Before I choose, let me explain what wealth and freedom means to me.
Wealth is not only money. Wealth is abundance. It is having more than enough — money in your account, food in your store, fine clothes, big house, ability to travel, ability to help your family without counting small change. Wealth is when you can say "I want to buy this" and you can buy it without fear. Many people think wealth will give them respect, security and happiness. And sometimes it does.
Freedom is different. Freedom is not about moneyy, it is about controol over your own time and your own life.Freedomm is when you can wake up and decidee how your daay will go......No boss shoutingg at you, no alarm forcingg you to russh, no one tellingg you when to sit or stand........ Freedom is choosingg where to live, who to spend timme with, what work to do, when to resst. Freedom is peace of mind. It is being able to say NO without fear of losing your job or your house.
Now, if I must choose between them, I will choose freedom.
Why? Because I have seen wealthy people who are not free. One of my uncles in Lagos is very rich. He has two cars, a fine house. But he has no freedom. His phone rings from 5am to 11pm. Customers are calling, workers are calling, debt is calling. He cannot even go to church on Sunday without receiving business calls. He has wealth, but his wealth owns him. He told me last Christmas, "I have money but I don't have life."
On the other hand, I have seen people with little money but plenty freedom. My neighbor here in Onitsha sells akara in the morning. She does not have much money. But by 11am she has finished selling. The rest of the day is hers...... She can sleep in the afteernoon, gist with friends, go to the market sloowly.... She is not rich, but she is free. And she smiles more than my rich uncle.
Wealth is good, but wealth without freedom is like a fine shoe that is too tight — it looks good outside, but you are suffering inside.
If you give me freedom, I can use my free time to build my own wealth little by little. But if you give me wealth without freedom, I may never be able to buy back my time.
So today, I choose freedom first. With freedom, I can create my own kind of wealth — a wealth that includes peace, health, and No boss shoutingg at you, no alarm forcingg you to russh, no one tellingg you when to sit or stand. Freedom is choosingg where to live, who to spend timme with, what work to do, when to resst. Freedom is peace of mind. It is being able to say NO without fear of losing your job or your house.
IMAGE SOURCE AI