I use this blog to share my thoughts on personal philosophy, and how the pursuit of Financial Independence leads to a good life. The pursuit of this independence – and the abilities you gain from doing so – enables you to become a mighty individual.
A mighty person is able to take control of their destiny. They can Choose Work They Love, and have the freedom to become their Highest Self. Becoming a mighty individual makes you the hero of your own story.
But what does being mighty mean? What characteristics do you need to become a mighty individual in the modern age? And why is it important?
What Is Might?
Might is often used to describe the martial prowess or strength of a nation. For individuals, it relates to influence, power, physical and mental fortitude, and independence.
In the past, might was a necessary quality of a leader or nation. As the saying goes, “might makes right”; you either imposed your will on others or had your will quashed.
Becoming a mighty individual is just as valuable today as it was in the past. But how might manifests and how we use it is slightly different to the days of old.
I see might as a level of personal assuredness that only arises from independence and a deep understanding of the self. It’s acting according to your strong personal beliefs, and working consistently to be better each day.
It’s when you embrace the knowledge that you are the hero of your own tale, and act according to that knowledge.
Stories about mighty individuals who fight for what they believe in will never go out of style. Why not make your life a hero’s journey?
Might is much more than just strength or influence. And funnily enough, I can explain it using an acronym.
Meaning
A mighty individual is one who understands why they do what they do.
True meaning comes from understanding what matters to you, and working towards goals that allow you to do what matters.
This drive governs the actions of the mighty; a North Star that ensures they continue moving forward.
Determine a goal to strive for, people to protect, or hardships to overcome.
I quit my full-time job in 2023 due to a lack of meaning elsewhere in my life. While I earned enough to save and invest, I didn’t have the freedom to enjoy myself.
I was a slave to my work, and beholden to continue devoting myself to it.
It was only until I stepped away that I found meaning elsewhere in my life.
Now, I add work to my life in ways that benefit me the most.
Independence
Independence in the modern age is becoming hard to come by. We are forced to hire specialists to resolve our problems due to careers that reduce our self-reliance. We can only buy food from approved retailers. Growing food poses its own challenges, depending on where you live. And a rampant consumer culture ensures you always continue to spend your money and attention on things that destroy your wealth.
A mighty individual, therefore, would seek to abandon this lifestyle and opt for better alternatives.
One such alternative is Financial Independence – an antidote to a lifestyle that traps us in a modern form of slavery.
Once attained, this independence allows us to find other ways to make ourselves even more independent.
Finding ways to regain that independence – financially or otherwise – is what empowers us to become mighty individuals.
Growth
People are not born mighty.
At birth, we are harmless, with no strength, influence or wealth. We cannot defend ourselves. This ability comes later – or at least, it should.
Without growing as people, as partners, or professionally & academically, we cannot hope to become mighty.
Look at the people you see on social media. Many of them are serial learners and doers, who are always trying and learning new things. They possess a growth mindset and a desire to be better every day.
Social media personalities who seem to “spring up” overnight only appear that way because the algorithm pushed their content to you now. They’ve been posting every day for years – you just didn’t see their earlier posts.
Think about the steps you are taking to grow – in your career and otherwise. Are you continuing to learn, then using that knowledge to your advantage? Learning new things and then using them for your benefit is a core component of becoming mighty.
The mightiest among us embrace growth and continue to strive for bigger and better things.
Honour
I don’t see mighty individuals in the modern age as those who throw around their influence for their own benefit. True might comes in the form of helping others, doing the right thing, and above all, being honourable.
This may conflict somewhat with my comments on Growth. “Didn’t you just say you need to use what you know to your advantage?”
Yes, that is correct. However, you must do so in a way that is honourable.
Honour refers to being ethical, respectful, and righteous. It is a duty of service to those around us and to making the world a better place.
Honourable people create mutually beneficial relationships through positive interactions and expertise. This allows them to create their own luck and gain advantages incrementally over the long term.
Mighty individuals avoid dishonour, and live their lives with long-term strategy in mind. Honour is a commitment not only to others, but to yourself.
Truth
Being truthful and trustworthy to yourself and others is the hallmark of a mighty individual.
Ensure others can rely on your words, and that you act in accordance with those words. This affects how you react to your own thoughts as well.
A mighty person does not ignore their inner feelings, and acts in harmony with their will. This means acting to achieve independence and influence by growing as a person towards the goals that matter to you.
Denying your true desires is harmful in the long run. A mighty individual ensures that they are always truthful to themselves and to others.
MIGHT, Summarised
My definition of a mighty individual can be summed up as follows:
A mighty individual is one who lives an intentional life on their own terms. They have the power to engage in whatever work they choose, and the independence to walk away when it no longer serves a purpose. The mighty individual acts honourably, in accordance with their soul and known truths. Their life is a never-ending journey of personal development, that allows them to continue living intentionally and being of service to others.
The mighty individual is the hero of their story. While anyone can borrow might for a moment of heroism, a hero lives their life as a mighty individual throughout.
The Spiral of MIGHT
As I’ve written more about my personal philosophy I’ve realised that instead of forming a pathway, it forms a spiral.
Initially, we spin in rapid circles as we try to overcome the earning-spending cycle through saving. We do this to create a pathway to investing, which allows us to work towards financial freedom. Once we attain a degree of freedom, we can use it to Choose Work We Love. When we Choose Work We Love, we may suffer a reduced level of income, pulling the spiral back in. But you’re in a position to have it spiral outwards much more rapidly in the future.
Saving, Investing, and Choosing Work You Love is cyclical in nature. You repeat the steps and move through them in different ways as you evolve in your life and career. This process creates a positive spiral outwards as your influence and independence increase. This outward motion exposes you to more opportunities, higher incomes, and new ways to live life in accordance with your Highest Self.
Each cycle you pass through allows you to become more intentional about how you spend your time, more independent, happier, and wealthier. How you live your life beyond each of these cycles is up to you.
This spiral can also turn inwards, too. Entropy and inflation will destroy your health, wealth, and relationship & career prospects if you allow them to. In this case, your life becomes Spending, Escaping, and Accepting Work You Hate. This is the path that must be avoided on the path to becoming mighty.
How I Plan to Become a Mighty Individual
I don’t believe I have achieved mightiness in my own life yet. Becoming mighty is an ongoing part of living in line with your own philosophy.
I believe that as you save, invest, and then use that freedom to choose work you love, you become mightier. Each cycle brings you closer and closer to that ideal.
I believe that I have passed through one cycle of my philosophy on the path to becoming a mighty individual.
How many cycles does it take to be able to call yourself mighty? Who knows. Perhaps it’s not something to be defined – an ideal we constantly strive towards rather than accomplishing.
Regardless, here’s what I’m doing to become a mighty individual.
Minimise Work Stress
Too much work makes us miserable and traps us in work-consume cycles. Full-time work often comes with stressors that are exacerbated due to ignoring everything else in your life.
I am intentionally working less than full time in two ways: less days per week, and less months in the year.
This ensures that I can work on other projects and continue saving without feeling overburdened by a job. Lower stress means better health, and more energy to direct towards the things that matter.
Maintain High Saving Rate
I’m using the independence I’ve created to live a life with minimal work stress without sacrificing my savings.
The best part is that my career choice allows me to do this without sacrificing my hourly rate.
Due to learning skills that make my hourly rate high, I can work less hours without sacrificing too much income. At a high enough hourly rate, the amount lost to tax can make each extra hour less valuable to you than the others.
My strategy is to maximise my income while working as few hours as possible. I do this currently by utilising my skill set as a contractor rather than an employee.
My aim is to maintain a saving rate of at least 50%. This should ensure that I reach Financial Independence by roughly 40 years of age.
More saving means more independence, which further allows me to grow and work on things that matter to me.
Continue Writing Online
This blog has grown from a pet project into a large part of my life. At the time of posting, I’ve been sharing my writing consistently for six months.
It’s gotten to the point where I’m intentionally working less because I want to continue working on this site and my personal brand.
I’m thinking about how I can share this information with a wider audience. Video comes to mind.
Ultimately, I want to continue to explore my creativity and finish documenting my personal philosophy. This writing uncovers my personal truths, and sharing the writing online keeps me accountable – even if only to a small audience.
Closing
Meaning. Independence. Growth. Honour. Truth.
Five simple traits for becoming a mighty individual in the modern age.
As I work through the philosophy of how I approach life, the idea of spiralling outward became clear. The purpose of pursuing Financial Independence – or any other goal – is for it to have a larger, better, more sustainable impact on our lives.
To me, becoming mighty – being the hero of my own story – is the way in which I achieve all of those goals.
Thank you for reading.
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