My Desire For Financial Freedom

I will share to you where my desire for financial freedom and early retirement comes from. As a young boy, I have been nationalistic. I used to believe that the Philippines is a great country and have a great potential to be a world leader, its just that the politicians are making this so hard to happen.

But I realized as I grew up, politicians is a part of this country and corruption will not stop until there is no more government. As proof that in any country in the world, there is corruption. And thus, my ideal country is just that, a dream.

I began to see things as it is... My grandfather was a war veteran who fought in the WWII. As a veteran and having a rank, he knows that he will be taken care of. But as my grandfather's illness worsen, I am a witness at how many veterans die waiting for their pension. If its not delayed, its missing. I also heard him said sometimes that he should have cut off his arms or legs instead of fighting the war, that way, he'll have more money to buy his medicine. He died poor. Always waiting for his pension. Sometimes it came, sometimes it doesn't, most of the time it was delayed.

If this is how we treat war heroes, then how could I trust the government?

I then started working. I saw how my father work so much. Contributed to his SSS. He's so busy that I still remember he's not being present at some of my school ceremonies. I understood it and I have no qualms about it.

But just a few years ago, my father suffered stroke and unable to work. He wanted to claim some money from SSS. To our surprise, the money he contributed for 30 years was missing. My grandfather also tried to claim some money from the SSS having contributed for more than 50 years, its also missing. Then the news of big bonuses from SSS executives hit the media.

If this is how we treat workers, then how could I trust the agency?

On my second job, I realized the time as a worker will be divided into 2. One is for politics and the other, actually working. Most of the good people I know at work, does so to improve their work quality. Others, use politics to gain advantage. I became aware of the world of corporate politics. People who get ahead aren't necessarily experts. They just know how to fake expertise. Impostor syndrome (google it) - "people who know a lot, thinks they know little. Those who know little, thinks they know a lot". That's why those who fake their expertise get ahead.

Unfortunately, I am one of the people who prefer to improve my expertise than participate in office politics. But being good at your craft does not get rewarded in a real corporate environment, so I decided to engineer my exit from the corporate world and started my own practice. Best decision I ever made in my life.

If this is how we treat passionate workers then I can see why craftsmanship and Filipino made products are mediocre.

I won't die working for a company who doesn't even know my name, the guy who does that thing in the office. I won't be like my grandfather who offered his life to a nation who robbed him of his life and my father who stole his life's work. If there is someone I would work or die for, it would be me or for my family.

Then the news of pork barrel scam erupted. It just solidified what I was noticing before. As long as there is a government, there will be corruption. No matter what kind of government or organization. And if I put my faith unto the government to provide for my financial needs today and in the future, I know what will happen. I'll just be one of those people who love to hate the government, hungry, unable to feed their families and full of anger.

I decided to make a different approach. I decided not to care about the government or any representation of it in the form of politicians or government programs. I do not vote, for which I am proud. If I can not change the course of Philippine politics then I'd rather be not a part of it. Only rich candidates get TV commercials, just like the impostor syndrome in office politics. The people who thinks they know a lot, are usually the ones who know nothing. And if someone tries to shove their righteousness to me about freedom of voting, I can only say "if voting is a freedom, then not voting is also freedom. For freedom is the ability to do or not do the things you want."

I turn off the TV if its news about the government and read a book instead. The news can only tell the problem, but not solve it. So whats the purpose to watching the news about corrupt politicians? To me, its nothing. Information can be good to some, but for me its just garbage, since I won't be using that information to make my life better. It could actually just depress me.

This in turn made me happy.

Then I turn to solving my financial problems so that I wouldn't depend on the government. I started reading about investments. Invested my money in the stock market and bonds. I prefer the government to pay me than the other way around. And today I don't need SSS or Pag-ibig. I am completely free from the government which makes me happy, I can actually feel my feet float, just a little bit, from the ground when I walk.

Senators and Congressmen talking on TV becomes comedy and not something to be upset about. We paid billions (tax money) for that kind of amusement, we might as well enjoy it.