There are two ways to be rich – make more money, or spend less and be grateful with what you’ve got.
With any busy job, it’s easy to lose this perspective. It’s not rocket science, but it’s something I find really useful when confronted with the latest shiny phone/car/boat/helicopter.
Humans are good at getting used to a certain lifestyle – this is why payrises are a poor way to increase employee happiness in the longer term. There’s a temporary boost at the time, but a person quickly gets used to the new level of money and adjusts their lifestyle to fit. A miserable person is unlikely to change as a result of more money, even with a big lottery win (see article on Business Insider).
I’m mindful of a particularly cringeworthy comment on The Apprentice. The person speaking said something along the lines of – “If I’m crying, I’d rather be crying in a sportscar”.
Of course, this is likely to have been said for effect, but even so, the message is somewhat tragic (I stopped watching after this!)
Being grateful for what I have has been really helpful to maintain my positive outlook and happiness. Taking some time out each day to write this in my journal has proved very valuable.
Stepping back from our consumer culture, and learning what being rich truly is has really helped ground my thinking in an increasingly busy world.