Music Mondays - More to Life
There's Gotta Be More
A couple of weeks ago, I shared the fact that the “old me” was someone who was more interested in the pursuit of “things” and experiences to the point that I became a hostage to my salary to support the lifestyle that I created. And during that pursuit, I realized that even though some people would say that I had “everything,” I was absolutely miserable on the inside. After some amazing life coaching, self-reflection and guidance from a great book, I am so happy to say that I am in a different space and not only financially healthier but mentally healthier as well.
And many of us are looking for it
What struck me, though, was the number of people who read my blog and clicked on the link to the book. As many bloggers know, you may frequently put links in your blogs that are rarely ever clicked on and we know this because our sites track it. The fact that there were a number of clicks on that book about happiness inspired me to write this today because I think a lot of us are looking for happiness or something more in our lives whether we know it or not.Happiness is not something easily defined or found, but the great news for all of us is that it is a pretty universal fact that happiness is not found in “things.” It is easy to say this in writing, but sometimes we get so caught up in the pursuit of things that we forget to remember that they are not important. I had a house full of things, and I felt trapped. For my clients who are knowingly or unknowingly caught up in the pursuit things, or searching for happiness, I share this song as inspiration.
Lyrics to inspire your search
“I’ve got it all, but I feel so deprived. I go up, I come down and I’m emptier inside. Tell me what is this thing that I feel like I’m missing. And why can’t I let it go.
There’s gotta be more to life…than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me, cause the more that I’m…tripping out thinking there must be more to life, well it’s life, but I’m sure…there’s gotta be more.”
Something more is unique to everyone
For full disclosure, this song is a Christian rock song so she is clearly speaking about God and He could be your answer; however, you can also think of “something more” as a special and unique answer just for you. I think a problem we find in our pursuit of happiness or financial health is that we believe that our own happiness or financial health is defined by someone else’s definition.I assumed that when I got married and had a child that I would find endless happiness and I thought a job that paid me a bunch of money was what I needed financially. What I found was that despite the fact that I love my hubby and son tremendously, I didn’t always feel happy when I was home, and despite the fact that I made money, I didn’t enjoy my jobs.
I found my "something more"
When I read this book on happiness, the author shared that we are most happy when we help other people and expect nothing in return. It is a difficult task because we typically expect something from others like love, attention or money. I challenged myself to pursue this goal, and when I did, I found my happiness. And I have ultimately found happiness at home because I don’t have the same expectations of “reimbursement” from my hubby and son. Helping others is my “something more” that has given my life and finances focus.Personal finance is definitely “personal” but more than anything it is emotional, and when our emotions are in a bad place, our finances tend to fall in suit. I think it is important for us to find the “something more” in our lives because it makes the pursuit of a healthy financial life so much more significant. When we have that something more, then the rest of the journey seems to make sense. When I have a healthier frame of mind filled with good thoughts, I do not need to fill my house with things. And once I gave up the pursuit of the frivolous, my financial life and emotional life became healthier.
Have you found your something more? Does it give your financial health meaning/direction?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqsGqi_Iz84