Hi there,
Happy new month and happy Sunday! I hope your summer has been amazing so far. As we continue our series on financial freedom, I’d like to touch on two crucial topics: Choices and Consequences. One of the greatest gifts we have as humans is the ability to choose and, in turn, experience the outcomes of those choices—an ability most other creatures don’t have. I recently listened to a podcast of “the honest bunch” with Mr. Kunle Soriyan, whose insights into life principles I deeply respect. During their conversation which lasted for more than 4 hours, one of the striking perspectives he shared was that there is no “future” in the way we often think, because every second and minute that passes is the future. We are constantly living in the future. He also argued that time cannot be “managed” because we all have the same 24 hours each day. If this is true, then what matters most are the choices we make each day—where we focus our energy.
There is a strong connection between our choices and the results we experience. Making decisions is about choosing between different options. The quality of those decisions is what separates high achievers from mediocres. Let’s dig deeper into this relationship between Choices and Consequences.
1. Choice
I believe that financial freedom is largely a result of the choices we make. These choices include the humility to continuously learn how the global economy works. Recently,
I’ve been paying closer attention to stocks because there’s significant value waiting to be unlocked in that domain. A few weeks ago, during what was called “Black Monday,” the stock market took a sharp downturn, and many feared it was on the brink of collapse. I watched the market closely, while also paying attention to what analysts had to say. Many people panicked and sold off their stocks, and I’ll admit, I too felt a bit afraid of losing a large portion of my investment in an S&P 500 ETF (an exchange traded fund having a fraction of top 500 US companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, Tesla, etc). In the past, I’ve lost money on risky crypto investments, so this time I tried playing safe. Despite my concerns, I didn’t sell my shares. To my surprise, the market rebounded in just a few days. The key lesson for me was this: had I invested more during that low point, I could have earned over 20% in a matter of days. But I didn’t. I’m sharing this personal story to highlight the power of every decision we make—even when we think we aren’t making a choice, we still are.
2. Consequences
Life operates on principles like the law of cause and effect. We all know that consequences are real, but how often do we truly consider them before making decisions? I believe many of us don’t, and it’s only when the consequences arrive that we realize the gravity of our choices.
There’s a popular saying: “You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choice.” In other words, while we can control our choices, the consequences that follow are beyond our control once the first is set in motion. You can choose not to eat, but you can’t escape hunger. You can choose to spend recklessly, but you have no power over the financial struggles that follow. You can choose to ignore learning daily, but eventually, life will confront you with your ignorance.
The positive side is that even in the face of consequences, you still have the power to make another choice: whether to stay down or learn and move forward. You might not be financially free today due to your past choices or even those of your parents, but that doesn’t mean you have to remain where you are.
Conclusion
Ultimately, our choices boil down to two options: life or death. When you choose life, prosperity, and good health, you set yourself up for growth. When you choose otherwise, you invite a life of complaints, scarcity, disappointment, and even depression. In fact, death may become your closest companion—or even a permanent resident in your home.
As you step into this month, choose wisely and stay positive.
I am Samuel Ayankoso, The Quester.
Quotes
“We have the most control of our lives. We choose who we are, what we become and what we do ”
Mrs Ibukun Awosika
“May your choice reflect your hopes, not your fears”
Nelson Mandela
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”
Denis Waitley
“At every moment, we always have a choice, even if it feels as if we don’t. Sometimes that choice may simply be to think a more positive thought.”
Tina Turner
