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 WHAT YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY ON |
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If you
answered yes to at least three of these five questions, you're influenced
by the money-equals-happiness myth.
Debunking Money =
Happiness
To begin to challenge this belief, I recommend that
you think about, write down, or tape-record the answers to the following
three questions:
What two activities do you love to do that make you very happy?
How much does it cost to do these activities?
Are these activities best done alone or with others?
I have
done this exercise with many diverse groups through the years. Invariably,
the majority of people in each group will choose at least one activity
that costs very little money or no money at all. (For most people, making
love is on the free list!) And most people find that at least one of their
activities, if not both, is best done with another person. So maybe it is
social connections that equals happiness. Participants in my workshops are
pleasantly surprised when they realize that many of the things they love
in their lives cost nothing or next to nothing. If your results are
similar, let this awareness remind you that much of your happiness has
very little to do with money at all.
Here's another useful
exercise to try:
For one week or one month, keep track of what you spend your money on.
On a scale of 1 to 10, rate the fulfillment that each expenditure
brings you.
This exercise can be a real eye-opener, for it shows
you many ways in which you use your money that don't add one iota to your
happiness and fulfillment. If, after reading and trying these exercises,
you still believe that "if only I had more money, I'd really be happy,"
take a little time to search for and note examples that run counter to the
money-equals-happiness myth. Think about people you know personally, or
have read or heard about, who:
Don't have a lot of money but are very happy.
Have a lot of money and are not happy.
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