Money Can Buy Roses, but It Won’t Help You Appreciate Them

Having money is awesome!
Uh, yeah Harv. Thanks for that brilliant insight. Got anything new to offer here?
No, really, financial freedom is one of the greatest blessings we can experience. As you might already know, I take this one step further and believe that we can have it all; money, health, adventure, happiness and anything else you want in life.
What are some of the things that make us happy? First off, being happy with yourself; with how you feel and how you look. Then there’s the happiness we want to experience with others: romance, family, friends, or business partnerships. Finally, there’s the happiness that comes from a deeper satisfaction with who you are as a person—your character—and connection with something bigger than yourself. And when you add in wealth, health, and adventure on top of all that happiness in your life, all things become magnified and the “good stuff” just gets better.
What about all those other things that also matter to us? What about success? Or more accurately, feeling successful? There arestill so many people who equate success with some kind of business venture or through their career. And it’s totally understandable. But how often do people stop to think about what success really means?
Sometimes we are led to believe that financial freedom means success. That’s part of my definition, certainly. But for me, success is not limited to dollars. That’s the beauty of success. It’s something that can be unique for each and every one of us. Success for one may mean learning how to play a guitar, then playing their favorite song perfectly note for note. Success for another can mean finding and maintaining happiness in their relationships.
So what does it mean to be successful? It means whatever you want it to mean, but it’s more than likely not going to be any one thing. If you’ve worked your butt off for years and years, become a millionaire, and at the end of it all look in the mirror and get disgusted with yourself because you’ve neglected your body along the way, is that success? Or what if there aren’t any personally meaningful voice messages on your phone at the end of the day because you didn’t nourish personal relationships? Is that happiness? For some, maybe. For most of us, probably not.
Financial success doesn’t equal life success. Success and happiness is a culmination of things. If one is off big time, you’re not going to feel like a success, or maybe even happy. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to everything that matters to you now, and not just what money can do for you later. When you feel truly successful in any part of your life, that feeling carries over to other parts, and in the end, the financial success you achieve only enhances all those other areas even more.
Don’t be in a hurry for financial success. There’s plenty of money to be had. Your happiness may be a different story if you don’t work just as hard at that as making a buck. Frick knows I don’t want to be the one with regrets about not having stopped to check out the roses, appreciate them, and then give them to others I care about. Do you?