"It's perfectly normal to discover that life post-financial freedom isn't as happy as one might have expected it to be."
The article "Fulfilment and the FIRE Movement: The Realities of Life After Early Retirement"by INSEAD Knowledge is spot on: The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retired Early) status does not automatically lead to happiness in life as many would have thought. Purpose and values remain as the recipe of living in fulfilment.
I believe we all have our life purposes, and living them is the path to fulfilment. We might not have the concrete description of the life purpose which serves more like the North Star to guide us. It's always there to shape our journey. Knowing our life purposes give us the peace of mind, courage and sense of belonging.
Values are the qualities that make us thrive. When our values are being honored, we feel energized and at ease. When our values are being conflicted, we feel dragged, incomplete and emotional at times. We usually hear values like integrity, respect, etc. when values can also be 'being playful,' 'connecting with others,' etc. Being aware of our own values allows us to know when we can be at our bests and to preempt ourselves in the value-conflicting situations.
"Accumulating millions is not a prerequisite for achieving financial independence; rather, lifestyle choices allowed them to define their own path to freedom."
You don't need to wait till you achieve FIRE, you can choose to find your purpose and values now. It's your choice.
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