“There are thousands and thousands of people out there living lives of quiet, screaming desperation who work long, hard hours, at jobs they hate, to enable them to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.”
– Nigel Marsh –
I have just watched the most fantastic TED talk called ‘Sell your crap. Pay your debt. Do what you love‘ by a lovely guy called Adam Baker and I wanted to share it on my blog today.
To be honest, there isn’t that much more to say on the talk, apart from me highly recommending that you watch it, especially if you know that your life is cluttered with too much stuff, or if you’re looking for a bit more clarity.
I also wanted to answer the question that I have posed today, myself. Because this is a question that I asked myself pretty much this time last year. What does freedom mean to you? And the answer was pretty simple. It means being able to do the things I love, be with the people I love, and be where I love.
Bearing in mind that this time last year, I wasn’t in love with my job, I was single, and was living in the city (although living in a country that I love), so there was still some way to go . . . .
I therefore set about making some pretty fundamental changes in my life. I decided to quit my job and set up a business doing what I love (Mentoring, Marketing & Branding for Start Ups and Small Businesses), a month or so after that and after I left my job in the city, I decided to move back to the beach and live where I loved, and a few months after I had done that I decided that I was ready for a relationship, so started online dating to meet someone who I love.
Of course, I’m sure some of you are thinking, ‘Yeah right Kat. Whatevs, life’s not that simple. You can’t just decide that you want to fill your life with all of those wonderful things, and they just happen and fall in your lap!’. And I would say, ‘Yes and no’.
Of course all of those things don’t just land in your lap. You have to take a massive amount of action, you need to be committed, you need to get so clear in your mind of the things that you would like to have in your life, and focus all of your positive energy on achieving them. But I would also say, that yes, it is that simple. Because all you have to do is decide.
A year later I have created the most amazing business that I love, and means that I jump out of bed every morning excited to start each day. I am also doing something else that I love to do, which is writing, and something I have put off for quite some time, because I was too fearful to start. Not only am I writing this blog, but I have also started writing a book, which, when I have finished will be fulfilling another life long dream.
And I also have the most beautiful and amazing boyfriend who I met 8 months ago and who I love very dearly. And we are both living together, in an amazing flat, right by the beach, that I love.
So, all you need to do is decide what freedom means to you, and what you need to empty out of you life that isn’t serving you, so you can fill it with the things that you love and will give you the freedom to be your true self.
One simple question, with one awesome answer. So, what does freedom mean to you?
Inspiration for this blog
Adam Bakers TED talk – Sell your crap. Pay your debt. Do what you love.
Kat Kinnie's Blog 
It’s a great post and I am preparing one about consumerism. I am not perfect and so, still consuming what I don;t need. But thinking of it and got really better:) Freedom, for me, is to be able to be yourself, without needing to impress people who don;t even know you exist. This is so much the blogosphere! I would like to use the first picture, and I will quote your blog, OK? denisesplanet com
Thanks pitgat. 🙂 Glad you like my post. I was the most awesome consumer throughout my 20s, buying so many things that I never needed, just to fulfil a subconscious need that I didn’t even realise I had. Then I went on a round the world trip and reduced everything that I truly needed down into a 45L backpack. They were some of the happiest and simplest months of my life and it really proved to me how few material and physical possessions I needed in order to survive. Realising how little you really need is the first step in freeing yourself from the attachment that we all have with material items. It’s great to start the journey of realising that all you ever really need in order to be happy is on the inside, rather than the outside. 🙂 Let me know once you have written your blog post on consumerism. I’d love to read it. All the love x x x
Thank you so much for your amazing reply! I totally agree with it! I pretty much do the same as you did! And I have just published your picture yesterday! It’s all about consumerism, the topic of my yesterday’s post! Hope you like it! denisesplanet.com