If $500K seems ABSURD to you, to put it into perspective, the median household income in the US is about $70,000 per year. Is the majority of the US population unhappy?!
Money CAN partially buy happiness because it can solve a lot of problems and give us a lot of freedom.
So by all means, strive to make more money, but don’t forget to make space for meaningful relationships, a healthy mind and body, and fulfillment. Because there are some things that all the money in the world cannot buy.
Rich people still have marital problems and mental health struggles. Don’t get so caught up in the pursuit of money that you lose sight of what is truly important in life.
If you’re a millennial and can find a way to make half a million bucks per year, that is incredible. BUT, if you make a fraction of that, remember that you can still be happy. And you can make millions per year and be miserable. Money is just one of the many ingredients to live your best possible life.
Don’t be hyper-focused on reaching a certain income or net worth in order to be happy. Because once you get to that point, you’ll want more and you’ll be stuck with always moving goalposts. But money should be used as a tool that gives you freedom. It puts you in the driver’s seat of how you want to spend your time. It allows you to happily say “NO” to things you don’t want to do. Money should be used to maximize your life.
This data is from a recent study by Empower on the relationship between money and happiness for adults in the US.
As always, reminding you to build wealth by following the two PFC rules: 1.) Live below your means and 2.) Invest early and often.
-Vivi & Shane
