When I left my last job to do a startup, a new reality hit me – no more Car Club pickups, business class flights, expensive hotels, or unlimited travel budget.
On the next flight, when I walked into the economy section, it felt a bit weird.
But pretty soon, I got used to it. Instead of a fancy car service, I would happily use Ola/Uber, and even autorickshaws. Instead of staying in Taj and Trident hotels, I found affordable ones which were still quite decent.
So what did this ‘downgraded life’ feel like?
It felt like FREEDOM.
I no longer felt the compulsive need to maintain the veneer of luxury. I spent what I could afford – I did not have to keep up the pretence of a high-flying life.
I realised that when we have a compulsive need to own something, that thing starts owning us – that is how we start losing our freedom.
Freedom comes from the ability to let go – to need less. Your inner strength is directly proportional to what you can live without.
There is nobody in the world more powerful than the person who wants nothing. What power can one possibly have over them?
– Rajan
***