FBC – 112 – Find Happiness in something bigger than you

Find Happiness in something bigger than you.

Today is a special day for me. I am finally able to contribute to a good cause that goes far beyond anything I have accomplished so far. You can help me make a positive impact on people's lives and give a better future to kids.

If you would like to join Claire and Richard in THEIR effort to create a bright future for kids, you can become a patreon of this podcast and support it here: anchor.fm/freedom-by-choice/support (click on the purple button “support this podcast”)

Remember, ANY support you will give to this podcast will go a 100% to sponsoring kids and giving them a smile.

There is no obligation to support the podcast, I will continue posting daily episodes regardless. If you appreciate the podcast and the efforts I put into helping people around me, then don't hesitate to give me a hand.

Here is the link again: anchor.fm/freedom-by-choice/support

I want to thank you in advance for your precious help and support

Martin.

So today is a very special episode for me and I just wanted to ask you guys for your help OK.

Some of you guys have been following me since day one. I really thank you for all your support. And it's been an amazing journey for me. I learned a lot, I grew a lot and my life is constantly changing and a lot of things have changed for me. I met all kids from the orphanage which made me, I think a better person.

I told you yes that my buddy saw me and he was like dude you're happier than before. And I think it has a lot to do with me meeting these kids and being able to do stuff that actually matters because this is something I actually wanted to do in my life. You know do something that makes a difference, whatever it is.

So today for all the support together you have given me so far and maybe I've helped you guys with some stuff, I just wanted you guys to help me with something that's really dear to my heart. OK so. The app that I'm using is called the anchor, to syndicate the podcast. They have created a something really cool which is a system of patrons.

So patrons are basically people who love your stuff and are willing to show you their support simply by donating some money for their artistic creation. So usually this is what it's for. So you can say well you know what I really love your podcast. And I would like to support you. So I am willing to pay like either five bucks or ten bucks a month because I absolutely love your content and all the research and everything you're doing for me.

And this is a way for me to give back. OK so they allow us now to be able to have a support link. By following the link that I would put in the description, it will be nice if you could show me some support now with something very important.

So I don't need the support for myself. It's just that I have been trying to find a way to change these kids’ lives. So I’m donating myself every month to make sure that they can have activities, but you can help me today change these kid's lives because a hundred percent and I repeat this a hundred percent of anything that comes through this support link is going to go to the kids. All right. That will allow me to sponsor the kids.

So 100 percent of anything that will come in from this support will go to the kids and we'll be able to support the kids for like a full year you know. So that means they get to be kids, because this is the thing. Just to explain the background of it is that the kids are well thing taken care of in terms of you know food and shelter and stuff which is absolutely amazing.

But now that I've spent some time with them, I know I want kids to be kids but they have the right to be kids and have activities and go out and live a normal life, instead of being in a situation where they're stuck at the orphanage and they're constantly being reminded that they're orphans. Right.

So this whole project is to be able to expand their possibilities and everything. And you know your contribution. I mean as small as you think that contribution is, can help a kid live a normal life. To give them a better perspective, because right now it's sad to say but all of them are basically kind of stuck in a mentality where they all will end up being like either a mechanic or a waiter.

Not that there's anything wrong with being a mechanic or a waiter or anything. It's just that the possibilities that they think they have very limited. Right so they're working like hospitality or a maid or something like this because this is what they aspire to because they don't know anything else.

They're not confronted with the world. Right. So something we want to build and something I'm going to dedicate my energy to, is to understand what each and every kid wants and try to find the people who can guide them there. And for this project, I will need your support.

Your support will be invaluable. You can't even imagine. So even if it's even if it's like 99 cents, it's going to help.

Find Happiness in something bigger than you

So my message to you today is that now at the end of each podcast, I will ask the people who want to join in and help us change these kids world to contribute if they want to help us. All right.

So that’s pretty much it for today. I'm very happy that I was able to activate this option on the podcast. So I want to specify something. If you don't donate or anything like support the podcast, it doesn't mean that I'm going to stop the content. The content is going to be here regardless. So yes there is absolutely no obligation for you to do anything. You can still listen to the podcast.

If you understand how passionate I am about this cause and if you just want to help some kids get a better life then then you can help us by doing this.

And each and every one of you who were listening to this podcast, I really want to thank you because it really helps me and makes me happier every day.

About the Author

Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches, from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms, while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does happiness require a goal bigger than yourself?

Self-focused goals cap out quickly because the brain adapts to personal wins within weeks. A cause that helps others provides a renewable source of meaning because the work is never finished. Operators with a beneficiary outside themselves report higher satisfaction across long projects.

How do you pick a cause that fits your business?

Find the overlap between a problem you have personally lived and a population your existing skills can serve immediately. If the cause connects to your origin story, you will sustain effort through hard quarters when revenue-only motivation would fade. Avoid borrowed causes that feel good but lack any operational link to you.

How much should you give if you are still early in your business?

Start with 1 percent of revenue or 4 hours per month, whichever is harder. The habit matters more than the amount in the first year. Founders who wait until they are rich to give back rarely start giving, because the threshold keeps moving as income grows.

Can supporting a cause actually grow your business?

Yes, when the cause is genuinely tied to your work and not performative marketing. Customers, partners, and press treat substantive giving as a credibility signal. The growth comes from the relationships and trust the cause builds, not from a campaign on a single platform.

Related Reading

• FBC – 4 Part 1 – This is the story of my life: Success, Failure and The Hurdles.
• FBC – 3 – Escape your life of sacrifice! Don’t settle for less than your dream lifestyle.
• FBC – 8 – The Weirdest Challenge To Boost Your Confidence
• Other really cool tips that will give you an unfair advantage

Further reading

• Martin's story page: the full origin story on Martin's story page.
• LinkedIn Newsletter (Diary of a Virtual CEO): operational tactics covered weekly in the LinkedIn Newsletter (Diary of a Virtual CEO).
• Harvard Business Review: research on solo and founder-led operations from Harvard Business Review.
• HubSpot Blog: sales and marketing benchmarks on the HubSpot Blog.