When a community is grieving in war, is demanding their rights, is pleading for peace, is shut out from equal justice – we need to take a step back from our daily grind, pay attention and listen. Because if you don’t listen to them, then you cannot stand with them. & if you do not stand with them, you are no different from their oppressors.

Some mornings I wake up afraid to look at the latest daily headlines because I’m such a sensitive person. I put it off until I no longer can delay the inevitable. Then I take a deep breath and brace myself.

Lately, it’s been harder than usual. But even before I peruse the breaking news, I know what to expect. Rarely does it fail to deliver. Read all about it: Unarmed black man killed by a white policeman. Black man shot to death by white woman in his own home after she mistakes him for an intruder. White woman calls cops to report “an African-American man” who politely asked her to leash her dog in Central Park.

It’s infuriating, predictable and honestly, it’s getting old. And some white people wonder why black people are so angry. Of course, we’re angry. I don’t condone rioting but it’s not like protesters just happen to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and, unprovoked, decide, “Let’s start burning and looting today.”

IS THERE NO PLACE ON EARTH WHERE IT’S OKAY TO BE BLACK?

Last week I watched a four-part Henry Louis Gates Jr. documentary from 2011 called “Black in Latin America” and felt an old familiar feeling, one that first crushed me when I watched the 1977 TV miniseries Roots: I was horrified and furious.

I can’t remember the last time I spent so many hours giving YouTube my undivided attention. Usually, I’m doing something else as I watch, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the stories of enslavement, disenfranchisement, genocide, perseverance, pride, determination, and hope.

This time, though, my anger felt different. It was mingled with a certain despair and resignation. I’m starting to feel terrified and unsafe in my own skin, right here, in my own living room, in my own home. Is there literally no place on earth where it’s okay and safe to be a black person?

“It’s not just driving or running. Simply being black can get you killed.”

The list of unofficial criminal offenses that Black people can be killed for continues to grow. We can’t drive while Black (Philando Castile), jog while Black (Ahmaud Arbery), or sleep while Black (Breonna Taylor). And now, with George Floyd, we can officially add breathing while Black to that lineup of senseless violations.

In the wake of the heinous murder of George Floyd by police officers, people are angry, I AM ANGRY, and justifiably so. And if you still don’t understand why we are angry, let me do you a solid and break it down for you:

• We are angry because police brutality continues to claim the lives of black people
• We are angry because a city has to be burned down so people can be be given a shot at justice
• We are angry because this isn’t anything new.
• We are angry because a peaceful protest was met with rubber bullets and tear gas when all people are doing is demanding justice, the very same justice the law tells us we deserve.
• We are angry because after all of that, after watching a man being murdered on screen, we are being told that his death is going to be tried as an accident.

IS THIS REALLY WHAT WE CALL JUSTICE?

“When is it going to end? When is it going to be ok to be black? When do they plan to stop killing us?”

The truth is that murder’s like George Floyd’s will never become a relic of the past until the whole world banishes slavery.

Also, stop trying to control how people react to racism!!

Another thing that gets my blood boiling, how people are trying to control how we react to racism. How Black people react to racism isn’t anyone else’s business. No one gets to tell us how to respond until they’ve had a security guard follow them around as soon as they step foot into a store because they’re the only Black person there. No one gets to tell us how to react until the sound of sirens triggers their fight or flight instinct despite their not doing anything wrong. Until they truly understand the despair that leaks into our veins every time another Black man, woman, or child is gunned down by the police.

NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE, GETS TO TELL US HOW TO REACT TO RACISM UNLESS THEY’VE WALKED A MILE IN OUR SKIN!

The world we live in is full of injustice. From bullies on the playground to dictators on the world stage, people are committing acts of cruelty every day. Sometimes all it takes is a small action or word of support to save the victim, and other times even armies cannot stop a tormenter in action. But either way, bystanders play a crucial role in each situation. Remember what I said at the beginning of the article, “if you don’t stand with us, you stand with our oppressors.”

Right here, right now, I want you to decide: are you with us or are you with our oppressors?

There’s a quote by Antoine De Saint-Exupery taken from the book he wrote, titled, “The Little Prince” that reads, “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The answer to all mysteries is in your heart. Your heart knows things that your mind cannot explain. We so often associate “sight” with the eyes when our eyes are so easily deceived by appearance or surface level characteristics or frivolous things. What is rightful would be weighed on the basis of heart because sometimes what is relevant is what we cannot see with the eyes, but something that we feel.

Our perception of what meets the eye has no depth, no meaning and is far too shallow. The most valuable things in life cannot be seen with the naked eye: love, integrity, hope, friendship, trust, compassion. These are the things that bring meaning, fulfillment, substance and ever lasting joy to our lives. Things like scent, music, silence and memories add richness to our lives.

But too often, we waste our time and energy chasing things that are visible and right in front of us, hunt for materialistic things and anything aesthetically pleasing to the eye: fast cars, larger checks and more ‘fashionable’ clothing. We dream of a future that includes these things, nothing of the other. We plot and plan to acquire them. We go through great lengths to care for them and become jealous when others have more of them. Yet we still find ourselves nowhere but short of true contentment because these things never really satisfy our souls and bring fulfillment that they promised.

Instead:

• their appeal dims
• their value decreases
• their appearance fades
• their satisfaction diminishes as the days go by.

It’s time to shift our focus. It’s time to allow the invisible to triumph over the visible in our eyes, mind and hearts.

The love we feel for other people is not something we can see, but we know it’s there because we feel it within our hearts. Our eyes are very good at stereotyping but the heart knows how to find the true worth of someone irrespective of what they wear, what they have or what they look like on the outside.

Bottom Line

Don’t look at the shell, but into the core. The best things in life are invisible and free.

In my previous article, I wrote about financial freedom and it’s importance. I defined it as the stage of financial stability where one is free from debt (both good and bad debt) and is able to sustain their lifestyle without living in a rat race, i.e living paycheck to paycheck

Financial freedom is a goal for many of us. It is, however, unfortunate that many fail to achieve it. The reason for this is, we are burdened and drowning in increasing debts, wasteful extravagant spending, and other factors that thwart us from achieving our goals. We may also encounter unexpected events that overturn our plans and reveal holes in the safety nets we thread for ourselves and our families.

Everyone has emergencies and this is exactly why financial freedom is important , you will always be prepared for anything you may encounter at any given moment. Let us remember the idiom that says, “prevention is better than cure.” It’s easier to stop something from happening in the first place than to repair the damage after it has happened. So, take precautions today to prevent finding yourself in a financial crisis tomorrow.

Steps To Achieving Financial Freedom

1. Understand Where You Are
   • It is important that you know where you are right now, you cannot achieve financial freedom without knowing your starting point. Understand your current situation, then, retrace your steps to also understand how exactly did you get here. I have discovered that it is futile to give an advice to someone who doesn’t even understand where they are and how they got there in the very first place. It’s like giving counsel to a married couple that wants to divorce, when they haven’t even taken steps to identify the underlying cause of their differences. They need to retrace by asking themselves “what exactly happened to us” that has suddenly caused them to want to separate. You see yourself languishing in debt and you don’t take time to honestly and realistically consider what has put you in that “unfortunate” situation. Truth be told, YOU are the CULPRIT.
   • So, understand your current situation then start looking at how much debt you have, how much savings you don’t have (or how much you have if you’ve been saving up) and how much money you need. I know this may be sort of depressing for some but it is a crucial step in the right direction.
   • Compile a list of all your debts: your mortgage loans, student loans, credit cards, the money you may have borrowed from friends and family, and all the other debts you may have accumulated. If it’s a small number then congratulations! If it’s a big number, there is absolutely no need for you to stress yourself. We will get through this together. I will be sharing ways for you to pay that down.
   • Next, take a look at how much you have saved up.
   • Compile a list of all your savings: your stocks, investments, savings account, company stock-matching programs, etc. Add the recurring monthly/weekly payments you receive (salaries and wages, side hustle money and so on).
   • Keep these numbers in mind as we work through the next few steps.
2. Look At Money Positively
   • Debt is discouraging, I know. But keep in mind that money is a useful tool can assist you achieve your dreams, fuel your energy, and live a stress free life you can enjoy.
   • If you keep viewing it negatively, you will subconsciously sabotage your chances of making it and keeping it. What are you going to do then?
3. Set Goals And Write Them Down
   • Setting financial goals is essential to financial success. Why do you need money? Do you need it to get rid of debt for good? Is there a place you have been dying to visit? Are you trying to escape the 9-5 grind? Do you want to save up for retirement? Be very clear with your intentions. Once you’ve set these goals, you may write them down and follow a roadmap to realize them. I find this very useful because it helps you stay focused and confident that you’re on the right path. Make sure you attach your goals to an emotional goal. “I attached my goals to my emotional goals and I don’t regret it. I was so depressed because of how much debt I had and I also had to save up for my apartment. Watching my debts gradually diminish and my savings rise was such a euphoric experience. Not only did I achieve my financial goal but also my mental goal.” said one of the people I interviewed.
   • You may not accomplish everything you want today or in a week or month, but a year is a long time to work on your goals. Tie your goals to a specific number you want to hit. Believe it or not, you will start working towards those goals without even realizing it.
   • Knowing exactly what you want to achieve makes achieving it a million times easier.
4. Track Your Spending
   • Tracking your spending is a very, very important step towards financial stability.
   • There is a very cool application that I use to track my spending, it’s called Mint. It allows me to keep track of how much money I am spending, which categories I’ve overspent in, how much is in all of my accounts and how much debt I have.
   • What’s cool about Mint is that it allows you to set goals within the dashboard and also keep track of them. It helps you stay focused on your goal and pushes you towards creating more passive income to hit your financial milestones.
5. Pay Yourself First
   • You probably have heard the expression “pay yourself first”. In case you haven’t heard it or don’t understand the meaning of it, to me it means putting a specific amount of money in your savings before paying anything else. This is important because, if you want to pay yourself, let’s say R1500 per pay period first, then whatever is left over needs to go towards your bills. If you don’t have enough to cover those bills, you’re then forced to pick up a side income to make up the costs.
   • If you do the opposite of this, you only get whatever is left over, which isn’t usually substantial enough to help you experience financial freedom.
6. Spend Less
   • As I said in the beginning, profligate spending is the reason why many don’t achieve financial freedom. By spending less, two things will work in your favor.
     1. You’ll have money to put aside for financial freedom.
     2. You’ll learn that you actually need a lot less stuff to survive, which also helps you put aside money.
   • In 1958, Warren Buffet, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway with a net worth of $76,1 billion, purchased a $31 500 home and hasn’t moved out since. We all know he can afford a bigger and more expensive home but his frugality might very well be the reason why he’s one of the world’s wealthiest people.
   • Kanye West, on the other hand, is not afraid to flaunt his money. At some point, it was announced that he was drowning in serious debt, and by serious I’m talking about $53 million of debt. Yet he lives in a $20 million mansion.
   • The difference between the two super successful gentlemen? Buffet didn’t spend more than he needed to, and Ye spends money he doesn’t have. I’m not judging and this is not me trying to tell people how to spend their money, but, what I’m trying to show you is that wasteful spending may lead you into serious debt.
7. Buy Experiences, Not Things
   • I always tell people, life is too short and is not about hoarding your money until you’re 60 years old. You’re allowed to enjoy life whilst you’re still alive.
   • The things that will help you live a more fulfilled life are not the products you own, but the experiences you have.
   • What is your happiest memory? When last did you travel? What’s the most exotic place you’ve been to?
   • Create memories just like that. These fancy things you’re buying right now probably won’t even make you happy in 5 years.
   • You’ve always dreamed of traveling to the Maldives and you have been saving up for it? Good. Go on that vacation feeling guilt free. You deserve it. You’ve earned it.
   • Life is made up of memories. The best ones come from quality time spent with family and friends. Some products can help bring you closer to your family (like video games) but most of them do not add much value. Don’t spend money you don’t have to pretend that you have money. Don’t do yourself like that.
8. Pay Off Debt
   • Paying someone else isn’t glamorous as having money in the bank, but it’s necessary and it brings you one step closer to financial freedom.
   • Now, there are two methods of paying off debt, snowball and avalanche.
     1. Snowball is when you pay off the smallest debt first.
     2. Avalanche is when you pay off the debt with the highest interest rate.
   • You need to decide on what works for you best. When I was working on becoming debt free, yes yes yes I also had debts once upon a time which is why I am writing this article, the snowball method worked for me. It helped keep me more motivated. Since I was able to get rid of my first debt, which was my credit card bill, in just a month, the feeling of accomplishment helped motivate me to tackle a debt higher than that.
   • Paying off a big debt unburdens your shoulders. After paying off your debt, it’s like you start seeing the money in your bank account rising. It really is an awesome feeling.
9. Create Additional Sources Of Income
   • if you’re serious about financial freedom you have got to sacrifice blood, sweat and tears. Your 9-5 might not cut it and if that’s the case, you need to step up and look for money outside your job.
   • Now, you can look at your sources of income in two ways, active income (trading time for money) or passive income (money that can keep coming in even whilst you’re asleep).
   • For me, passive income is way better. When you trade your time for money, you’re limited by the hours of the day.
10. Invest In Your Future
    • This is a very important step. Let’s say you follow every advice I’ve given you, pay off your debts and grow your savings. That might be enough to help you out right now, right? But what if the unexpected happens? Will you be prepared for it?
    • It’s important that you set aside money for rainy days and to be able to face the future with financial security. As you go through life, your circumstances will change.
    • You want to save enough money for an emergency fund. Some experts would say take out at least 35% of the money you get. To be honest, this is not a high number but if it is, then you can start small on the first month and increase your goal as time goes by.
    • Doing this makes you less likely to end up where you are right now, wishing for financial freedom.

Bottom Line

Financial freedom can help you take ownership of your finances and, more importantly, your life. It’s about living within your means, being a bit frugal, and making sure that money is spent on things you really need like food, shelter, and yup even vacations. So take a look at those finances, build additional streams of income, pay down that debt, and before you know it, you’ll be free.

“When you realize that your ‘self worth’ is not determined by your ‘net worth’, then you’ll have financial freedom.”

–Suze Orman

If there’s something I recently discovered is, there’s quite a lot of people that are familiar with the term “financial freedom” but don’t have a clear understanding of it. As my dad would tell my siblings and I, “if you say you know something but fail to explain it to another person in such a way that they overstand it, then you don’t know it.”

This is the main purpose of this article, to give my readers a better understanding of financial freedom and to also put out there the importance of it. When I was still drafting my article, I found it quite challenging to come up with a short but brief definition of the term, but I was lucky enough to have succeeded.

When we define financial freedom, we say it is the stage of financial stability, where one is free from all debts (good and bad, let us remember that good debt can always turn into bad debt) and is able to sustain their lifestyle without being in a rat race, i.e living paycheck to paycheck. You are able to take certain life decisions without the worry of what life will throw at you since you have prepared yourself.

Let me use ‘freedom from hunger’ as an example. As human beings, one of our basic needs for survival is food, we need food to keep us going, right? But because of the relative abundance of food we have, hunger shouldn’t have to be a driving force in our decisions. If I didn’t have food, getting just enough to eat would be the only thing I think about. Being financially free is the same. It’s true that money will always play a significant role in our lives but when it is no longer the dominating influence in your decisions (when you control your finances and aren’t controlled by them), then you’ve reached financial freedom.

Chasing Financial Freedom Is More Important Than Chasing Riches

Being financially free is not the same as being rich or wealthy, even though people may confuse the two. These are two separate goals. A person can reach financial freedom earning R300 000 per year, another may be making millions but could be trapped and drowning in serious debt.

When it comes to food, there is a limit to the amount you can consume. Once you go beyond that limit, chances are you’re going to feel sick (in economics, we call this the law of diminishing marginal utility). So once you’ve reached a certain threshold, you are guaranteed freedom from hunger. However, there is no limit for spending money, and this is the reason why most are free from hunger but aren’t free from money.

If your spending rises above your income, you aren’t financially free; rich or not. Being rich/wealthy is the goal, but if there is something people don’t know is that, it doesn’t guarantee peace of mind, and it doesn’t guarantee the satisfaction that comes with financial freedom.

So why do I say chasing financial freedom is more important than chasing riches? It’s because when you’re financially free, you get to live your best life. I know most people might think that having fancy possessions and material things is living your best life, but material things and fancy possessions only lead to short term happiness, the goal of financial freedom is long term.

Not only will you be the one in charge of your finances but you will be free to live the life you want without thinking of the “what ifs.” You’re able to do what you love on your own terms and you never have to worry about what would happen if you lose your “J.O.B.”

Most would think it is impossible to achieve this, but need I remind you of the saying that says, “Nothing is impossible. Even impossible itself says I’m possible.” It May be hard but it is no way impossible. Let us keep in mind that it is the decisions you take today that are going to impact your life tomorrow.

You Don’t Need A Lot Of Money To Enjoy Life To The Fullest

I once read a story about a rich tourist and a local fisherman. It goes something like this:

A rich businessman while on holiday in a foreign land approaches a local fisherman who is relaxing next to his boat watching the waves gently rustle up the shore.

“Why aren’t you out there working?” he asks the man.

“Because I have already caught enough fish for the day,” the fisherman replies.

“But if you were out there fishing now you could sell all the fish you catch and make extra money,” urges the foreign businessman. “You could save up the extra money you earn and buy another boat. Keep on working like that and soon you could own a whole fleet of boats and start up a business in international trade.”

“And why would I want to do that?” asked the fisherman, barely looking up from under the brim of his straw hat.

“So that you could become rich enough like me to be able to sit back and enjoy life.”

“But what,” replied the fisherman, “do you think I am doing now?”

Your sense of who you are will determine what you end up getting in life.

• If you see your reach as limited, that you are helpless in the face of so many difficulties, and that it is best to keep your ambitions low, then, you will receive the little that you expect.
• Knowing this dynamic, you must train yourself for the opposite-
  1. Ask for more
  2. Aim high, and
  3. Believe that you are destined for something great.

Your sense of self worth comes from you alone- never the opinion of another. With a rising confidence in your abilities, you will take risks that will increase your chances of success. People follow those who know where they’re going, so cultivate an air of certainty and boldness.

One of my favorite American novelists, James Baldwin, once said, “Let me point out to you that freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take and people are as free as they want to be.”

The writer was describing the most habitual ways in which we imprison ourselves and relinquish our own freedom. He argues that in life, nobody will give you anything, you’ve got to get up and get it for yourself. So if you limit yourself and look at yourself as a small person, then you’ll achieved as much. But if you defy all limitations, then you’ll succeed in everything you’ve set for yourself.