to you.