What Happens When You Stop Worrying About Money?
This is a financial post by Elle Jo.
Making money. Saving money. Earning money – we all know the drill. Most of us are on a merry-go-round of working and spending that never seems to end.
But what happens when you actually stop worrying about money altogether? Impossible, right?
Well, not according to some minimalists out there.
You see, most of us are addicted to money because we’re scared. We’re not earning it in our jobs for the pure joy of it. Instead, we’re giving up all of our time to ensure that we get as much cash as possible, just in case we run out in the future.
We’re also addicted to money because of our obsession with “keeping up with the Joneses.” We feel like we need to have all the best stuff because our neighbors do. It’s not that it makes us happy directly – it’s just that we’re scared of what other people will think about us if we don’t have it.
Most of us are so used to this psychological setup that we don’t even think about it. We have to work long hours and give up our weekends because if we don’t, we’re somehow failing in life.
The Rewards That Come With No Longer Worrying About Money
It might seem like a strange thing to say, but there are people today who no longer worry about money anymore – not at all.
To the outside world, how they do this seems like a mystery. We live in a culture so obsessed with personal finances that it can scarcely see anything else.
But they’re using ancient methods to reconsider how they think about life. To them, the amount of cash a person has in the bank is immaterial.
But you shouldn’t be worrying. Fear indicates that you have some sort of unhealthy attachment to your finances and that your worth or happiness depends on them.
Take a moment to think about what your life would be like if you were poor. You’d probably be working fewer hours than you are right now. And your job likely wouldn’t have as much responsibility. You’d also have more time on your hands-on evenings and weekends to explore your character.
Now think about the prospect of being poor again. Are you really poor if you have more time? Well, not really. Are you really poor if you have less stress? Well, again, not really.
You can see the trade-off here. Living at full-speed provides you with material gains, but it takes away the things that you can’t just buy (such as time and relaxation). People in hectic careers often get to the end of them and then look back, wondering what the whole thing was about.
When you let go of money worries, though, your approach to life changes. You begin to value the intangible more and material possessions no longer seem so important.
