Thoughts on Chasing Money

1. Are rich people happier than the poor? 

    Assuming that both the rich and the poor in this hypothetical scenario have enough for basic necessities such as food, clean water and shelter (because we really should not be living in a world where there are people who are worried about surviving) then the answer would be maybe, maybe not. Why? Because what you have does not affect how happy you feel. Think about it. If you were to be given double your salary today, would you feel happy? Most likely for a while. You will be able to buy more things, or go on more holidays. Even just the feeling of the accomplishment that enabled you to earn double your salary would make you happy. However, that is exactly the point. What makes you happy is not the money, or how much you own, but what you do with it. It is the memories you make with people on holiday that make you happy, or the beauty of what you own, or the progress you have made as a person. Also, after a while, if you are not already satisfied with what you have, you will want even more. You will get bored of the new things you have, or the new experiences you have enjoyed as they become normal to you. 

     Think about all the people who have less than you. Would they be happy if they were in your shoes? Or do you think they are happy just the way they are? Think about those who have more than you. Don’t they also have people who have more than them? And if you think of the world’s wealthiest person, are there not also other people who have what they don’t have, who experience things they don’t experience? Therefore, if you are wise, you will understand that the experience of life is the same for everyone, whatever they own. Of course, wealthier people will have access to more opportunities and resources, but their happiness is no greater and no less than anybody else’s.

Mindset challenges

• Imagine you lived the life of someone you find yourself coveting because they are wealthier than you. Would you really truly be happy then, or will you just find even richer people to compare yourself with? If the answer is that you would still be comparing, then your problem is not that you don't have money, but that you are not grateful for what you have. Therefore, it would be beneficial for you to start seeing how much you already have, and to be grateful for it. You could even start sharing what you have with others, because sharing automatically tells your brain that you have enough plus more to spare, which makes you feel like a rich person.

• Imagine what someone poorer than you thinks of you. Do you think that they are coveting what you already have? Before you keep on comparing yourself with others who have more, don't forget that there are also plenty of people who have less than you as well. Just because you have more than them doesn't make you happier, so it is ridiculous to think that if only you were as rich as so and so would make you happier.

2. What is money?

     Money is something we use to gain new experiences. It is worthless on its own and valuable in context. People often try to get more money, but what they really want is more, or different, experiences. Can money buy opportunities? Of course. But are there also opportunities for those with no money? Of course.

Is it bad to want a lot of money and many experiences? No. Is it bad to want little money and live a simple life? No. Money is not good or bad in itself. It does not bring you happiness in itself. It does not bring you friends or success or anything else. Sometimes it helps, making it one part of achieving a goal, but ultimately money is money and it is separate from other things we often like to associate with money. Only when we let our happiness, opportunities and life get tangled up in money do we start to think it is necessary to live a fulfilled life.

Mindset challenges

• What is your relationship with money like? Would you be ok if you had less money than you currently do? Alternatively would your life change drastically if you had more money, or are you happy with your life right now?

• How does money affect you emotionally? Are you scared of it? Are you desperate for it? Does money control you, or do you control money? Where did these habits and beliefs come from? Are they yours, or did you accept the beliefs someone else taught you?