💭 Chasing Freedom Won’t Save You If Your Mind’s Still a Mess

(By Matt Tickner — Professional Mozzie Magnet & Recovering Overthinker)

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Let’s be real for a second

Everyone online’s screaming about freedom.

Time freedom. Money freedom. Location freedom.

Freedom this, freedom that.

Yet, you and I both know there are plenty of “free” people who still feel bloody trapped — mentally, emotionally, creatively.

Because you can quit the job, hop a flight to Bali, and still find yourself arguing with your own brain while a mosquito the size of a drone eats your ankle. 🦟

I’ve tried it. It’s sticky. It’s real. And it’s hilarious… once you stop crying into your coconut.

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The freedom’s pointless if your head’s still noisy

When I left 9‑to‑5 life, I thought “being my own boss” meant eternal bliss.

Spoiler: it also meant facing every insecurity I’d buried under meetings and coffee cards.

Suddenly the voice in my head got louder:

“You’re not good enough, mate.”
“Who are you to start a business?”
“You’ll probably cock it up anyway.”

Sound familiar?

That voice follows you to Bali, the cruise ship, the fancy co‑working space with overpriced smoothies. It doesn’t care where you go.

So before you start chasing planes and passive income, do yourself a favour, unf#ck what’s between your ears first.

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Freedom, AKA,the stories we tell ourselves

The online world sells three main “freedoms.” Let’s tear them apart a bit.

Financial Freedom – aka Money Doesn’t Heal Anxiety

Sure, money helps. Bills paid = fewer freak‑outs.
But freedom isn’t in your bank balance.
I’ve watched people with six‑figure months still panic over engagement rates.

Money buys options — not peace.

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 Location Freedom – Working from Bali, dodging mozzies & Wi‑Fi gremlins

I’ve done the “remote paradise” thing.
Picture me: laptop, sunset, fan spinning like a jet engine, power outage mid‑Zoom.
Still had deadlines, impostor syndrome, and a sunburnt nose.

Freedom by geography alone = just a hot office.

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Time Freedom – TBD: because you’ll fill it with scrolling anyway

I thought having all the time in the world would make me zen.
Instead, I used it to panic about not doing enough with it.

Free time without direction turns into doom scroll time.

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The Real One: Mind Freedom

This is where the gold is.
Freedom is when you can sit in silence and not spiral.
It’s being able to choose thoughts like you choose outfits — “eh, not this one today.”

It’s laughing at your inner chaos, then cracking on anyway.

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Freedom FEELS different than it looks on Instagram

It’s not some cinematic slow‑mo shot with a laptop on a beach.
It’s mundane moments that actually feel safe.

• Sleeping eight hours because guilt isn’t chasing you.
• Drinking your coffee without checking your metrics.
• Choosing when to work, not when the anxiety says it’s safe.

Freedom feels like presence, not performance.

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The Two Enemies of Freedom

1. Overthinking Everything (aka the brain’s favourite hobby)

Thinking isn’t action.
Everyone wants the perfect plan; no one wants the messy start.

2. Noise in → Noise out

If your feed’s full of super‑humans selling “dream lives”, your head’s gonna compare, despair, and swear.

Audit your inputs, mate.

If it drains you, mute it.

Protecting your brain isn’t fluffy — it’s strategy.

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Where Calm Meets Freedom

If you’ve followed me for a bit, you know I bang on about calm.

Not the spa kind — the competent chaos kind.

Because when things hit the fan, calm is the only real flex.

And before you ask – yeah, I practice what I preach. I built my little 5‑Day Calm Reset to help with the daily mind‑tangles.

But if you want something deeper – like retraining that lovely brain of yours for focus, energy, and clarity – I use Mindvalley.

They’ve essentially built a global gym for the mind:

110 + programs from world‑class teachers, 20 minutes a day, zero fluff.

It’s where tech meets timeless wisdom.

A better you, every day — that’s literally their vibe.

(Yep, that’s my affiliate link. If you join, I might earn coffee money. No smoke, just honesty.)

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Freedom’s an Inside Job

Here’s the plot twist — you don’t find freedom.
You practice it.

Every small action proving you’re steering the ship:

• One message sent.
• One product launched.
• One boundary held.

Action kills fear faster than any affirmation ever will.

You don’t think your way into clarity.
You act your way there.

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Freedom Doesn’t Need a Passport

Bali’s great. Cruises are fun.
But if your head’s cluttered, you could be sitting on a throne of palm trees and still feel like a prisoner.

So what’s “freedom,” really?

Doing work that lights your brain, staying calm when it doesn’t,
laughing mid‑chaos, and remembering you’re enough before the wins land.

That’s it.

Not Bali. Not benzene‑priced coffee. Not more zeros in Stripe.

Just that.

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Your Challenge This Week

Do one thing your fear tells you not to.

Doesn’t have to be grand:

Write that post, send that pitch, launch that freebie, DM that person.

Prove to yourself that you can move while scared.

Because freedom isn’t on the beach… it’s in that micro‑moment you back yourself.

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Final Thoughts

Freedom looks loud online.

But in reality, it’s quiet.

You reclaim it each time you catch the BS thought, laugh, and keep going.

You build it every time you choose curiosity over comfort.

And you’ll know you’ve got it when a mozzie bites you mid‑Zoom call… and instead of swearing, you just grin and keep typing.

Because that, my friend, is real freedom.

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Resources That Keep Me Grounded

• 5‑Day Calm Reset — my free mini‑challenge to declutter your headspace.
• Mindvalley Membership — for when you’re ready to train your mind like you train your business.

(Affiliate note: I might earn a small commission if you join — no extra cost to you. I only recommend what I genuinely use and rate.)