Just attuned.
We all need money to survive. But it’s really a different thing altogether when we make money our ultimate objective — For many of us, this happens quite unconsciously, perhaps because there’s always something that needs to be settled, this bill, that check, that loan — from health insurance to education repayment. Additionally, doesn’t it just feel nice to possess something that’s all ours?
Feelings of fear and power certainly push us to adore money. However, having money as our ultimate objective can lead us to ignore other aspects of what it takes to lead a balanced, meaningful life that’s associated with well-being. In other words, while money is something we all inevitably have to make, abandoning our true essence as humans who need personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, self-acceptance, autonomy, environmental mastery — the 6 dimensions of psychological well-being — doesn’t help either.
That being said, if you somehow manage to find a way to be financially rich, that’s great — you could decide what good cause to donate your money to, help out a family member with their education or business, and other noble acts. Nonetheless, for those of us who are not rich — as long as we’re earning enough money to survive and thrive, it doesn’t mean the life we’re living is lesser in any way (you may have a deep-seated, almost unshakable fantasy that money will give you everything, if you think your life sucks because you’re not a millionaire).
The question really is, how can we live a life that feels like more with the existing amounts of money that we’re earning?
Here are some ideas:
- Make your own meals and keep them doable
- Do free things for fun and learn to truly enjoy them
- Detach from externals- reshape your identity to center around a sense of esteem & fulfillment that comes from within- heal your traumas- validating yourself is the first step- by healing your core traumas, you feel more whole and rely less on externals to help you regulate your emotional distress (feel better)
- Know where to shop- observe your shopping habits- understand want versus need, and try to find an in-between, realistically-speaking
- Travel inside your mind- Explore and try new things, be curious about other people, live each moment consciously, stick to a meaningful routine but switch it up once in a while (rebel/ question!); rediscover things about yourself and the world around you by being more present and observant- in other words, attune
Keep working hard to achieve your financial independence. At the same time, consider that the richness of your life may just be a mindset away.
