Last Updated on June 24, 2025 by Chin Yi Xuan
The Chinese bamboo tree takes 5 years to grow. It has to be watered and fertilized in the ground where it’s been planted every single day. It doesn’t break through the ground for 5 years. But once it breaks through the ground, it grows 90 feet tall in 6 weeks.
“The stillness of becoming” is a quote I came across lately.
And I love it – because similar to bamboo, it reflects our inner resilience in the journey of achieving our goals.
Even when the outcome is yet to be seen.
My slow & steady Freedom Fund Journey
I started building my Freedom Fund (dividend portfolio) from scratch a few years ago.
Because I knew the importance of a stable and low-maintenance dividend income (ie. passive cashflow) in an uncertain world.
- What was my dividend in 2020? RM316 (RM26/month)
- 2021: RM1397 (RM116/month)
- 2022: RM2079 (RM173/month)
- 2023: RM3924 (RM327/month)
- 2024: RM7135 (RM595/month)
- As of May 2025, RM3035.69 (RM607/month)
My eventual milestone? An annual dividend of RM48,000, or RM4,000/month.
Every capital invested now will be my foundation, the roots, to my Freedom of Choice in life.
- To say ‘No’ to uninspiring projects/work
- To have the freedom to spend time with my loved ones
- To live a life without having to ask for anyone’s permission
Do you have the humility to start small & grow steadily?
Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.
– James Clear
Simply put, to get the result you want, you first have to become the person with the habit of getting the result.
The biggest challenge? Our willingness to start small and grow steadily:
- We’d despise a 10-min workout session because it is too short
- We’d rather not read 5 pages of a book because it is not meaningful
- We’d rather not invest the extra $50 because we think it is too insignificant
Everyone wants results; few are willing to take the very first step – showing up.
‘The stillness of becoming’ = The humility to show up
Stepping into my 30s got me to realize something:
It is more important to build the proper foundations in life than to chase quick results.
This means going back to the basics. Like learning to do proper workouts, building quality relationships with my readers (you all!), and growing my Freedom Fund steadily.
Not all progress is loud. But one day, it all adds up.
And just like the bamboo, when the time is right—your growth will be unstoppable.
