Can Money Buy Happinness

Can money buy you happiness?

Let me answer that question by starting with a story

As at last night, Elon Musk is the richest man in the world beating the likes Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates to name a few of the other billionaires in the world, to take the title.

The article I read about this epic achievement walked through his life, dealings and accomplishments. 

Notably, he has always been a rebel and risk taker

When his parents separated he choose to go live with his dad. When that got tough, at 17 he left South Africa to go school in Canada, despite resistance, he left and never looked back. 

He has being cracking on with moving, leaving and pivoting all his life.

I never heard of pivoting until 2020, when the pandemic happened.

Guess what, those that thrived in the pandemic pivoted, I can tell you this from first hand experience, because I totally pivoted.

If you are a chameleon, rebel or visionary, a challenge is a chance to crank it up.

Little wonder that this consistent rebel would be the one to actually take over on the rich list in 2020. He has mastered the art of pivoting. In fact! when life got tough in California, he sold off  everything and moved to Texas.

Who does that in a pandemic?, eh…. Elon Musk of course.

So, most are inspired by his story, we want to be just like him, take risks that pay off. There are pictures of him looking triumphant, fist pumped up in the air, great smile, seemingly perfect looking life, and we all want to have that.

He looks happy and he should be totally ecstatic. He can buy countries if he wanted to.

But before he achieved this take over,  he could do the same and more and has being able to that for a long time in his life.   I doubt if this achievement empowers him more than he is already empowered.

It is an accolade and recognition of his effort, rather than an empowerment.

I also ask the question, is he now feeling fulfilled or has ever felt fulfilled?

He will feel accomplished though.

He like everyone of us may still be chasing fulfilment, the tell-tale signs are there, in his story and extravagant spending.

I have a quote/joke  on my vision board, just to make me laugh, but also to remind me of my principle, that not everything I desire to feel fulfilled will come from my efforts.

The quote says:

“ I wish someone could hug me and say “ It is all going to be alright, here is £5m  to wipe your tears”

The richest man that has ever lived according to scripture is King Solomon. Name it, he had it in excess.

Nothing his heart desired was out of reach

But even with that here is what he says:

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile. What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labours at under the sun?" – Ecclesiastes 1 vs 2-3

Solomon was not just the richest, but he was also the wisest. So, he offers great insights for us all.

But before I share  more of his wisdom, let me answer the question I posed at the beginning.

Can money buy happiness?

My answer is a resounding…….Yes!!, with a caveat. 

Money is a component of what makes us happy, not the totality of it.

Sadly, we still have to work at all the boring stuff like attitude, character, kindness, generosity, mental and physical health.

When I take my clients through a wheel of life exercise, I get them to look at interdependencies.

We go through and dig deep to answer questions such as:

• What are you giving up for the other? 
• How will this impact and reduce or prevent your ability to enjoy what you attain?
• How can you bring balance to your wheel so that it is aligned to help you drive on life’s journey with ease and thrive?

We have to work on the sums of the parts to bring wholeness.

Life is not made, because you have riches, life is made because you create balance and enjoy many components of happiness, not just money.

Back to Solomon on some key advice:

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 15:6–

“in the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.”

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom and in all thy getting, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7).  Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning".

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the holy one is understanding". Proverbs 9 – 9-10

These all point to the fact that aside from getting money, you need to get wisdom and live righteously to attain fulfilment in life.

 Wisdom can be learning what areas of your life need changing, how to love others, leading yourself and others etc.

The state of our world will improve if we can realise that no amount of money in and of itself can buy complete happiness, it is only a component of it

 Much Love x 

Patience Ogunbona

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