Hello you
I’m in the process of moving my finances overseas. A rubber stamping of long-term commitment to life in France. No sooner has my head filled with dreams does my heart swell with fear. This weekend I had to ask a friend to show me how to find the PIN number for my new debit card on a banking app that will not translate into English. We got there in the end, celebrated over a ‘je suis Française!’ clink of our drinks, and now I can take the next steps.
Me last year wouldn’t recognise me now and this pride is my momentum. I’m growing because of it, like elixir. Steps that once felt impossible have now faded in the rear view mirror. The rewards I’m reaping are of seeds planted and nourished long ago though, and I’ve found myself thinking about investing a lot.
I’m an investing kind of girl. My lifestyle relies on it. Gone are the days when I believed investing was something only rich people did, a luxury to consider at a certain point in time post vast accumulation. When I sold my house in the UK I invested the capital and I’ve continued the habit of contributing monthly ever since, drawing on dividends to supplement my income. But this was only the beginning.
In no way am I qualified to give financial advice but I’m happy to pull back the curtain on my personal approach, the one I have no plan to change. My version of a rich life isn’t the one I’m sold by society or social media. It’s to be debt free, live in a small but beautiful rented space in a safe area that inspires me and spend my days creating as well as contributing love to the world. It’s an unconventional way to live by British standards, but I find it suits my life for now and that’s why I feel aligned.
This shift didn’t happen overnight and I can still remember hanging my head in shame for not having a penny to my name the day I pledged to live a debt free life moving forwards. There was no need. We all start somewhere and there are more ways than one to invest.
An array of investments are possible and it saddens me we’re trained in a certain taste of which ones are appropriate and which simply, aren’t for people like us. We can choose our own portfolios, and I’m not just talking about money anymore. Whatever our dream reality, we can curate the areas we need to tend to so we can grow. It will take time, but duration is where we solidify. This is compound interest. Most of us are never encouraged to make the investments that matter most, the ones that ensure we don’t only root but also reach. These are the ones that compound into lasting returns and all that’s required is showing up for ourselves.
