Thoughts Are Not Facts

Think back to times in your life when you were really happy. Try to come up with at least three different times.

What do these time periods have in common?

Were they times when you were buying a lot of cool new gadgets? Were they times when you drove a nice car?

My guess is that your financial situation and purchases probably had nothing to do with it. In fact, a lot of people remember the times they were young and financially strapped as the most happy times in their life, even when they struggled with money!

And what does that happiness feeling mean, anyway? What exactly did it feel like? Could you imagine feeling that way again?

Most likely, you will find that that these "happy times" were happy because:

• You had healthy relationships with the people in your life. You felt respected and loved.
• You had a sense of belonging in your social circles, whether it be at work, at home, at school, or in a hobby.
• Life felt free and full of possibilities. Maybe you were meeting new people, making deep friendships, or exploring a new city. You were likely unencumbered by debt, work responsibilities, and never had to worry.

In other words, our happiness depends very much on our relationships with the people around us.

Now imagine the opposite scenario. Let's say you have all the money in the world, a giant house, and a luxury car – but you always feel alone, you feel constant rejection, and your relationships are chaotic and unhealthy.

You are almost certainly not going to be happy without this sense of love, acceptance, and belonging – no matter how much money you have!

And yet, we are used to thinking of our job, career prospects, income, and wealth as key to our happiness. But it isn't hard to tell that this is wrong by analyzing the times in our life when we are happiest.

Therefore, I advise you to please think carefully about the priorities in your life.