It’s so seldom that the conversation about money has any connection to positive, affirmative meaning. In reality, money is nothing more than a means to an end; an energy that needs to flow through the system to serve its true purpose. It is not an end, in and of itself. Through the years, many Americans seem to have connected their self-worth and value with financial assets; much to the detriment of our overall emotional wellbeing. I have drawn a line in the sand to help us navigate back to a more beneficial relationship with & to money, and I hope you’ll join me on that journey.
Money is not about the dollar sign
The more money we have, the more we tend to hold the perspective that money is about the dollars and decimals. We are conditioned to think that the more zeros and commas in our bank account, the higher our worth and value. In reality, “true wealth” is connected to our sense of meaning and fulfillment, which is derived from our feeling of contributing to something greater than & beyond ourselves. It may sound ridiculous to those of you reading this who may have few “zeros and commas”, but in my experience the folks that have “less commas” and “more contribution” seem to live with a higher sense of contentment and joy. Conversely, those with high levels of wealth that are not connected to using that wealth to benefit others, not just themselves, seem to be plagued with depression, anxiety, and a general lack of meaning in their lives.
Money can be a powerful tool for change
Whether or not you believe that there is more to life than what can be purchased with our money, financial resources can be a powerful tool for change. I have been fortunate to serve & surround myself with amazing people who seek to use their financial privilege to benefit those who are not as fortunate. One area of my practice that greatly inspires me is helping those who have created or inherited financial wealth to shift from a mindset of growth to one of contribution; deepening their sense of purpose in life by learning how to deploy their wealth to serve others in a way that connects to what they feel called to do in the world. This affords us the opportunity to reconnect to the “true value” of money and use it in a way that brings us, and others, a great deal of joy and abundance.
Live with intention
If money is a means to an end, then what purpose is it fulfilling? After we attain a certain level of wealth, one that can support us and our loved ones in living a life where all needs are satisfied and a sufficient lifestyle is achieved, we then can turn our intentions to leveraging what we’ve accumulated to elevate our service to others. There is a subconscious undercurrent that most of us seldom tune into which has a strong tendency to diminish our feeling of value and self-worth. That undercurrent is made up of all the moments of self-serving behavior when we know we could have benefitted others and used our talents, wealth, or connections to advance/support others while we advance ourselves. Aligning our actions with our values and fueling our behavior with positive and mutually beneficial intention has the profound effect of increasing our sense of meaning and contribution. The end result is most often a heightened feeling of fulfillment and increased self-worth.
Remember your values
If your business is something that you’re deeply passionate about, whether it’s food, music, art, fitness, or sports, it’s likely that you already have some guiding principles, a “true north” for your business. For example, do you believe you have a responsibility to do something positive with your life and your business, no matter how insignificant or irrelevant it may seem to others? If so, you probably aren’t going to give up on your mission because it’s hard. If you don’t, you might not be being honest with yourself or may be in the wrong business. When it comes to personal values, having faith in your own competence means that you won’t let things get to you. You don’t take it personally when things don’t go the way you had expected. You do the best you can, and if you don’t “succeed” you refine or recalibrate in pursuit of your desired outcome.
A few ways to start living with intention today
Most of us will experience some level of success in our lives, be it financial, professional or personal. This is especially true if we are operating from a place of higher purpose with an intention to serve something greater than ourselves. The key is to not be so fixated on the material prosperity as to lose sight of the meaning and purpose that money can help us manifest in our lives. We can derive great joy from cultivating and sharing in the happiness of others. We can feel satisfaction in knowing that we have provided for those that matter most to us. We can enjoy the confidence of knowing that our hard-earned money will not only provide for us in our old age, but also help others. We will always feel increased meaning and fulfillment when we donate or volunteer our strengths and talents to benefit others. What we do with our money is not just about the dollars and decimals; it’s about the collective benefit it can provide.
Conclusion
If you’ve gotten this far, it’s likely evident that “true happiness” doesn’t come from materialistic pleasures. That message might have seemed obvious to many readers, but it’s only through practical examples like those offered by Jon Kabat-Zinn that we’re able to fully grasp the important concepts we need to live meaningfully in a society that has modeled the meaningless pursuit of hollow achievement. To truly envision what life would be like if we reined in the relentless pursuit of materialism and instead lived in a meaningful and fulfilling way, start thinking about the things you would do if you had all the money in the world and focus on how you would leverage that financial abundance to create change, support a population or organization that is important to you, or further a cause that seeks to create a more beneficial & equitable world. If we want to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, we must begin to turn our intentions and energy outward and get into the service of others.
