Money Doesn't Buy Happiness! Hold Up, Actually It Kinda Does...
For years we've heard people attempt to rationalize the money doesn't buy happiness battle. Regardless of where you stand on the matter one thing is for sure and that is money makes you more of what you already are. If you're happy it makes you ecstatic. If you're sad, it can make you miserable. Being the happy person I am, I say money does buy happiness, but only to a point. People aren't dancing to money doesn't buy happiness songs. Instead it's Jay-Z, Kanye West lyrics like "Racks on racks on racks, Maybachs on bachs on bachs on bachs on bachs!" Even in my doctoral thesis, I'm attempting to prove that it's not a matter of whether money buys happiness but how much money it takes for us to be blissfully happy. Unfortunatley, most are afraid to put a price tag on it but goals set without targets are generally goals never met and that's too bad because many would calculate and realize it doesn't require the millions they probably assume.
An addiction to retail in search for happiness is an exercise in futility as there is always something else bigger, better, shinier to grab our little heart's desire which causes us to work more hours in an attempt to get more "stuff". When aiming center mass at blissfulness, studies show it's better to spend money on things that don't linger such as travel. Still I argue that spending more money tends to make for a more enjoyable time, although you don't have to be rich to have priceless memories. Several years ago, Lamar, a lifelong friend/IT Whiz and I, decided to take a trip. No need for suitcases and detailed plans as we weren't going that far. I told him I always wanted a Philly Cheesesteak so we went to Philadelphia just to have a cheesesteak. We left Washington on a traffic jammed Friday afternoon in the pouring rain and I admit there are smarter times to do it but oh well. We laughed, talked and pointed out the make and model of every car on the road in route. When we arrived in Philly, we were directed to a popular spot where we stood up, ate our cheesesteaks and headed back to Washington. Total cost: $100. Were we happy? Absolutely.
Ratcheting up the travel budget, I decided to take the family to California for a week. We landed on a Sunday in gorgeous San Diego where the moon seems to be so big you can reach out and grab it from the sky. With unlimited time and budget, we stopped at the world famous San Diego zoo in route to our resort. Tuesday we went to Mexico for shopping. Wednesday we went to Hollywood. Thursday it was on to Las Vegas and Friday we spent the day in La Jolla buying Ferrari paraphernalia. Saturday we went furniture shopping in Los Angeles for a new home we'd just built. Saturday evening I told the kids to pack up for our flight back home tomorrow. They looked at me literally surprised, inquisitive even and said, "We gotta go back home?" "Yes!" I said, "Yall didn't we could stay here forever did you?" Apparently they did. Total cost: $8,000. Were we blissfully happy? Yesssss! I don't think Lamar would take offense that I felt happier than I did with our Philly Cheesesteak and understandably we are comparing apples to slightly bigger apples.
At this point the question becomes, how much happier could I be if I went somewhere else and spent even more money? To put it in perspective, my annual earnings the year of Philly were about 65K while the California earnings were twice that. Two years later, they skyrocketed to over $350k so I went to Hawaii and did a similar exercise. Did I feel three times happier than I was in California? Absolutely not. Why? Because, when you are blissfully happy more money does little if anything at all towards happiness. It does add to piece of mind for rainy days however, but let's not make it rain.
Unhappy People Compare Themselves to Others
One sure way to be unhappy is getting into a rut of perpetually comparing what you have to others. Focusing on the next guy is a guaranteed way to get labeled a hater and I've had enough people focus on me to know. I clearly understand and strongly advocate networking for increased knowledge which can lead to stronger earnings, but your life is surely too complex to be concerned with what the next guy has. It's easy to dismiss comparing oneself to Bill Gates but it's the neighbors and people in your inner circle that jockey the most attention. Did you know people admit they are willing to take as much as a 20% pay cut as long as they remain the richest guy on the block? That's right, Bob just wants to edge you out by a mere few dollars.
What's Your Happiness Quotient? (HQ)
We all have varying levels of hitting our most optimal Happiness Quotient or the point at which we consider ourselves blissfully happy. Give a person the earth and they are happy long enough to realize Jupiter exists. Some women are happy spending their Sundays with various church organizations while men may experience bliss peacefully in front of a flat screen television with that patented sound of nitrogen escaping a twelve ounce can of their favorite beverage. For me, it's ultra-luxurious real estate followed by conversations about Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes and Dynasty Trusts with the likes of Barbara Hauser, JD. Hauser spent four years as chief executive advisor to billionaire Curt Carlson, founder of Radisson hotels and TGIFridays. Other times my HQ is chimerical at best. That means I can order a Chic fil-A biscuit with cinnamon cluster side and decline the drink because I entered the restaurant with a fresh 64oz orange juice cartoon that I just purchased from the grocery store next door avoiding the high price of their much smaller juice. After a $5 breakfast, I've test flown (similar to test drive) Robinson R-44 helicopters. Surely there are less expensive ways to get around, but having the extra money turns routine car trips into priceless executive transport. Time is money which makes traffic jams wasteful spending.
The creative parents without boatloads of cash tend to boost the richness of their children with flamboyant names which often come directly from high end consumer products. Secretly, I must admit that unbeknownst to my parents when I'm in Felixstowe England, Anthony Von Mickle doesn't exist. Instead, I'm Maximilian Roxpiere! Wouldn't that sound cool to be summoned to the royal Roxpiere quarters? You have to admit, that's much cooler than Ray's Boom-Boom room. Whether you have a common name or enjoy common themes, life is too short not to seek blissful happiness. When you weigh the pluses and minuses, a life with more money is a happier life to the average person. Meanwhile, I must alert Lamar that I'm getting hungry again and this time I'm thinking Sicilian Pizza. Lamar, prepare the royal chopper!
