Have you ever had one of those nights where you could not fall asleep? You are tossing and turning and trying to count sheep but sleep still does not find you. What are some of those things that help your mind rest? For me, I think about what my life would look like if I were completely debt-free.
We are on the right path and just have the mortgage left before we can join the Debt-Free club. I enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey and, every Friday, he has callers come on the air and scream “We’re Debt Free!” After this, he plays the line from the movie Braveheart in which William Wallace screams Freedom. I think this perfectly sums up why we should seek to become debt-free – to be free.
I know some people look at wealth as being able to drive a Mercedes, live in a large house or take exotic vacations. To me, the definition of wealth is being able to have the freedom to do whatever you want. I am not just talking about buying things (although being debt-free can help you pay for that Mercedes or vacation with cash instead of plastic) but rather focusing on actions that you will be able to take.
Let’s say you don’t really like your job and want to do something more rewarding. The only thing holding you back is this more-rewarding job pays a lot less. Well, if you get to the point where you don’t owe anyone a single cent, you will be able to take a cut in pay in order to have a more fulfilling job. This creates a domino effect in the other areas of your life. If you are content with the way you spend most of your waking hours, you will usually find that your day, as a whole, is much more enjoyable.
For me, becoming completely debt-free would mean that I could focus more on what I am passionate about – helping people manage their money better. I do enjoy being a school teacher and know the skills I use teaching children easily transfer over when I teach adults how to manage their finances. I am blessed that I do feel that I am living out God’s purposes for me in that I get to teach but would definitely love to be able to spend more time helping others with their money.
That is what I think of when I can’t fall asleep – how, when that day comes in which I am completely debt-free, I will be able to focus more on helping others with money. Since I won’t have many bills, I will not need to have as large of a paycheck coming in to pay for my expenses. I know some focus on what they could buy rather than do but I feel having the freedom to pursue my passions will lead to much greater satisfaction than any materialistic item will provide.
How about you – what would your life look like if you were debt-free?
About Danny Kofke