What about Love? It is the topic of many office conversations and will get you many answers based on people’s belief and the level of confidence/ trust they have in people and the world in general. Many that have never been through hardship or have never really felt the sword that life can cut you with from time to time will tell you that money is simply an illusion and not in any way necessary to facilitate love or happiness. Others will say the opposite, Money is what makes the world go around and that without it, you have no shot at happiness or love. So which is right?
Well, allow me to open your mind to my point of view.
Money is a necessity in life that we like it or not, it is the essence of why we work, live or eat so that we can go back to making more of it. Without Money, there is nothing; no shelter, food, fun or life. In other words you are dependent on money to live.
So how can money impact your happiness?
It all depends on what your happiness is, but I can guarantee you that one way or another your happiness is tied to the need of money. My happiness is centered around cars, watches, luxury real estate and the education of others and all of those things are tied to money that is needed for me to continue doing what makes me happy. For others happiness can be linked to spending time with your family, at which point you have to engage in an activity, such as watch TV, go the movies, enjoy a vacation together or take a road trip. All these activities are not directly tied to money but require it. The more expensive the activity, the more fun it will be for all the family and will therefore bring the family closer. Iin other words, you earn better memories on vacation than you do watching TV as a group, so once again happiness is bought with money.
So how does love tie into this?
Lets talk about what couples do together. You meet someone, you go out, you get married, buy a home, buy two nice cars, and get a dog. You even go on vacation on your anniversary, have a baby and finally hire a nanny so you can keep going to work. All of those things are activities that all couples want to do and therefore are limited due to money that they lack. If everyone had unlimited money, they would participate in all the above activities at all times but they don’t an therefore without money life looks like this for the same couple. You meet someone, convince them to eat at your house, you get married but have to spend 3-5 years paying for a 1 day wedding, you have to combine both your incomes and pay a hefty monthly fee for your small home. You buy two normal cars and pray that nothing happens to them, you can afford a pet. Years go by before you vacation cause you are still paying for you wedding and cant even think of bringing a baby to this world due to the increasing cost of daycare, and if you do then you forever become dependent on that 9-5 job you hate but must have to support your miserable lifestyle. You dream big but act small due to your limitation in money and therefore drive yourself crazy not being fun for your partner.
In the two scenarios above, which do you think is more likely to get divorced? Those that have plenty of money and worry about the person they love, not how to support them or those that are spending everyday living a dream that is not theirs to afford.
Money is happiness. It is the best and worst thing that can happen to you, so understand how to make it, spend it and grow it as you will depend on it till you die.
