I feel very meh about the old adage “Money can’t buy happiness.” It’s tired and overdone, right?
I’m fonder of “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you wine. And that’s the same thing.”
And it’s kind of true. Money can buy me a heap ton of things that make me happy, like cheese and plane tickets and new books and highlights every two months. It pays my rent. It keeps me alive.
And being alive makes me happy.
BUT.
Being alive makes me happy because I know how I want to be living my life. (Read: Eating cheese on a plane, reading a new book with my hair freshly coifed).
Having the money to pay for things you need and want is wonderful, and important. But the happiness comes from knowing that what you’re spending money on is authentically YOU.
That’s why so many rich people are miserable. They’ve got the money, but they’re spending it on things they think will make them happy…but that aren’t fulfilling them at all. And they’re not fulfilled because they have no idea who they really are. They’re spiritually broke.
What you do, and what you spend your money on, must align with who you are. So maybe it’s better to say: Authenticity buys happiness.
So pause for a minute, the next time you find yourself complaining about your money woes, and think to yourself “If someone stopped and gave me a crap ton of money, would I even know what to spend it on?”
Would you? Would what you’re hypothetically spending money on (even in your daydream state) make you happy fulfilled?
Because truly: Authenticity buys happiness equals fulfillment….
…and money is a nice thing to have, when it comes time to pay rent.
Much Love,
Rachel (& Kristen)
