For millennia money has often been seen as the root of all evil. If it weren’t for money, we would be happy, serene, peaceful people. In truth money is neither good or evil. I knife can be used to cut food or harm another person, a hammer can build a house or used as a weapon. Like many things money is just a tool. The key is where you choose to direct it.
Examples of directing money towards evil:
- Illegal Drugs
- Weapons
- Gambling
- War
- Excessive Alcohol
- Prostitution
- To dominate others
- To make you think you are better than other
- etc.
Though it will not guarantee it money CAN buy happiness.
Money has two roles when being used in a positive manner. It is either an expense or an investment.
An expense is anything that uses up your money, but does not give you any value beyond what you paid for it. An example would be food, household expenses, personal car, personal cell phone and the like.
An investment is something that gives you a greater return then the money you put in. Examples would be stock and business investments, commercial real estate, and education.
Now that you have some basic ideas of the nature of money and what it can do. Lets discover how money can buy you happiness.
As you might have guest its about investing your money. No I’m not going to start giving you stock tips, and the truth is, if you are not a educated investor, stock tips will take away all your money and happiness.
The two areas of investment are “Yourself” and “Others”
Investing in yourself.
The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in. ~B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga: The Path To Holistic Health
You buy a brand new $150,000 sports car, you dream of taking it out on the roads and enjoying to exhilaration of pure speed, power and performance.
You get to the gas station to fill up the car and decide that the the premium gas is just to expensive so you put in the low grade. You don’t pay attention to the scheduled maintenance, so instead of changing the oil every 3 month or 5000km it ends up being every 5-6 months or 6500km, you delay in changing the breaks, and tires, and constantly for get about the filters and other fluids. One sunny morning about a year after you bought the car, you hear on the news that they just opened up an Autobahn in your city. Excited you grab your keys and head to the new highway. You get to the on-ramp, grip the wheel tightly and floor it. 100km..110km..125km…13…BOOM. All at once your front tires, enging and transmission blow, and to top it off your breaks give out. You fly off the road sending the care in to a roll, crash into a concrete light post and barley make it out alive.
You come into the world in pure and perfect, if you don’t care for your Mind, Body and Soul, when the potential for success and happiness arises you might find yourself crashing (disease) and barley making it out alive.
Make these three key investments in yourself.
Invest in Knowledge and Awareness.
Buy:
Books
CD
Videos
Take courses and seminars.
There is a vast world of knowledge out there. Study topics that will improve your relationships, perspective and skills. Study books on self awareness and meditation. Study books on healthy eating and lifestyle. All complex machines come with an operators manual. You are the most complex machine in existence, become a student of life to understand how to operate at your best.
Invest in exercise and healthy eating.
Whether its an exercise video or a club membership get active. At the least you should be physically active three times a week, but 6 times is more ideal. Also incorporate 5-10 min. of light stretching in the morning and evening. Eat healthy. I won’t say much more on healthy eating because this is not my expertise, but the quality of the fuel that you put into your body determines how well your body performs.
I personally enjoy the books by Dr. Andrew Weil, and the “YOU” Series of books by Dr. Mehemet and Oz.
Invest in a personal coach.
“Working with Rob, I accomplished things that otherwise would have
remained unfinished ideas. Instead of getting overwhelmed by day-to-day
tasks, he guided me to take measured steps that helped me achieve my
longer term goals. A compassionate and attentive listener, Rob is able
to get to the heart of the matter in a single question. He was always
generous in sharing information about resources I wouldn’t have known
about, and educating me–without ever preaching–about helpful small
business concepts and useful technology.”
Avrum Nadigel, MSW, RSW, B.Comm
Adolescent Therapist and Consultant
http://www.nadigel.com
http://www.nadigel.com/blog
We are not solitary beings, we can’t go it alone in this world. Even the greatest sea captains would use the north star to find their way.
Coaching helps you increase your self awareness so you can chart your course in life. A coach helps you to become aware that your are fully capable of achieving your dreams and goals, and that there is an incredible abundance out there in the world just waiting to be shared.
This is stage one. When you invest in your self, your mind, body and soul, you begin to open up to the world of success and happiness.
I will post stage two “Investing in Others” soon.
Rob
