1. Income is vanity. Net worth is sanity. I've watched business owners clear $300K and stress about rent. I've watched others make $80K and sleep like babies. The difference isn't the paycheck — it's the system behind it. 2. Here's the trap nobody warns you about: income goes up, lifestyle goes up faster. New car. Bigger house. Nicer vacations. Five years later you're making twice as much and still living paycheck to paycheck. Just with better furniture. 3. Financial independence isn't about how