In my travels across seven different countries in Latin America in the last two years, I’ve met hundreds of expats and digital nomads who would agree with me on this:

The absence of competition has helped me become happier, healthier and wealthier.

Wait… What?

You’d likely assume the opposite. Especially because I’m a Type A entrepreneur, I need competition around me for motivation.

Yet it’s true. Let me explain.

Life in the USA

I deleted my Instagram account four years ago.

I hated the fake lives many of my friends would portray. I knew them well, and how they made their life appear on an app was not true to who they are. In reality, most were depressed, angry and stagnant.

But on the social media platform, everything looked rosy as can be.

Ever heard of “keeping up with the Joneses”? The United States is home to the most relentless race for success, wealth and status in the world, which is partly fueled by social media.

This is the same reason today’s young people lack so much confidence. Because they’re constantly comparing themselves to society’s best of the best.

This is totally unnatural human behavior, and no one disagrees with what I just said.

In the grand scheme of things, what’s the purpose of life? To be happy? To do what you want when you want where you want? To build a family? To be loved?

Everyone’s goal is different. But usually, it’s some hybrid of the examples I laid out – after you dig deep enough when someone says “To buy a mansion in Beverly Hills” 🙄

America has made us believe we’re in competition to climb the corporate ladder the fastest, buy the most expensive car, and make the highest income.

But none of those latter goals has anything to do with the former.

Really, you should just be competing with yourself from yesterday.

Life in Latin America

So I learned this lesson after a while in Latin America.

The environment is completely different than the United States. And because it’s a large region of 700 million people, each subregion and city are completely different as well.

But generally speaking, I’ve found the culture to be extremely welcoming. Very few flaunt success or compare their achievements because they’re focused on more important things like making their spouse happy or sharing a meal with their mom or spending time in the evening with their kid.

They seek fulfillment from within.

And they’ve taught me that because I’m intrinsically motivated (meaning I don’t need Lamborghinis or Rolexes or Elon Musk to motivate me), I can thrive without the constant hum of success, wealth and luxury around me.

Look, I love my life in Latin America. But I’m not naive enough to believe this is the right place for everyone.

(It may not even be the right place for you, loyal reader of the Freedom Files.)

I’m surrounded by, in some cases, the world’s most extreme poverty but paradoxically, some of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life.

One of the most underrated benefits of living here is that while I can motivate myself to kill it online, I can turn it all off and not have to worry about impressing others or competing in my free time. No one asks how my business is doing in a way that feels like they’re comparing it against their own.

So if you thrive on external validation and consider yourself extrinsically motivated, maybe Monaco or Singapore are better locations for you.

Life in Europe

I’ve yet to write this chapter of my life. But something tells me it’ll be a happy medium between the two polar opposite environments I discussed above.

More to come on this soon… 👀