Money ≠ Happiness: What are the secrets to unlocking a genuinely happy and meaningful life?

Friday: Mindfulness by Miles FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Happy Friday and welcome to “Mindfulness by Miles!” I’m excited to share with you another topic that can help you improve not just your career but also other aspects of your life. Every Friday, I talk about various tips and insights that are useful for everyday living. These include advice on how to live your best life, become a better version of yourself, let go of negative thoughts, exercise gratitude, and more. In today’s article, I’d like to share with you my thoughts on what makes life truly happy and meaningful. Continue reading below to gain a new perspective on how you can experience genuine and lasting happiness in your life. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Money ≠ Happiness: What are the secrets to unlocking a genuinely happy and meaningful life? Jack Canfield is the originator and co-creator of the bestselling “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series. In one of his podcasts, he talked about his journey towards finding more happiness. His advice wasn’t as straightforward as you might think: He discussed almost everything he knew about the subject—from LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) to finding one’s purpose to avoiding foolishness. [LSD: This refers to a synthetic crystalline compound that is a potent hallucinogenic drug.] In one of the segments of his podcast, he said: “I made USD 6 million in a year. I bought all the things you’re supposed to buy. I bought four cashmere sweaters in different colors and all that stuff… it quickly got very clear that the things outside me were not going to make me happy.” The bottom line of his talk? If you want to be happy, don’t focus on money. Money ≠ Happiness As someone who values the concept of living a meaningful life and believes the best things in life aren’t things, I personally agree that money is not the ultimate way to genuine happiness. Lots of research also support this principle! If you want to be TRULY happy, getting wealthy won’t do the trick. I’m not saying money is useless. We need money to live and it can actually buy us happiness… to a certain extent. In fact, Princeton researchers found that people are less stressed and respond better to life’s challenges once they’re making USD 75,000 a year. However, the researchers also made an important distinction in their study: Money can buy life satisfaction, but NOT happiness. People with more money are just as emotionally unfulfilled as their less wealthy counterparts. This shows while money helps lessen stress and make people comfortable, once they have enough to cover their basic needs, there are diminishing returns on the satisfaction their wealth brings. So… what actually makes people happy? Here are my top 3 observations and thoughts on how you can incorporate these into your life as well: Doing things that TRULY matter. Technology has made everyday life more convenient than ever before. Despite that, depression is still on the rise and more people are getting dissatisfied with their lives. Why? According to various studies, being comfortable all the time actually makes us less happy… and one reason for this is as humans, we find meaning in doing things that matter, even if those things are difficult or challenging. Think about this: When you face and overcome challenges, you become a stronger, happier person in the process. This also makes you realize you’re tougher than you thought, and that builds your self-worth. I personally believe joy in life comes from pursuing things that matter. That’s why I always ask myself: “How much do I actually need to have my and my family’s needs met?” “If I make twice the amount of money I earn at the moment, what would I do with it?” “Why do I want to earn more money in the first place?” For me, answering these questions helps me focus more on important, non-material things instead of material things. Lifting up those around you. One of the strong drivers of happiness is GENEROSITY. Based on scientific research, being generous lights up a part of your brain called the temporo-parietal junction, which activates reward and mood-lifting pathways. The effect isn’t just happiness per se. Helping others and being generous also link strongly with increased health, longevity, well-being, and a sense of purpose in life. So, if you want to be genuinely happy, lift up those around you! However, don’t go overboard with your selfless acts to the point of sacrificing your own performance. Just make it a habit to appreciate what you have at the moment and do a few selfless acts, big or small, every day. These can give your life depth and happiness, and strengthen your connection with those around you. Widening your perspective in life. It’s easy to get caught up in your own world, especially when you’re stressed. That’s why it’s important that every once in a while, you do something that lets you get outside of your comfort zone and gain a wider perspective in life. Below are some options: Meditating Talking to people Reading books Traveling Listening to music Being open to new ideas Learning a new skill … and more. I believe these activities will be beneficial not just for your sanity but also for others’ overall well-being. — It’s easy for us to chase our dreams of becoming wealthy someday. However, if we’re not careful with how we approach each day and live our lives, we could get stuck, confused, dissatisfied, and unhappy. We could end up missing the real point of why we’re working hard, doing our best to earn money, etc.! That’s why it’s important to refrain from thinking about getting wealthy as your end point in living a happy and meaningful life. Money can only buy you satisfaction, but it can’t buy you lasting happiness. I hope you find the points listed above helpful and insightful! Keep in mind that money doesn’t—and will never—equate to happiness. If you want to live your best life, focus on things that truly matter like family, friends, health, purpose, knowledge, joy, love, peace, etc. Advance happy weekend!     Follow us on LinkedIn.