Winning at money but losing at life

Hey there, it’s Darius Foroux. You’re receiving this Short Take post because you signed up for my Medium newsletter.

I’m publishing it here on Medium and on Substack (where these pieces will appear first).

We all want to win at money. Who doesn’t want make millions?

But in the constant chase for more, it’s easy to lose sight of something more valuable: YOUR LIFE.

I’ve been there. For years, I was obsessed with getting rich. I was willing to work as hard as I could and I was ready to sacrifice all my free time.

Who cares about hobbies and doing fun things? You’ve got to work, work, work.

You’ve got to work all day, every day. When I became a writer, I saw a lot of people who said you need to publish every day. Those people are still at it today.

Fortunately, I’ve always been interested in philosophy as well. To be honest, reading people like Arthur Schopenhauer, Epictetus, Anthony de Mello, and Viktor Frankly made me realize that the pursuit of money only leads to destruction.

I can’t imagine myself waking up and just doing things all day long so I can grow my bank account. Sure, we’ve all got to work to live, but we can also take it too far.

When you’re fixated on money, you start to see everything through the lens of profit.

Relationships become transactional. Time becomes a commodity. Even your health gets sacrificed for a few dollars more.

Just look at all these social media influencers. They put out content every day. I don’t buy that it takes a few minutes to produce content.

I know this from experience. If you want to produce good content, it takes hours to write, edit, record, design, etc.

And this is not only true for creating content. Any type of career can push you towards a money obsession. You can work more hours. You can switch jobs every year in the hopes of making some more money.

Maybe you succeed at that and you make a lot of money. But I bet you’re not winning at life.

Because is that extra money making you extra happy?

Anthony de Mello, the Jesuit priest and philosopher, once wrote, “You have everything you need right now to be happy.”

His philosophy was simple: Stop chasing.

Life is here, now. The more we chase money — or anything external — the further we drift from contentment.

This doesn’t mean money is bad. It’s a tool, and like any tool, it can build or destroy. But when it becomes your sole focus, it blinds you to what really matters.

Instead of obsessing over money, ask yourself:

• Are you spending time with the people you love?
• Are you taking care of your health?
• Are you nurturing your mind?

Are you growing as a person, not just your bank account?

Winning at life means balance.

It’s about creating wealth while also nurturing relationships, pursuing passions, and enjoying the simple pleasures.

Go for a walk. Read a book. Call a friend. These are the things you’ll remember — not the zeros in your bank account.

I’m not saying give up on financial goals. I’m saying don’t let them take over your life. Because in the end, no amount of money can buy back the time you lost chasing it.

If you want to win at anything, win at life.