HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Yes, this day is dedicated to celebrating our freedom and independence from occupation. To many in the modern world, it serves as a reminder that we have a right to be free.

Personally, I believe that freedom is relative. It is relative to whatever shackles we are currently experiencing or whatever situation we want to get away from. Every person may be in a unique situation that is keeping them from achieving their own version of freedom.

I surveyed some friends and clients to ask them about this topic.

I wanted to have a better understanding of what kind of freedom people in the middle class want to have during this modern age.

Check out the list below.

Freedom from Worry

We all worry about something, but some people have more worries than others. Being worried is a result of uncertainty or unrealistic expectations. The pandemic amplified this feeling for many people because they either lost their jobs or are on reduced work hours. Some expect this pandemic to end in 3 months, and all the extensions are causing worry and anxiety. Forbes shares some ways on how to combat worry and anxiety.

Financial Freedom

This is probably the most consistent across all surveys. People are always on the look out for their finances, and financial freedom has been a topic that many groups have tried to solve. People’s definition of financial freedom also differs. Some people define financial freedom as not having to work hard to earn a good living. Others feel that financial freedom is all about having a healthy and well-rounded income generation ecosystem. Personally, I believe that financial freedom is more about having passive income so that you can do other things that are important to you. Achieving financial freedom is a journey through financial wellness, and it’s best to go through that with a financial consultant or advisor.

Freedom from Stress

Stress is a constant in this modern age. With everything that we have to do, the tasks that we have to perform, and the little time that we have to do them, stress will eventually pile up. This is why it’s already a survival method to destress and have time for rest and relaxation. Aside from R&R, exercising also helps combat stress. Here are some more simple ways to be free from stress.

Freedom from Sickness

We all want to be healthy, right? To avoid getting sick, we have to follow guidelines to either strengthen our immunity or prevent ourselves from getting infected. With this coronavirus pandemic, the need to follow guidelines, especially hygiene, becomes all the more important. I found these 6 daily habits that can help you avoid getting sick.  More so, health insurance and HMO are more of a necessity than a nice-to-have. Having these two can help protect your income from being gravely depleted by sickness.

Freedom from Corruption

This is not surprising. Corruption has plagued the Philippine society for the longest time, and it hasn’t been looking good with the country dropping 2 points in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Every Filipino dreams of a time when corruption is eradicated or reduced to a realistic minimum; taxpayers especially. Many people have offered suggested solutions, and many leaders have tried their own version of anti-corruption practices. 

There are some freedoms that we need to work individually, especially if they are personal freedoms that we want to have. There are some where we need professional help in order to start right and maintain our progress to reaching the level of freedom we aspire to get.

Which of these freedoms do you also want to have? Do you desire any other freedom that I wasn’t able to list here? Please let me know at the comments.