“Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.” – Ayn Rand
Everyone wants to be happy. We are all united in this common worldwide goal, but how we imagine this happiness is different for each of us. It is also debatable whether or not money can buy happiness.
We all know people we think should be happy, who seem to ‘have it all’, but who are unhappy nevertheless. Perhaps they want something else – or more of the same. In contrast there are those who seem to have nothing or suffer great misfortune, but who are deeply happy. How can this be explained?
Author Ayn Rand says: “Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values.”
It follows from this that happiness is basically a state of mind. It’s about personal fulfillment, which is something that comes from within.
In our working lives this also holds true. There are those with an abundant income who are still not content. This is because they place value on their income rather than on themselves and how fulfilled they are in earning it.
This is substantiated by an ABCNews.com article published in March 2013, which affirms that finding meaning in your daily work results in happiness. If you know your work has value and a purpose then regardless of how much you earn you will feel more satisfied with your money. As a result financial happiness will be within easier reach.
This is a privilege to attain and anyone lucky enough to do so will more than likely agree that to get there requires hard work and planning. This begins with the search and discovery of what it is we truly value and in turn brings meaning and happiness to our lives.
The discovery of this alone brings no guarantees. It can be scary stepping out of your comfort zone to take a risk based on what you deem meaningful. And there may be sacrifices involved. You may decide that the two cannot go hand in hand and to stay where you are and begin a side hustle instead. Or to find your value and happiness through another means, like volunteer work or in learning a new skill.
Make the right choices and live the life you want with our expert guidance and ongoing support. We at WellsFaber listen to what’s important to you, instead of following a one-size-fits-all approach. We aim to help you thrive and to align your financial planning with your values, purpose and goals.