I believe a key part of building a happy, free, and rich life is having an F You money mindset.
While you may have a different way of describing this feeling, you know what I’m talking about.
Deep down we all want the feeling of F You money, which is why we should all strive to achieve financial freedom sooner rather than later.
There are many things money can buy and the most valuable of all is freedom.
Freedom to pursue your dreams. Freedom to spend your valuable time with the people you care about. Freedom to live a life true to yourself.
Your Fortress Of Solitude
I always think back to a scene from The Gambler that perfectly describes the F You money mindset.
In the movie, John Goodman is a loan shark giving life advice to Mark Wahlberg, a gambling addict.
His advice in a nutshell:
With a fortress of solitude, you can take risks and build your richest life from a position of F*ck You.
Your “fortress of solitude” is a strong financial base. It’s your net worth. Your investments, home, and other assets that you own which provide you with financial security and confidence.
Having even a fortress of solitude unlocks tremendous freedom in your life since you:
- Are not dependent upon anyone financially
- Can make decisions not solely based on money
- Have the courage to put yourself, your family, and your priorities in life first
This is the secret to a happy life.
Your financial base gives you options in life. It allows you to take more calculated risks that can come with life-changing rewards, without fear of being homeless or putting food on the table.
Risk and reward go hand in hand. Taking risks and pursuing opportunities can lead to successes in life you could have never have imagined, but only if you the mental courage to go after them.
Think about all the high-income earners who choose to stay on the predictable path of working a job they tolerate, even if it doesn’t align with their priorities. They drift through decades of their careers and then look back with regret because they didn’t have the courage to go after their dreams when they had the chance.
Along the way, they fall victim to golden handcuffs and spend the best part of their lives working to build other people’s dreams while forced to give up their own dreams.
I stress the importance of saving and investing aggressively because you cannot achieve your potential in life without a financial base.
If you’re living paycheck to paycheck it’s impossible to take risks.
Think about it, can you really make decisions that require confidence and courage, when you’re afraid of not being able to take care of your family’s needs?
Save aggressively. Build your own fortress of solitude. Then use it as a tool to pursue the opportunities that will lead to your richest life.
Practice The Mindset Before You Have The Money
A strong F You money mindset requires practice. It’s an attitude that comes from within which affects your thought process and determines your actions. It’s not something that comes naturally by just having money.
Actively putting your priorities first and making decisions not solely based on money takes practice over time. Building confidence in yourself and a higher mental risk tolerance takes practice over time. Not being afraid to do things differently and putting yourself first takes practice over time.
It’s not easy to flip the switch in your thinking which is why it’s important to adopt the mindset of having F You money and practice it before you actually have the F You money!
Even if you are just starting to save and invest, you can start to practice your mindset and let it guide your decision-making in everyday life. Since your mindset affects your decision-making, it ultimately determines whether you take the actions that result in getting you closer to your goals.
Over time, as you take the positive actions that lead to more success financially and in every other area of your life, this naturally creates a positive feedback loop that strengthens your confidence and mindset.
For me, I’ve noticed once my investment portfolio hit around $300K, I really started feeling a sense of freedom and a boost in confidence.
While a $300K portfolio doesn’t give me financial freedom, it was an inflection point in my financial journey where I started seeing the benefits of saving early really pay off.
While it took a lot of effort at the beginning, I knew that building a financial base early on would give me a big advantage throughout the rest of my life, especially because of my mindset.
I was happier because I was actively aligning my actions with my priorities.
I gained the courage to think independently and make choices that were in my best interest, even if they were wildly different than what others would choose to do.
I had a strong sense of confidence that I could take the risks necessary to achieve my goals and say F You (albeit more politely) to anything that stood in the way.
I have no doubt you can experience the same benefits if you can develop your F You money mindset and let it guide your actions in life.
Use it as an ace up your sleeve. A tool to craft a life that you will remember at the end of it all.