If You Find Yourself Always Obsessed With Money - Here's What You're Missing
A short essay on how to avoid the trap that almost everyone falls into.
There's a really popular saying that almost everyone has heard of:
"Money doesn't make you happy"
Most of us would claim to agree with this at least to come degree.
But then what happens?
We continue to live our lives completely obsessed with the goal of making more money.
In fact, I can remember years in the past that went by like a blur all because I was just focused on adding more money to my bank account so I could buy more stuff, do more things, travel to more places.
Sure that's not all bad — some would even argue there's nothing bad about it.
But the looming question remains..
Why do our minds care so much about money that we're willing to let our health, relationships, and joy suffer just to accumulate more of it?
I believe the reason lies within a deep survival mechanism inside our minds.
To the autopilot version of our mind, money = survival, which is the single most important thing at the base level of our thinking
We also live in a fear-based world where news is constantly pumping up the importance of stories to an unhealthy level just to keep us in that fight or flight mindset.
So here's the million dollar question:
Is our survival really that much of a threat where we need to focus every ounce of our attention on accumulating more and more money so we can survive the next disaster that hits?
Most of you would say "It's only a matter of time, right?"
Let's pivot our thinking for a moment.
In her book: Big Magic, author Elizabeth Gilbert begs us not to demand money from doing our passions because it takes the joy and excitement out of creating what we enjoy.
Why is that?
Because once you set an expectation to make money from your artistic creations, your focus always jumps to whether or not you believe you've been paid enough for your art that month.
And if you haven't?
You begin to grow bitter and resent your work because you've now based the value of your work on how much money it yields, rather than the joy you experience while creating it
This belief can become so strong that I've seen people give up on work they absolutely love, simply because it wasn't paying the bills or getting noticed in the way they would expect
My advice?
Don't let the invented concept of money destroy your passions.
Elizabeth Gilbert believes that creating from a passionate place is one of the most valuable aspects of being Human
At its core, money is just a piece of paper, and it only works because we collectively believe it works
So how can you protect your creativity while ensuring you have enough to pay your bills?
I'm going to answer this question with another question
Imagine if money was just a byproduct of doing something you enjoy?
With a simple mindset shift, you can go from:
"I need to work to make money" (making money is the primary goal)
To:
"I'll focus on doing what I love, and money will naturally follow" (passion and fulfillment are the primary goals)
Your mind may be resistant to this and ask:
"But how do I know this will work?"
There is a certain level of trust that is needed here
You have the power to give yourself permission to just enjoy your day to day life, and be excited about what you're doing regardless of whether it is making money or not
If you're able to get behind this you will notice:
Your energy will be lighter, more magnetic, and inviting
Your elevated state will have opportunities flowing to you more easily (more $)
Your happiness will not be dependent on a number in your bank account, but rather on HOW you actually choose to live your life
And what if this all sounds good to you but you still don't know how you will pay your bills?
Elizabeth Gilbert reminds us that there is no shame in getting a side job while we are focusing on passions that we love.
In fact...
She didn't quit her day jobs (yes more than one) until she had published her fourth book, Eat, Pray, Love
Why did she wait so long?
It wasn't because she didn't have enough money, or confidence in her writing
It's because she loved writing so much that she didn't want to squash her love for it by demanding a certain amount of money for her art each month.
So what's the takeaway here?
Realize that societal programming forces us to be obsessed with money to combat things like:
Taxes
Inflation
Competition for The "American Dream"
But that doesn't mean we have to give ourselves over to it fully and destroy our joy and creativity in the process
If necessary, protect your creativity by getting a side job that takes care of your bills until your art evolves to fit that role
Create your passions from a humble place of joy, and the money will follow
Remember to focus on doing what you love and you'll never feel you worked a day in your life