Money is important but how much do you need?

 Beyond the basic needs, money helps us achieve our life’s goals and support the things we care about most deeply-family, education, health care, charity, adventure and fun.  It helps us get some life’s intangibles- freedom or independence, opportunities to make the most of our   skills and talents, ability to choose own course in life and financial security.

But, money    has its own limitations too,

It can  give  us the  time  to appreciate  the  simple  things  in the  life  more  fully, but  not   

the spirit  of innocence  and  wonder necessary to do so.

Money  can give  the time  to develop  our gifts  talents  but not  the courage  and  discipline  to do so.

Money  can give  us the  power  to make  difference  in the life of  others, but  not the  desire  to do so.

It can give us the time to develop and nurture our relationship but not the love and caring necessary to do so.

             

            It can just make us jaded, escapist, selfish and lonely.

How much do you need?   What is it going to cost you getting it?

It is keeping these two questions in mind gives you a true sense of money’s relationship to happiness.   If we  have  less than  what we  need  or if  what  we have  is costing  us too  much, we can  never be happy

Be careful in choosing your life style- It comes with a price tag. Most rich people are spiritually and psychologically poor.

Once you get basic human needs are met, a lot  more money  doesn’t  make a lot more happiness, yes  we get  a thrill  at first  from  expensive  things  but  soon  we get  used to them, a state  of running in place that  economists  call the “ hedonic  treadmill” .   The problem is not money.  It is us.  For deep seated  psychological  reasons, when  it comes  to spending  money, we  tend  to value  goals  over experience.

Seeking the good life at a store is an expensive exercise in futility.  Money can buy us some   happiness but only if we spend our money properly.  We should buy memories.  Money should not cost us our soul, relationship, dignity, health, intelligence and joy in simple things of life.  People who figure out  what they  truly value  and then  align their  money with  those  values, have  the strongest sense of  financial and  personal well being.