the Piper Paradigm.

I was unreachable over Independence Day this year. I was off the grid on a five-day river rafting Extravaganza with my favorite group of people having an absolute blast. I was thinking about how happy I was to have made the decision to come back to this exceptional corner of the planet, in pursuit of a lifestyle, not a salary. And I was thinking about how Financial Independence is the key to making these types of decisions.

“Financial Independence? What the heck is that?”

For those that hear the word “finance” and immediately groan, what am I even talking about when I’m talking about FI? And maybe more importantly, why should any of us care?

First, a few brief notes on the definitions I’m using here. There’s a wonderful acronym floating around out there called FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early). It’s catchy. But I only really care about the first part, FI. While we could have a whole philosophical debate over what “retirement” actually means (another day perhaps?), FIRE too easily makes it seem like people that are interested in Financial Independence all want to quit their jobs in their 30s and drink fruit-garnished umbrella drinks on the beach for eternity (ok, ok, I know we all have days where this sounds tremendously appealing, but I am willing to make a very large bet that you would get tired of it). The “Retire Early” part, at least on the surface, is too easily interpreted as opting out.

To me, FI is actually the acute opposite of opting out. Really, it’s opting in. And opting in hard. It’s acknowledging that directions exist for building the framework of the life you want, learning to use all the tools, and taking ACTION and doing the damn thing. My brother-in-law made an excellent comment a few months ago that really summed this up. It was something along the lines of, “All of these instructions exist out there and you and DH are the people that actually use them.” YES. There are literal directions for how to create your own personalized version of winning by utilizing the tools of “The System” while the majority of America blindly ignores them (or worse – flat out refuses to learn how to operate them). Win at learning how to use these tools and you can build whatever kind of life you most deeply desire.

Here’s why I care about FI – FI to me is REAL freedom, in the form of autonomy, agency, and optionality. Don’t we all say we want these things?

FI is (REAL) freedom.

Living in America, boy, do we love that word, Freedom. It’s the best marketing – “FREEDOM! You can do whatever you want! You can be whoever you want to be! You can have anything and everything, at any time! You can even have it with same-day delivery from the comfort of your couch!”

Americans say they love their freedom (often loudly with everything from bumper stickers to t-shirt slogans to obnoxious social media posts). Yet actions speak much louder than words (or at least speak more truth). The majority of these freedom-loving folks answer to many masters every day – banks, lenders, creditors, the government in the form of loyal tax payments, an unsavory employer, the list goes on. Most accept this as “normal” and live their lives doggedly serving their various masters, sometimes even with bravado and pride over how “free” they are. Ever heard someone brag about their amazing credit score? Or maybe how big of a home loan they got approved for? Or the car loan they just acquired? Or maybe all of these things in ever larger increments with growing salaries at jobs where they spend all of their time and feel like they can never leave because now they have to keep up with that huge mortgage payment/car loan payment/credit card payment/etc? Ever thought how strange it is in “the land of freedom” for someone to brag about what a good servant to their master they are?

Starts to seem a little strange doesn’t it?

The average American likes to pretend they’re in control without making any actual effort to have any control. I see you out there faux freedom lovers. You are in service to The System because you refuse to understand it. Is ignorance bliss? I think not.

FI takes the Secret System of Servitude and says, “Ok, fine, I see what you’re trying to do here. Therefore I shall learn the rules of System and make my own freedom instead!”

Let’s take a look at this quote from John D. Rockefeller in 1903:

“I don’t want a nation of thinkers. I want a nation of workers.”

That is the system that we live in. Pretending otherwise doesn’t make it magically different. Let’s start by acknowledging that reality first. We have to start by opting in, not out, in order to leverage that system to our advantage.

John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest Americans of all time. This means there are (completely legal) systems and processes in place that allow people to build and keep wealth. If these tools exist, they can be utilized by anyone. I’m not saying you’ll be the next Rockefeller, but I am saying you get to use the same mechanisms to create your own personal success. You just don’t learn about this in the system of public education (because remember – the wealth holders want workers, not thinkers), so it’s trickier to dig in to. Tricky, but not impossible.

Here’s a fun thought exercise – What if you were able to disconnect the concept of “work” from “paying for my expenses?” What if your expenses were paid every month regardless if you were working or not? What if you were working on something you enjoyed and didn’t get paid a cent for it? What if your money was buying you time?

That’s real freedom, man (imagine the voice of Matthew McConaughey here for maximum chill effect).

FI is Autonomy.

FI is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. It’s choice. It’s the ability to pick what you do and how you spend your time, free from external control or influence.

The Secret System of Servitude has a lot of control over your decision making.

Autonomy allows life to be lived on your own terms—think of it as the ultimate power move in a world where everyone’s trying to tell you what to do. Again, “FREEDOM!” is excellent marketing.

Ever feel like you’re just checking off someone else’s to-do list? That’s the antithesis of autonomy. Autonomy through FI means you get to decide what your day looks like. You’re free to choose what matters most to you, whether that’s spending time with family, pursuing a passion project, or (my favorite) climbing a mountain on a random Tuesday (yes please!).

Autonomy also means saying goodbye to the societal “shoulds” that we’re all bombarded with. You know the ones— “You should stick it out in that high-paying job, even if it’s soul-crushing,” or “You should buy a house by this age” (or even, “You should own a house” – I have much to say on the home ownership “shoulds” another day). The only “should” that matters is the one you create for yourself. It’s the freedom to chart your own course without worrying about keeping up with the Joneses (or the Rockefellers). In the land of autonomy, you are the boss of you, and trust me, it’s a pretty sweet gig.

FI is Agency.

FI is the capacity to have the power and resources to fulfill your potential. It’s having the independent capability to act as you see fit, not at the will of some other person or entity.

If autonomy is the freedom to choose your path, agency is the muscle you flex to make it happen. It’s taking action. You get to take the wheel and steer your life where you want it to go. This is the difference between passively watching life happen to you and actively making it happen for you. Control the controllables. Agency means you don’t just dream about the life you want (or spend hours envying someone else’s Instagram version of it – yikes) —you build it, piece by piece, decision by decision.

With agency, you’re not just a bystander waiting for opportunities to fall into your lap. No, you’re out there making moves, crafting opportunities, and flipping the script on what’s possible. Agency gives you the power to take bold actions without fear of financial repercussions. It’s the ultimate expression of, “I’ve got this,” and once you start using that muscle, there’s no going back.

A side note – “without fear of financial repercussions” is a very different statement than “without fear.” Feel the fear and do it anyway. You have control over the controllables. The rest of what might happen is none of your business.

FI is Optionality.

This is my favorite. Give me ALL THE OPTIONS. This is the opposite of making decisions from a place of obligation.

What if we started asking these two questions before we made decisions: “What will future me be obligated to because of this decision?” and, “What options will this decision provide to future me?“

I want to make decisions now that give me options, not obligations.

Imagine having the power to choose from a lineup of life’s possibilities, where every decision you make today keeps the door wide open for tomorrow. That’s the beauty of optionality. Instead of being cornered into choices because you have to, you get to make decisions based on what you actually want. It’s like living in your own personal choose-your-own-adventure story (remember those books my fellow elder millennials?), where every path is an interesting one because you set it up that way. Make choices that keep you in the driver’s seat, with the ability to change directions if you like, explore, or take a chance on whatever new opportunity reveals itself. With FI, you’re not just living life—you’re curating it.

FI is also a number, but that’s not the most interesting part.

Sure, FI is a number when you get down to it (or more accurately, an array of numerical stages – also more on that another day), but for me FI isn’t really about hitting a magic number or counting down to an “end” date. It’s not about quitting work—it’s about decoupling your passions and pursuits from financial necessity. It’s the power to walk away from toxic situations without money being the chain that holds you back.

With FI, you gain (REAL) autonomy, agency, and optionality, allowing you to craft a life where your decisions are driven by choice, not obligation. FI is (REAL) freedom.

And, because I can’t get McConaughey’s voice out of my head today, I’ll leave you with one of many great quotes from his memoir, Greenlights:

“The good news is, you’re in control of your life. The bad news is, you’re in control of your life.”