I talk a LOT on Millionaire Habits about the habits you need to make obscene amounts of money in your lifetime.
After all, the more money you make, the better. Right?
Well, maybe.
Up to a point, making more money probably will boost your happiness, reduce your stress and make you a stronger person.
But that doesn’t mean that phenomenon will continue forever.
In fact, earning more money beyond a certain point (that point is different for everyone) will stop making you happy.
It could do the opposite.
And that’s the last secret, and one that millionaires learn the hard way.
Secret #5: Riches might not make you happy
<< Missed the other secrets? Here’s #1, #2, #3 and #4 >>
Happiness is one of those feelings that materializes from so much more in our lives than just the money. Money is a component, yes, but it’s just one component of a much wider net that covers things like our relationships, jobs, purpose and meaning in our life.
In other words, being rich is great, but it won’t automatically make us happy.
Rich people aren’t always happy, writes Time Magazine. Money tends to complicate our lives. It also makes us more isolated and less likely to socialize with those around us.
“Wealth engenders isolation because acquiring more money predisposes people toward keeping their distance—or more simply, they might not need their peers in the same way.“
Depending on the person, isolation could have a devastating effect.
The larger point isn’t to dismiss wealth or argue that it’s “bad.” Rather, my point is to dispel the belief that riches will somehow cover up the portions of our lives that bother us. Money won’t do that.
It may temporarily distract us, but it does not fix human problems.
Rich people may not show it, but as we’ve seen from the unfortunate suicides of popular Hollywood personalities like Anthony Bourdain and Robin Williams, earning lots of money by itself isn’t a solution to anything.
Earning lots of money:
- Doesn’t make us rich without aggressive saving
- Won’t magically improve our relationship
- Can’t put a day-long smile on our face
Again, money isn’t inherently evil. It doesn’t instantly change who we are as people and it also won’t fix our problems or give us a purpose.
Instead, money has a way of magnifying whatever’s there to begin with. If we’re super happy people, money could make us even happier.
But then again, if we aren’t happy people, money will make it worse.
The key is to understand that money doesn’t fix problems. Money is here as a tool to facilitate our happiness. The happier that we are as people before getting rich, the happier we will be after getting there.
Thanks, and that’s it! I sincerely hope that you enjoyed these five money secrets and gained some value out of it. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out by replying to this email.
I’m always here and I love hearing what you have to say.
