I am already financially independent

This text is inspired by my American blogger friend Dividend Mantra. As many of you know, I started my journey to financial independence It was several years ago. I had just started my hectic "working" life, I didn't have much savings and I knew very little about investing. The idea of working to live, or worse, living to work, until the twilight of my life, made no sense to me.

Taking into account my other sources of passive income such as real estate for example, I am now 10% away from the goal I set for myself to become financially independent. If all goes well, this should be in about ten years. But I consider myself already financially independent, and I will tell you why.

I have an appointment with myself

There is a future me, in my fifties, living entirely off passive income. This future version of me is patiently waiting for today's me to become financially independent.

Financial independence is already a reality today. I just have to stay patient and consistent with my strategy, continue to save and invest in high-quality dividend-growing stocks at attractive valuations.

Every time I buy a stock, it's like adding a brick to a castle that, in my mind, has already been built.

Deep inside me, there is already a little me from the 20s (and I'm not talking about the Roaring Twenties, although that could be funny when you think about it...). He is totally free. He lives without fear of going broke or having to work for the rest of his life. The decisions he makes are less about money, than about maximizing happiness and the time he has available.

The Power of Self-Confidence

I know that I will be financially independent in about ten years and will join my future self. There is no doubt in my mind that the me of today will become that future me. Once you envision something and believe in it with all your heart, it is almost impossible for anyone or anything to stop you.

The power of self-belief is real. Every action I have taken in the last fifteen years and every action I will take in the future is fueled by this belief:

• Save and invest to achieve financial freedom
• Change my daily reality
• Take back possession of time

A map to follow

The key is to start small and focus on what needs to be done today. You are not climbing a mountain by running as fast as you can to the top. You are planning and plotting every move. There is a map to follow. You can see the end, the beginning, and where you are now. You are moving up little by little, with the intention of each move getting you a little bit closer to the top.

When I started this journey, I mapped out my own reality. I wrote down the steps of the long years of travel that lay ahead of me, estimating the income I would need along the way. The estimate doesn’t have to be 100% accurate, especially at the beginning. The key is to know where you are going, how to get there, and ultimately to take the journey from beginning to end.

The paradox

The future self already exists in my mind, but it will only become a reality if the present self continues to make the necessary moves to make financial independence a reality. Only after I have achieved my goal will I realize that the present and future self were one and the same, and that I could have become what I imagined I already was.

I will be what I want to be.

You are what you think you are. If you think you have to work your ass off until you are 65, then that is exactly what you will be and your poor imagined future will become your reality. Likewise, if you imagine being financially independent, that is exactly what you will be. Your future and current selves are working together towards a common goal. Align them both towards financial independence and it will be yours.

Conclusion

It’s important to wander a little into the more hypothetical and philosophical areas of financial freedom. Recognizing and exploring the mechanisms that keep us motivated allows us to stay in control of our destinies. Imagine where you want to go and go for it. Once you have faith and optimism on your side, no one can stop you from achieving your dreams.

And you, are you already mentally financially independent?