What’s the difference? And why are some things harder than other things?
Some things are easy to describe but not easy to implement. A great example is losing weight. It is simple to describe, but not easy to make happen.
The lose weight, one must combine diet and exercise. While this is simple to say, actually doing it is not easy. Take a look at so many overweight people in the world. I would surmise that most of them would answer how unsimple it is.
Frugality and Living Debt Free
For those who have achieved a debt-free life though frugality, the frugality habit is ingrained and not easily shaken. Although it might seem unnecessary after becoming financially free, continued frugality seems like good insurance, preventing sliding into spendthrift ways.
Question If you are financially free, do you still cut open “empty” tubes of toothpaste to get a few more days-worth of paste?
Financially Free and a Camper Van
Daniel Norris is a professional baseball player who lives in the off season in VW van. Wikipedia has a great page about him. The following from Wikipedia:
In the offseason, Norris lives by choice in a 1978 Volkswagen Westfalia van, nicknamed “Shaggy”. His unconventional lifestyle can be described as nonconformist and minimalist, and has raised eyebrows in MLB. Prior to the 2015 season, Tony LaCava, Toronto’s assistant general manager, said of Norris “He takes care of himself as well as anybody we’ve got. He’s in great shape. He competes on the mound. If that wasn’t the case, maybe we’d be more worried about some of the other stuff. But right now, the van and all that is secondary. He has great values, and they’re working for him.”
Red Snapper. 1913.
Despite his $2 million signing bonus, Norris lives off just $800 a month. In an interview with ESPN he was asked why he chooses to continue to live so conservatively. He asked back, “Who am I to deserve that? What have I really done?” He has also said, “I’m actually more comfortable being kind of poor,” as it helps him maintain a minimalist lifestyle and resist conformity.
“I get to learn a lot about myself just because you’re by yourself a lot…” and “Just because money is there doesn’t mean you gotta have nicer things than you used to have.”
But
I am not advocating we all go off and live in a van. (I don’t think I would like it. It sure look simple, but doesn’t look easy.) But I am saying that inspecting how our belief systems influences our behavior, especially our financial behavior, we learn more about ourselves. And that our assumptions and expectations can impose so many restrictions on us, that we often feel so inhibited and boxed and feel we must conform. By investigating and challenging ourselves, we can see through what we have become to free ourselves to be that which we can be.
