Define financially free from a stoic thinker perspective

How do I define financial freedom? If an individual has the choice at any given moment to stop working for an active income and still maintain their chosen lifestyle throughout their entire life - then he (or she) is financially free. By 'active income' I mean having to do the work themselves to produce the income. The common misconception though is that to be financially free, one must possess monumental wealth. This is not true for everybody. As long as you are in keeping with this simple formulae, whereby your recurring monthly passive income is always greater than your monthly expenses (based on your lifestyle), then you are still considered financially free. 
However, life throws curve balls at us once in a while. We've all been there. How about our car that suddenly breaks down and requires $500 in repair/replacements, or $1500 airplane ticket because of an unexpected family emergency? In this situation, you'd be out of balance if your monthly passive income is usually only slightly above your average monthly expenses.
So to refine the above definition, to be completely financially free, not only should your recurring monthly income be able to cover your expenses (based on your lifestyle) and then some, but you need to have enough cash reserves saved up for 'emergency' fund.
The ideal situation would be to be working in your current 'job' because you simply love it and not because you have to. It's a calling whereby you get abundance of joy and fulfillment from your contribution and making a difference in the world. The active income from it (if any) is simply a bi-product but not a necessity to 'make a living' from it. If one is in this position, I think this is where real creativity and productivity resides. One does not need to be distracted by thoughts of worry about how to pay their bills next month, but rather pursue excellence and fill their minds with things that they care about most. Interestingly, people in this kind of position end up with more financial abundance.

 

What stands in the way becomes the way

"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." were powerful words from Meditations, a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius. This is a great reminder to us that every obstacle or crisis we face in life is an opportunity to practice the virtue of excellence. The American author, Ryan Holiday calls this- Stoic Optimism. See Ryan Holiday at TedxUChicago below;

 

Why I like Gymnastics Strength Training developed by Coach Sommer

"Gymnastics Strength Training is a system of exercise which utilizes the body's own resistance to build world class levels of strength, power, agility, balance and mobility."

GymnasticBodies program is not only proven successful with elite athletes but with adult fitness populations that are beginners and wish to make a real change in their bodies. This gives you and I hope. The purpose of the program is to help you develop strong core, make you lean and evenly muscular, and have powerful mobility. Like practical Stoicism where daily consistent practice is key to your success, GymnasticBodies program requires learning through consistent work and training to see incredible gains. Most beginners can master the core curriculum in 3-4 years, and you can begin today with the 4 week GB Fundamentals Online Course to make sure you start out correctly in your Gymnastic Strength Training journey.

To learn more about the program from Coach Sommer, listen to the interview on, The Tim Ferris Show below:

 

 

We're not in control of our physical body

The stoic thinker knows that we're not in control of our physical body. We're in control of our mind but not our physical body. So the reality is, we don't have control over when sickness, disease or illness will strike and when they do- it usually catches us by unwelcome surprise. But we do have control of our perceptions and response about the thing (the health problem) that has happened. Hence the saying, "pain is inevitable; suffering is optional". 
While we don't control our physical body, we do have control over the choices we make for our health and well being. Making better choices can increase the chance of longevity and functioning well until ripe old age. The choices range from but not limited to doing regular exercise on a weekly basis, staying away from refined sugar or processed foods, to being in commune with nature frequently for good mental health. Our lifestyle habits contribute heavily on the outcome of our health now and in the future.
Today, as I normally would, began the day with 2 organic eggs for breakfast cooked with olive oil (or coconut oil) sunny side up, 1 whole imported Australian tomato, 1 spoonful of coconut oil, handful of macadamia nuts, 2 softgels of krill oil (omega-3 fatty acids), and 1 capsule of probiotic. For lunch, I visited one of my favourite cafe in Singapore, Cedele. I ate the "choose your own salad" (I went with chicken breast, quinoa, chic peas, lettuce, egg plants, sweet potato, broccoli, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar). Had a grass fed ribeye steak for dinner with broccoli and carrot on the side. For desert- Plane organic yogurt with organic raspberries and blueberries. See picture below :)

Healthy homemade desert by The Stoic Thinker

 

Good news for buyers who are looking for good-value Singapore properties

In the last few years as the Singapore property market just continued it's slow and painful grind downwards (10.8% correction over 12 quarters since the peak in 2013Q3), investors with little holding power have sold their properties with losses. Based on resale transactions of condominiums and apartments where the previous caveats can be traced, The Edge Property revealed that the proportion of unprofitable deals rose from 10% in 2015 to 17% in 2016. Defaults on residential mortgages increased from 2014 through to 2016, a trend that is likely to continue as retrenchments and vacancies increase, rentals decline and continual interest rate hikes in 2017. Furthermore, adding to the downward pressure on prices is an increase in supply in the market due to the massive ramp-up in residential developments after the last Global Financial Crisis. Based on URA data, there are approximately 44,000 units of private residential properties to be completed in the next few years.

If we are currently in the early bear stage of the property market cycle, we need to sit tight and wait for further correction. The late bear and early bull stages, will present opportunities to buy good-value properties. Patience is a virtue.

Starting 2017 with a key message underlying Stoic Philosophy

Epictetus, reminds us to have the wisdom and clarity to differentiate between what we can change and what we can't- a key message underlying practical stoicism. Spend your valuable energy and time by focusing on the parts of your day that is within your control and on things we can change, like making good reasoned choices.