Every now and then, someone asks me, \u201cYou don\u2019t actually need to work,<\/strong> so why do you?\u201d<\/strong> We\u2019re fortunate: my husband works hard, and thanks to him, I get to drive a Panamera and enjoy all kinds of special experiences.<\/p>\n So I imagine some people wonder, \u201cWhy does his wife work?<\/strong> They have two kids\u2014why doesn\u2019t she just stay home?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Fair enough. But the reason I work is, I think, that I want to be free\u2014to have emotional, financial, and personal freedom. Once, a personality assessment told me, \u201cYou\u2019re the kind of person who wants to build a world of your own, where no one can tell you what to do.\u201d<\/strong> I remember thinking: That\u2019s exactly right!<\/p>\n I grew up in a fairly strict household, so even as a child, I had a strong desire to \u201cbe free.\u201d<\/strong> My curfew was 10 p.m. even when I was in college, and after I started working, my parents were reluctant to let me live on my own. We clashed often. (I\u2019m glad we get along well now.)<\/span><\/p>\n Those experiences taught me that to become free, you need to:<\/p>\n \u30fbEarn a living for yourself As long as I rely on my husband\u2019s income, I don\u2019t feel truly free. Some might say freedom means being supported by your husband, not having to go to work every day, driving a Panamera wherever you like, going out with the kids whenever you want, and having lunch with your friends. But even if I had money I could spend as I pleased, and even if I could use my time however I wanted, I wouldn\u2019t call that freedom.<\/p>\n What if my husband\u2019s company went bankrupt? If any of those things happened, our life as we know it could collapse in an instant.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t find freedom by leaving your life in someone else\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n I believe the only way to find real freedom is to develop the ability to earn your own living.<\/p>\n And if you take that idea to its fullest, it means having the ability to support yourself, whatever happens\u2014even without a company name behind you, without anyone backing you, and even if you lose everything you own.<\/strong> Getting there may mean going through periods when you feel anything but free. You may have to work incredibly hard, invest in yourself, raise your standards, and put in the hours.<\/p>\n But if you know it\u2019s your ticket to freedom\u2014and the path you chose for yourself\u2014you can keep going. That\u2019s why I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll keep working, whatever circumstances my husband may find himself in.<\/strong><\/p>\n And one day, I\u2019d love to be able to surprise him with a Grand Seiko watch. Or, if the unthinkable ever happened to him, I could say, \u201cWhat? I earn plenty, so it doesn\u2019t affect me one bit! (\uffe3\u30fc\uffe3)\uff42\u30b0\u30c3\uff01\u201d That would be pretty cool.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got the daydream all figured out. Now I just need to work hard and make it real.<\/p>\n All right!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWhy Not Be a Stay-at-Home Mom?\u201d Every now and then, someone asks me, \u201cYou don\u2019t actually need to work, so why do you?\u201d We\u2019re fortunate: my husband works hard, and thanks to him, I get to drive a Panamera and enjoy all kinds of special experiences. So I imagine some people wonder, \u201cWhy does his wife work? They have two kids\u2014why doesn\u2019t she just stay home?\u201d Fair enough. But the reason I work is, I...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=75","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nocar-nolife","en-US"],"yoast_head":"Longing for Freedom<\/h3>\n
\n\u30fbLearn to stay calm and make a logical case that others can understand
\n\u30fbShow people through your actions that you\u2019re worthy of their trust<\/p>\n
\nWhat if he lost his job?
\nWhat if he could no longer work?
\nWhat if he asked for a divorce?
\n<\/strong> (\u2026I don\u2019t want to think about any of that,<\/span> but even the most remote possibility is still a possibility.<\/span> Nothing in life is certain!)<\/span><\/p>\nFreedom Means Independence<\/h3>\n