This Thanksgiving, Give Yourself Permission to Live Now

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As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to express my gratitude for YOU! I want to reconnect with you and revisit why this community exists. Many new readers have joined recently, while others have been here from the beginning. Whatever brought you here, I'm grateful.

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This week isn't just about gratitude—it's about taking honest inventory of the lives we're building. Gratitude and financial clarity both require awareness, reflection, and intention. They both demand we look closely at what we have, what we want, and what truly matters.

So let me reintroduce myself through the story that shaped both my mission and this newsletter.

Who I Am, and Why This Newsletter Exists

I'm Najma Zanelli. For 20+ years in Fortune 100 finance roles, I became fluent in numbers and strategy. But my work revealed something troubling: brilliant executives struggled with personal finances. Entrepreneurs who built thriving businesses couldn't explain their own cash flow. High earners carried overwhelming financial anxiety. Families sank into debt—not from a lack of discipline, but from a lack of guidance.

The pattern was clear: People don't struggle with money because they're irresponsible. They struggle because no one taught them how money actually works in real life.

Simple, straightforward, judgment-free guidance was missing. Fundamental financial literacy was missing. Compassion around money was missing.

So I created what I wished existed:

• A place where finances could be learned in a human way

• Where complexity becomes clarity

• Where you feel guided, not judged

• Where growth is measurable, practical, and sustainable

This newsletter is that place.

But Live Rich Retire Rich didn't start in a boardroom. It began with my family's personal journey.

The Personal Story That Sparked the Mission

My father, a world-class chef, spent decades raising six children in NYC. We grew up without luxury but rich in culture, values, and love. He was the kind of man who went without so we could have what we needed.

Like many parents of his generation, he measured safety through sacrifice. He rarely spent on himself—wouldn't even buy tea outside. Every extra dollar went toward responsibilities or investments back in Bangladesh.

He planned for a future he never got to enjoy.

My father retired in his 60s. Shortly after, he passed away from Parkinson's at 69.

His passing reshaped my understanding of wealth and time. It taught me the heartbreaking cost of postponing life. It made me question the narrative many of us inherited: work hard, save everything, live later.

But what happens when later never arrives?

Live Rich Retire Rich is my response to that question. It's built on the understanding that a secure future only matters when it complements a meaningful present.

You don't need to choose between living well now and retiring well later. A life well-lived includes both.

What It Truly Means to Live Rich

To live rich is to live intentionally, not extravagantly. It means experiencing your life now, not delaying joy indefinitely. It means making financial decisions that reflect your values, not your fears.

Living rich looks different for everyone. For some, it's time with family. For others, it's the ability to rest, travel, or pursue creative work. For many, it's designing a life aligned with who they truly are.

Living rich isn't about possessions. It's about peace. Presence. Quality of life. Creating room to breathe, enjoy, heal, grow, and be human.

When you live with financial clarity, you live with more control. When you live with intention, you experience greater fulfillment.

What It Means to Retire Rich

Retiring rich isn't about hitting a specific dollar amount. It's about retiring with dignity, confidence, and independence. Having choices. Knowing you'll be taken care of. Designing a future that sustains you and allows you to rest peacefully.

Retiring rich means your later years reflect your effort, not your fears. You've built a foundation that holds you securely. You've honored both your present and future self.

When you retire rich, you're not dependent. Not fearful. Not surviving. You're living.

This is why I focus on both sides:

• Live Rich. Retire Rich.

• Today and tomorrow.

• Joy and wisdom.

• Experience and security.

You deserve both.

Your Journey and Why It Matters

This Thanksgiving, let's shift the spotlight to you.

Your progress and resilience deserve acknowledgment. Many arrived seeking clarity. Others came because money felt overwhelming. Some want more for their families or refuse to repeat patterns they witnessed growing up.

Whatever brought you here, you took a step many never take:

• You chose awareness over avoidance

• Intention over fear

• Growth over stagnation

That choice is powerful.

Financial well-being is emotional work as much as practical work. It requires vulnerability, reflection, unlearning, and relearning. It requires rewriting stories about money, sacrifice, and success.

You're doing meaningful work. Be proud of that. This community honors your full journey: breakthroughs, setbacks, realizations, questions, courage, and commitment.

What You Can Expect Moving Forward

In the coming weeks, I'll share more about my updated financial freedom course—a guided experience rooted in practical change and personal transformation. It takes you from "I know what to do" to "I did it," with live weekly support and tangible results.

But today isn't about that. Today is about gratitude. Connection. Honoring where you are and acknowledging how far you've come.

A Thanksgiving Reflection

This week, consider what richness means to you—not theoretically, but in lived experience. What brings you peace? What allows you to breathe deeper? What contributes to your sense of security, joy, or meaning?

Ask yourself:

• What does a rich life look like for me today?

• What does a rich retirement look like for my future?

• How can I nurture both with intention?

You've already taken the crucial step by becoming aware. The following steps unfold naturally as you continue learning, growing, and making intentional choices.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you. Thank you for permitting yourself to evolve.

This community exists because of you, and I'm grateful for every reader who shows up with openness and willingness to grow.

Wishing you a thoughtful, peaceful, and meaningful Thanksgiving week.

With love & Abundance,
Najma Zanelli
Explore Offerings
Founder, NAZ Global Consultancy
Follow me on IG: @najma_zanelli
Email: [email protected]