My feed is full of people sharing their FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) journeys. Some talk about their investment strategies, others about selling their houses and moving back home to FIRE. I saw a post that phrased it perfectly: true FIRE is the spiritual freedom you achieve only after letting go of your past pursuits and desires.
Retirement isn't about just lying around doing nothing. It's about no longer forcing yourself to show up at a certain job or maintain certain relationships. Life still goes on, and you still have 12 hours a day to spend (outside of eating and sleeping). Figuring out how to spend those 12 hours in a meaningful way—in a way that nourishes you rather than drains you—that is true FIRE.
This society of information overload is constantly reminding you of what you “need.” “Once you have this, you'll be happy.” “Once you have this number in your bank account, you'll be free.” You see someone online who quit their job on a whim, another who sold their startup, achieved FIRE, moved back home to open a pottery studio, or started traveling the world. You didn't actually need any of these things to begin with, but consuming this information makes you wonder if you're missing something, creating the illusion that obtaining it will cure your current anxiety.
But what you don't know is that behind the scenes, their lives might be just as messy.
No one is going to tell you what you really need. Only you know that. True happiness requires subtraction. It's about peeling away the layers of noise—the voices of your parents, your friends, your colleagues—and finding your authentic self. You will realize that you only need to take good care of yourself, and that what you truly need is actually very little.
You are independent, you've come so far, you are already excellent, and you already have so much. You can FIRE yourself at any time.
Speaking of spiritual freedom, I have to say, the current spiritual and wellness market is incredibly loud right now. A few days ago, I arrived in Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world. The streets are plastered with ads for all kinds of sound healing and YTT 200 courses. I originally just wanted to take a simple yoga class and meditate, but after seeing so many ads, even I started wondering if I should go learn sound healing.
The consequence of this information explosion is that it creates a persistent illusion: once you have it, you'll be happy. Whether “it” is a number in your bank account or a spiritual certification.
Why don't you put down your phone, say no to all of these. Go outside, and touch the grass.