My Legos vs. Barbie Moment

New Canaan, CT

I used to think my story was about money.

Lately, I've realized it's really about agency.

As a kid, I loved Legos and hated Barbies.

Looking back, I don't think it was about the toys.

Barbie lived in a world someone else had already built for her.

With Legos, you built your own.

Later in high school, one afternoon, I came home from school to find a pink notice on our front door—our phone was about to be disconnected.

I could either ignore it and hope someone else handled it... or figure it out myself.

I found my mom's checkbook, wrote out the checks, had her sign them, and I put them in the mail.

That moment meant nothing to me at the time,

but it became everything to me years later.

Years later, I realized Plato's Allegory of the Cave, The Matrix, The Lego Movie, and even Barbie all tell a version of the same story:

The hardest part of life isn't escaping the cave.

It's escaping the stories we've inherited about who we're supposed to be.

For me, freedom didn't come from making more money.

In fact, it felt like a trap.

It came from learning to build my own life instead of waiting for someone else to build it for me.

Maybe that's what confidence really is—not believing you have all the answers, but trusting that whatever life puts in front of you, you'll figure it out.

Sometimes the greatest wealth isn't what you own.

It's knowing you can build again if everything disappears.

If you are having to rebuild, please reach out.

Tiffany Kent

Your Friendly Wealth Engagement Guide

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