Love Over Wealth. The True Path to Happiness.
From a 6-figure salary to $30k/year. I’ve never been happier.
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”
― Anne Frank
I used to work at a fast-paced, high paying brokerage where my weekly income averaged around $2,500 USD. I was able to comfortably afford a Maserati. I bought lavish gifts for my friends, I was able to take women out to any restaurant or bar that I pleased. My family was proud of me. My friends wanted to be me. I was living the dream I worked so hard to achieve all throughout my life.
I quit after five months.
I was buried in cash, but my mental health had never been lower. I was miserable. I grew up in a family that did not value monetary wealth. My mother is an ex-punk rocker and my father is a proud hippie from the ’60s.
The only reason I pursued a life of great financial gain was because that was all I heard on the radio. Lavish cars, massive apartments, expensive clothes. That’s where happiness comes from, right?
I worked incredibly hard to achieve this dream, and I succeeded.
Shortly after my success, I found a numbness that I find impossible to describe.
My life was controlled by money.
Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money.Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money.Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money.Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money.Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Money.Money. Money. Money. Money. Money.
I quit my job without any notice. I didn’t even show up. I just sent a text saying “I quit.” and blocked my boss’s number.
I was done. Free. Free from a life where everything that surrounded me was based on that damn dollar sign.
My mistake was that in my pursuit of wealth, I forgot about a more important goal. Happiness.
The pursuit of happiness does not align with great wealth.
A comfortable salary is of course incredibly important, but when your salary becomes your life, that is when you lose yourself.
I have surrendered the pursuit of wealth for the pursuit of happiness, and I am eternally grateful. I am engaged to a woman I love. I have friends that I cherish. I love my two cats, my cozy apartment, my newfound hobby of writing.
I love the candles that flicker in my room. I love hearing my fiancée going about her day as she completes her chores. I love the books that keep me company, and especially the way they look in our little library.
I love that I now have time to spend with those I care about, rather than those who care about my wealth.
I am surrounded by love, and I am therefore surrounded by wealth. By happiness. By friends and family. By those who love me not for what I produce, but for what I am.
There is no dollar in the world strong enough to seduce me from the love that I have found here.
I’ve learned that you must learn to love what truly matters to you.
Too many of us are told by society that we must chase the dollar. We’re told that money is what will make us happy.
We all know the saying, “money can’t buy happiness”. And it’s true.
Instead of trying to figure out where we can get our next check, we need to focus on where we can get our next laugh. Our next smile. Our next hug. Our next love, friendship, partnership. This is what matters. This is what really, honestly matters.
There are so many people out there waiting to be discovered by you.
You could meet the love of your life, or your best friend, tomorrow.
No one knows when these interactions will happen. But I can tell you for a fact, that it is these interactions that truly matter.
Love. This is the true path to happiness.
