It's Not Just My Car, It's My Freedom

Many years ago, General Motors absolutely nailed the way Americans feel about their automobiles with one of the greatest ad slogans of all time, "It's not just my car, it's my freedom." If you don’t believe this is true, just ask the residents of a nursing home what not owning or being able to drive a car means to an American.

According to a recent article by Laura Rowley, one of favorite personal finance columnists, freedom is more important than money. She ought to know. As a financial reporter for CNN she learned enough about money and the creation of wealth to achieve the freedom to become a stay at home mom for her three daughters. She reports, “Psychologists Ronald Fischer and Diana Boer of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand found that on a national level, individualism and autonomy are more important to well-being than money. The study appears in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.”

I agree. If asked for a one word definition of what money means to me, I would reply, “Freedom.”

Fischer and Boer discovered nations that scored high on their autonomy surveys, “Had less stress, less burnout, less mental health problems and so on," In the 63 countries they studied autonomy and individualism was more important than money. They concluded money influences happiness through its effect on freedom. More money gives you more options and more control over your own life. That makes for happiness.

The authors conclude, "Autonomy is really about self-organization and self-regulation, and kind of goes to the heart of what a living system is," Sheldon continues. "Are you being buffeted by what's surrounding you or do you have internal guidance? To the extent you have the latter, you would be doing interesting things, performing without pressure or resentment — and you're going to grow as a person to a greater extent."

Not surprisingly, the authors also discovered that too much money and free time led to unhappiness as well as health problems. A total lack of structure in one’s life is not a good thing. "Based on the findings, people should go for balance," says Fischer. "It is important for people to earn enough money to satisfy daily needs, but then focus on things that make them happy in their lives. This is autonomy: looking for ways to use their creativity; being curious about stuff and broadening their minds; and finding activities that give them pleasure. It's not important to get a job that gives you another $5,000 a year if that means you can't actually enjoy your loved ones or some interesting hobby you could pursue."

I think the Apostle Paul would agree with the findings of this study. A long time ago in a little church in Greenville, SC we sung a song based on a couple of different scriptures.

Galatians 5: 1, 13

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

For brethren, ye have been called to liberty; only abuse not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but in truth serve one another.