Can you buy happiness?
Short answer: No
Long answer: Not quite
A better answer:
If you sat down and thought about it, or even did some research, you’d find out pretty quickly that no amount of money in the world ever made anyone truly happy. If you see your neighbors in the nicer house, do you think they’re “happier” than you?
Money may solve some problems that only it can fix. Problems like cancer can certainly be “solved,” — but maybe only provide temporary relief. Problems like debt can obviously be resolved. But curing debt and being happy are two very different things.
Imagine right now if you were debt free, imagine that you’ve added a zero to your income along with adding passive income, you own your favorite car, live in your dream home right on the beach, and you are finally able to go on that vacation to the Mediterranean you’ve been dreaming about for years… Are you then truly, deeply happy? Or are you just financially stress-free and able to afford the “luxuries” you couldn’t before?
This is a major question people forget to answer for themselves on their path to building wealth. They get caught up in trying to just make money. If the ultimate goal is to swim in piles of cash, you’ll never get there if you’re not looking within yourself first. You’ll get lost in get-rich-quick schemes that still, at the end of the day, do not make you happy.
Because to build wealth, happiness must come first.
This doesn’t mean you need to have a smile on your face all the time to build wealth. It means you need to find your purpose in life, find what you love to do the most and discover ways to make money doing it.
Someone might become a lawyer so they can be rich. A lawyer might make six figures easily. He works long hours, stuck in an office, and endure a highly stressful career. Is he happy? Does he have healthy relationships? A fulfilling life? Is he physically healthy? Is his money working for him?
The idea that you have to love yourself before you can love someone else goes for wealth, too. How can you expect to attract abundance (money, health, love) in your life if you’re not resolving what you lack (purpose, drive, willingness to change)?
Start discovering your true passion in life. Find out ways to earn a living from it. Surround yourself with like-minded people who will lift you up, educate you, and hold you accountable for achieving your goals. Cultivate healthy relationships, eat healthy, make time for yourself, and start living a life you always imagined.
So, instead of working hard for the money — unhappy and unfulfilled, work smart to make the money work for you. That’s what building wealth is all about.
To learn more about how to truly be wealthy, read my New York Times bestselling book, Wealth Can’t Wait, available everywhere.