Wealth is an Illusion. Here's Why:

 What is it costing you to keep chasing the illusion of wealth? In today's episode, we're going to break free from the consumerism mindset.

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Topics:

Escape the 9 to 5 

Escape the 9-5 

Career Coach 

Career Advice 

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Next Step Careers Limited

Auckland Wellington Christchurch New Zealand

Episode Transcript

Shure MV7 (00:00):
Imagine you're 10 years old, raised by a single mum.
She asks you to chooseone of three things.
The most amazing Lego set ever, a tripto Disneyland, or your dad comes home.

(00:20):
the answer is obvious.
No comparison.
yet as adults, we get so caughtup in the illusion of things.
The status symbols, the numbersin the bank account, the new
car, the next big purchase.
We tell ourselves we need them.

(00:41):
We work ourselves intoexhaustion, chasing them.
what actually matters?
Not the money.
Not the shares.
Not the new glasses.
Or the 6 flat white.
You barely even taste anymore.
It's family.

(01:01):
Friends.
Connection.
Meaning.
The things you can't buy.
And yet, we keep chasing money.
More.
Always more.
We let it dictate our careers.
We tolerate soul crushingjobs because of the income.

(01:24):
We tell ourselves we need it.
But do we really?
Ask yourself, how much income do youactually need to sustain a life full
of laughter, connection and meaning?
And more importantly, Whatis it costing you to keep
chasing the illusion of wealth?

(01:47):
In today's episode, we're going tobreak free from the consumerism mindset.
You're a working professionalstuck in a 9 to 5 job.
You want out.
You're tired of the job.
You're tired of coming home exhausted.
You're tired of living for the weekend.

(02:11):
But there's a problem.
You've built a life that requiresyour paycheck to sustain it.
I'm career coach Dr.
Steve O'Leary, hostingCreative Escape The 9 to 5.
I help other professionals like you takeback control of their careers, break
free from the rat race, and design acareer that actually works for them.

(02:35):
And one of the biggesttraps keeping you stuck?
Your relationship with money.
We get so brainwashed intothinking money equals success.
But what if needing less is actuallythe ultimate financial power move?
If you're in a high paying but souldestroying job, ask yourself Do you

(02:59):
really need that level of income?
Is your bourgeois suburban housereally making you happier than
a smaller, more affordable one?
Is the suffering of your 9 to 5 job worththe rewards you buy to numb the pain?
Rewards like overly expensive holidays?

(03:20):
Fancy clothes, and even justthat bottle of wine that helps
you forget your work week.
The hard truth?
Most of our spending is just conditioning.
Conditioning from the marketingwe experience each and every day.
We order the daily coffee not becausewe want it, but because it's a habit.

(03:43):
We buy new clothes.
New shoes.
New gadgets.
Not because we necessarily needthem, but because we've been sold
the idea that they bring happiness.
Or maybe seeing an ad enoughthat our subconscious convinces
us we actually need them.
But what if we don't?

(04:05):
What if everything you truly needFamily Friends Meaning Was available
without needing a six figure salary?
What if you could escape the 9 to 5 Byredefining what success looks like to you?
Because here's the thing People don'talways escape the 9 to 5 by earning more.

(04:28):
They escape it by needing less.
We talked this week aboutworking to your strengths.
Your super strengths.
But what for?
One of the biggest mindset shifts youcan make when designing a career that
actually makes you happy is this.
What if the goal wasn't toearn more, but to need less?

(04:51):
This is the real super strength.
The ability to say, I don'tneed the latest iPhone.
I don't need a huge mortgage.
I don't need to prove mysuccess with material things.
Because once you need less,you suddenly have options.
You can work fewer hours.

(05:13):
You can take more time off.
You can build a business orside hustle without the pressure
of replacing a massive salary.
Escaping the 9 to 5 isn't abouthitting some magical financial number.
It's about buying back your time.
And time, not money, is thereal currency of freedom.

(05:35):
So here's what I want you to do today.
Be brutally honest with yourself.
Look at your expenses, yourpurchases, your habits.
What are you working so hard to afford?
Then ask yourself, DoI actually need this?
Is this making me meaningfully happier?

(05:58):
Or is it just numbingthe pain of a job I hate?
Because the first step to escaping the 9to 5 is escaping the consumerism mindset.
Need less.
Want less.
And suddenly, you'llrealise you can work less.
Thanks for listening to Escape the 9 to 5.

(06:20):
I'm Dr Steve O'Reilly, your host, andthanks for being part of our movement.
See you next time.