The Beautiful Lie: Why Money, Time, and Ego Are Keeping You Trapped

I lived on a mountain in Castelo Branco, Portugal, off-grid, for four years. No electricity, no internet — just me, the wind, the trees, and the quiet. Later, I moved to Viseu, by a river, to feel life flow a little differently.

During those years, I learned something important: most of what makes us unhappy in life is not real.

Money, time, and ego — the things we think control us — are all illusions.

1. Money Isn’t Freedom

Most people think money will make them happy. I used to think that too. I worked long hours in offices, bought things I didn’t need, and constantly worried about having enough. Every day felt like a treadmill: earn, spend, worry, repeat. The more I earned, the more I wanted, and the less satisfied I became.

On the mountain, money meant nothing. I had no supermarket to visit, no restaurants to spend at, no stores to distract me. I survived on rainwater, a small garden, firewood, and what I could gather from the forest. I learned to be creative and resourceful — how to cook simple meals, fix my tools, and make a small space feel like home.

Alan Watts ( a British philosopher from early 1900s who helped bring Eastern ideas like mindfulness and living in the present to the Western world.) said, “We are so anxious for the future that we forget to enjoy the present.” Living without money’s pull, I finally understood what he meant. Comfort comes from understanding your needs, not from how much you can buy. Happiness comes from simplicity, not accumulation.

I also noticed something strange: the less I worried about money, the more freedom I felt. I could spend my days walking in the forest, listening to birds, watching the clouds drift over the mountains. The world felt generous. I realized that chasing money had made me blind to the richness of life I already had.

Working Hard vs. Living Life

I used to work 100 hours a week. I thought money would make me happy.

I bought houses I barely lived in. Cars that sat in garages. Lots of stuff I didn’t really need.

At the end of the month, after paying bills, I had almost nothing left. No savings. No freedom. No life. Just stress and exhaustion.

Now, I earn very little. My life in Viseu is simple. I have a peaceful house, small airbnb a small garden by a river. My bills are small.

And you know what? I end up with about the same money. But now, I have something I never had before: time and life to actually enjoy.

I wake up with the sun. I walk by the river. I watch the seasons change. I listen to the wind and the water.

The lesson is simple: working for money alone doesn’t make you rich. Working less and living more gives you true wealth — the life you can actually spend.

2. Time Isn’t Real

We all live by clocks and schedules, believing time is a strict ruler. Deadlines, appointments, alarms — they make us feel like we are always behind, always missing something. We race through life, checking the hours and minutes, thinking that if we hurry hard enough, we can finally catch up.

On the mountain, the sun rose and set without asking me what I thought. The seasons changed without consulting my calendar. The stream flowed, the wind blew, and I began to see that time is a tool — not a master. I stopped counting hours and started noticing moments: the sun warming my hands, frost crunching beneath my boots, the sudden flight of a hawk across the valley.

Alan Watts said, “The meaning of life is just to be alive.” That is exactly what I learned. Life doesn’t happen in schedules or spreadsheets. It happens in experiences.

By living close to nature, I began to understand the rhythm of life in a way I never could in the city. I learned patience, and I learned that some things cannot be rushed — like a seed growing into a tree or a river carving its path. Time, I realized, was never something I needed to conquer. It was something I needed to notice, and honor.

3. Ego Is a Trap

The ego is the voice that says, I am separate, I am important, I need more. It’s the part of us that worries constantly about being right, being noticed, being admired. In the city, it pushes you to compare yourself to others, to climb, to compete.

Alone on the mountain, with no one to impress, I felt my ego start to fade. At first, it was uncomfortable — it was like losing part of myself. But slowly, I discovered something incredible: without the ego’s constant chatter, I could see life more clearly. I realized I was not just “Alex Sully” — I was part of everything: the trees, the wind, the stones, the river that would eventually become my new home.

Watts said, “You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.” That’s exactly what it felt like. Each morning, standing barefoot on cold stone, I could feel the sun, the wind, and the earth all at once. The sense of self that once consumed me became a window, not a wall.

I learned to listen to the world instead of constantly asserting myself. I noticed the small creatures, the rhythm of the forest, the subtle changes in weather — things I had ignored in my rush to prove I mattered. My ego, once a prison, had become a lens through which I could finally see life’s beauty.

The Cost of Control and Constant Planning: Health Impact

Trying to control everything — your schedule, your money, your future and your ego — is more than stressful. It has real effects on your body and mind. Science shows that chronic stress can be very damaging:

• Heart and circulation: Constant stress raises blood pressure and heart rate. Over time, this increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

• Brain and mental health: Chronic stress floods the brain with cortisol, which can shrink the hippocampus — the area for memory and learning — and increase anxiety and depression.

• Immune system: Long-term stress weakens the immune system, making you more likely to get sick.

• Sleep and recovery: Stress and overplanning make it harder to fall asleep or get deep sleep, leaving you exhausted even after a full night.

• Digestive system: Stress can cause stomach problems, ulcers, and other digestive issues.

  
  

When I worked 100 hours a week, constantly planning and trying to control everything, I felt it in my body: tension in my shoulders, headaches, poor sleep, and a racing heart. My mind never rested.

Living simply, off-grid in Castelo Branco, and later by the river in Viseu, I learned to slow down and let go. Meditation, long walks, working with my hands, listening to nature — all helped reduce stress naturally. My sleep improved, headaches disappeared, my energy returned, and my mind became calmer.

Its called living fully in the present. Science now confirms it: reducing stress, being mindful, and letting go of unnecessary control improves health, increases lifespan, and makes life feel richer.

Moving to Viseu: Water Teaches Flow

After four years on the mountain, I moved to Viseu, by a river. Mountains taught me stillness and patience, but the river taught me movement and flow. I wanted life to feel lighter, to move with less struggle.

The river moves around rocks, bends when it must, and never fights its path. Watching it, I realized life works the same way: you can resist, but resistance brings suffering. You can flow, and life becomes easier.

I still live simply. I still cook my own food, still spend hours walking along the river, still watch the seasons change. But now I see that life is not about escaping the world — it’s about moving with it.

The river taught me that letting go doesn’t mean giving up. It means seeing clearly where to put your energy and where to simply float.

What Life Really Wants

Most suffering comes from believing lies:

• Money will make you happy.

• Time is always running out.

• Ego is real.

None of these are true. They are stories we tell ourselves to explain why we feel anxious or incomplete. The truth is simple: life is always here, waiting. You don’t need to earn it, control it, or protect it. You just need to pay attention.

Surviving With Less: Money, Time, and Ego

Living with less isn’t just about money. It’s about surviving and thriving in three ways: financially, emotionally, and mentally.

Money

You don’t need a big salary to live well. Buy a small, cheap house. Drive an old car that works. Grow your own food. Fix things instead of buying new. Cut unnecessary bills with solar panels or rainwater collection.

When you simplify like this, your money goes further. You don’t live paycheck to paycheck. You don’t work 100 hours a week to end up with nothing. You survive — and even gain freedom.

Time

Time is more valuable than money. Working less and slowing down gives you space to enjoy life. Travel less. Walk by your local river or forest. Explore the hills around your home. Watch the seasons change.

The mountain in Castelo Branco taught me patience. The river in Viseu taught me flow. Life isn’t about rushing. Life is about noticing, being present, and spending time where it matters.

Ego

The ego is the hardest trap. It makes you chase approval, status, and material things. It makes you believe you must be someone special to deserve happiness.

Living simply, with less, strips away the ego. You learn you don’t need fancy houses, expensive cars, or constant recognition. You are enough as you are. The mountain and river show you that life doesn’t care about your title — only that you are present and aware.

When you survive like this, you gain true wealth:

• You have money for essentials without stress.

• You have time to enjoy the world around you.

• You have freedom from ego and constant comparison.

The Lesson — A Life Uncovered

Money is useful, but it isn’t life.

Time is a tool, not a master.

Ego is a mask; remove it, and you see clearly.

Once you see through these illusions, life becomes simple, beautiful, and enough. The world isn’t a problem to solve — it’s a gift to experience.

Even now, sitting by the river in Viseu, I watch the water catch the light of the late afternoon sun. Each ripple reminds me that life moves on, with or without my permission. I see the reflection of the sky, the trees, and myself, and for the first time, I feel the truth of it all: I was never lost. I was only asleep.

On the mountain in Castelo Branco, the wind taught me patience. The stones taught me endurance. On the river in Viseu, the water teaches me flow. And in between, life has been whispering the same message I ignored for years: you are enough. You always were.

All the struggles, the chasing, the worries about tomorrow — they fade in the face of this simple reality. The fire in the hearth, the scent of rain on stone, the sound of the river — these are not small moments. They are life itself, waiting quietly for us to notice.

So I sit. I breathe. I watch the river carry fallen leaves, and I let it remind me that letting go is not losing, but gaining. I let go of the illusion that I must control everything, that I must earn everything, that I must be someone else to matter.

And in that letting go, I finally see: life has been patient all along. The mountains, the rivers, the wind — they have been teaching me, waiting for me to wake up.

The illusions of money, time, and ego are not enemies. They are shadows. And shadows cannot exist without light. When you turn toward the light — toward the present, toward the real, toward the quiet truth of being alive — the shadows disappear.

I have learned to walk slowly, to notice deeply, to live fully. The mountain and the river have taught me what no paycheck, no schedule, no title ever could: that peace is not a destination. It is the journey itself.

And now, with the river at my feet, the wind on my face, and the sky above, I finally understand: I am home. I always was.