If someone asked me,
“Where do I start with money?”
I’d tell them to start with this:
Why?
Why do you even care about money?
Why do you want financial freedom?
Someone might give the answer of, “So I can travel the world.” Or, “So I can provide for my family.” Or, “So I can do what I want, when I want.”
Don’t stop there. Why do you want to travel the world? Why do you want to provide for your family? Why do you want to do what you want when you want?
Keep going. Keep asking why.
After enough digging, you’ll eventually realize that, in most cases, you’re asking money to fill a void. You want money so you can feel secure, safe, and abundant. You’re asking money to grant you freedom. But money is not the tool that does that. Money is not the thing that gives you security, or safety, or abundance, or freedom. Those qualities are inherent to the essence of who you are, to the fabric of existence, to nature itself. Do you think the universe looks around at itself and says, “I’m not abundant”?
You exist as the essence of the universe itself because you are not separate from reality or the universe. You are an expression of it. Your life came from within nature, not outside of it. You are not separate from nature. You are nature. You are existence. You are the universe manifested in a uniquely extraordinary form. It’s like a tree. No two trees are alike. But none of them are separate from nature. They are nature, expressed in one particular form. That’s you.
But here you are, existing as the essence of the universe itself, walking around saying, “I’m not abundant. I don’t have enough.” That’s ridiculous😂 Welcome to the human experience🤣— A cosmic game of hide and seek between the supposedly separate, limited human form and the essence of who we are. Played from the former position, the game of life is one filled with scarcity, inadequacy, insecurity, and suffering. Played from the latter, life becomes an expression of wholeness rather than a pursuit of it. You stop trying to use the world to complete yourself and begin experiencing the world from the recognition that, at the deepest level, nothing is missing.
Look at the two different experiences as they relate to money:
Experience A:
“When I have enough money, then I will finally be safe/secure/abundant/free.”
Experience B:
“I already experience reality, including myself, as whole and free, and money gives me additional possibilities in the material world.”
Money expands what you can do; it doesn’t determine what you are. But then you’ll say, “Exactly! I can’t do what I want to do without x amount of money!” Maybe, but what are you making that mean about you? Sure, you might not be able to purchase a private jet tomorrow, but does that really mean you’re not safe, secure, abundant, or free? You’re deciding that your inability to buy a private jet, or have your dream home, or quit your job means that you’re inadequate or lacking in abundance? Do you think before Earth was created, God/the universe was like, “Shoot! I’m inadequate! Where’s the abundance?! I must create and have Earth to finally be free!”
Of course not. The material world does not define the inherent state of God/the universe. But what ended up happening? From the inherent state of God/the universe, Earth was naturally created.
What does that mean for you?
Live in the inherent state — live in the essence of who you are — and what you can create becomes limitless. Why? How? Because you’re free, and you have everything you need.
It’s not like God was at 98% before Earth was created, and once Earth finally formed, God reached 100%. God was 100%, and Earth was an extension of that magnificence. It’s the same with you. Your security or abundance is not at 98% right now, and if you get a little bit more money, it will go up to 100%. It’s already at 100%. From that place, live as your heart speaks.
I’ll close this with two more thoughts.
The fiat view of financial freedom is “I finally accumulated enough money to become free.” I believe true financial freedom is “money no longer determines whether I am free.”
Deep down, you just want to live a f’ing awesome life, and you don’t want money to be the thing that gets in the way. So then… decide to make a change. Align yourself with the four pillars of financial freedom. Internal, external, understanding, system. That’s the formula. That’s what I teach. That’s what I talk about, because those four pillars are the game of money, and because, for whatever reason, this tree that I am has been birthed to skip college, study money for thousands of hours, and share what I’ve learned through a unique spiritual lens as part of my time here. Once you align yourself with the four pillars of financial freedom, the magic just starts happening. It’s an amazing experience. You feel like money is on your side. You have so much trust and hope for your life and your future. Your days are filled with excitement and expansion. You’re living the life you truly want to live. It’s worth its weight in Bitcoin. Which is infinity.
This is part six in my series “I Studied Money for 10,000 Hours, Here’s What Actually Matters”
Part one is here
Part two here
Part three here
Part four here
Part five here