The Motives, The Stress, and the Discontentedness

Many of the items we discuss here at Finance Free Life are about saving money for the future. This has been discussed in many different ways including finding a different job, or possibly finding a way to make more money in some other manner. However, there is an underlying discussion we have not directly talked about, and that is the intentions of our actions with money and our lives.

The Discussion

Some of us wish only to be able to get out of debt and to not worry about living paycheck to paycheck. Others worry about starting a family or saving for retirement. While there are also some of us who would like to be able to manage our money better to have more of it. None of these actions are inherently bad. All have good intentions behind them, and are noble to an extent. However, there is a caveat I want to make sure we all understand, regardless of where you are currently or where your goals are taking you. This is the ideology of contentment.

The Understanding

Contentment can come in all shapes and sizes. For each of us it will look a little different. Contentment is the innate feeling of not having the overwhelming need for more things (includes money) and being happy with what you currently have. This unfortunately is one thing many of us do not have in our lives. It is not completely our fault either. Marketing campaigns have spent millions of dollars to manipulate our brains into thinking we will be happy with just one more thing, right? However, what happens when you actually get that thing? You are going to be told you need something else. The cycle is never-ending, and we as consumers fall victim to this continual barrage of gimmicks for things to bring joy to our lives. Ultimately, we begin to want and long for things and we don’t even know why anymore!

Simple Exercise…

Think about one thing you really want, but cannot afford. Now, imagine what it feels like to have it. What does it look like, how does it feel, what are the smells, etc. What now? For me, I imagine owning a brand new Porsche Panamera. The sound of the engine, the feel of the drive, the smell of the pristine leather, and the elegance of the design. I can drive it everywhere I want! However, this is the 2018 model. What are those feelings going to look like when it is 2 or 3 years old, and the 2020 – 2021 models come out? I am going to want one of those of course! Wait, I REALLY wanted the 2018 model and I got it. What changed? It was the issue of no longer having the latest and greatest item. The desire and fulfillment I sought out of the car I wanted was quickly found to be empty hole. These desires will forever plague us until we find it within ourselves or through the work of spirituality to have fulfillment in something other than a material object.

The Basic Truth

I am likely not telling you something you do not already know to some extent or have dealt with at any given point in your life. Unfortunately, although I want to speak about being financially free in your life, as long as you let money control your mind, you will never be financially free. Many of us have heard some form of, “money is the root of all evil.” However, the actual wording is, “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” – 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV). Yes, this is a passage from the Holy Bible. There seems to be some truth to what it says. In a recent study, 62% of Americans cite money as one of the biggest stresses, and 54% of divorces had an underlying cause from financial issues. Why does life have to be so wrapped up with the constant desire for more things and more money? Can we not just be happy with what we have?

The Closer

I am not here to harp of anyone or claim to have a better prowess on understanding how to mitigate my desires for money or things than anyone else. I am simply wanting you to become self-aware. Once you realize it, you can begin to see it in your everyday life. This is where the change can begin. Begin to make the things of this life which have greater importance matter more. If you haven’t agreed with anything else in this, please think about my closing statement. You can live 100 years and make $100B, but you cannot take it with you when you die. So what did you miss out on or lose while trying to achieve those goals which ultimately made no impact on other people’s lives or society as a whole?