Could More Money Really Lead to More Problems?
We all have that financial utopian dream of having so much money that we will be able to live a luxurious and care-free life. It is the belief that if we have more money we will solve all of our problems, such as cutting the nooses of mortgages, college loans and retirement funds that are tightly bound around our necks. However, can we escape that fantasy for one minute to consider the possibility that Ralph Waldo Emmerson had it right when he stated that money often costs too much?
We find ourselves in a world that is driven by success and money – yet, this can also mean we are too self-involved with our personal goals to realize what it is doing to our lives and the people in it.
As our independence and financial success increases, we suddenly find that what is happening and advancing in our lives is more important than what is happening and advancing in our loved ones’ lives – whether it is good or bad.
The possibility of our personal lives changing is enormous and at the end of the day, we will have to weigh each one of the following sacrifices against the thrill of having a room full of large and stuffed green bags with dollar signs on it. The question is: Could more money really lead to more problems?
1 Marriage
It is no surprise that CNBC reported the money as the main contributor towards stress in the marriage back in 2014. How can it not be? Money touches everything. It is money that will test the resilience of your marriage with its crucible of possible hidden transactions and true intentions.
You have to remember it will be a whole new ballgame for you and your loved one to deal with as the dynamics drastically change, especially if you are a woman. Yes, we are unfortunately still struggling with men who are still of the opinion that women should only cook, clean and take care of the children. If women do better, their counterparts feel insecure, insignificant and inadequate.
It will be up to you to make him or her feel secure enough, remind them that they will always come first and mean it. It will most likely be that the pressure you experience at work will increase, but that should not influence the time and effort you put into the relationship. If you do not show your loved one how important they still are for you, you will without a doubt grow apart and unfortunately, forget about all the great things that bonded you two together.
A successful solution to salvage or even to prevent disaster for when your ship does come in is to sit together and work on a strong budgeting and savings strategy. Have a goal in mind and work towards that. A successful financial increase does not have to break something good apart, make it fun and make it achievable – you are partners in this together.
2 Dating
If you are not presently in a marriage, but it is definitely something you are considering for the future, be sure to know which ones are in it for the long haul with all of the ups and downs of marriage life; and which ones are only in it to see what and how much they can get out of you before they leave you.
Expect those shadows of mistrust to enter every date you go on. Instead of enjoying the date and being present in the moment with a person you could potentially fall for, you will be flooded with thoughts like: Did they only agree to go on a date with you because you are wealthy? Do they really like you, or do they like what your money can provide for them?
3 Family
There is a quote that says poverty is not only being hungry or not being able to make ends meet; poverty is being and even feeling unwanted, unloved and uncared for. We have to step back from our tremendously busy life and look inside our mansions long enough to ensure that the latter one is not happening between our outrageously long halls and extremely thick walls.
This can only be done when we show our family that no amount of success and money will ever get to our heads and be able to separate the love between us. We remind them that nothing or no one will ever take their place. Jim Rohn once said that time is of more value than the amount of money you have.
He went on to explain that you can always get more money, but something you cannot get more of is time and unfortunately there are an incomprehensible amount of families out there that experience all that money can buy, but do not have the slightest inclination to experience more quality time with each other.
Indeed, the rich man’s world is filled to the brim with parents that feel guilty about not spending enough quality time with their children and then allow them to get away with anything. They also feel the need to fill the void of love with all the things their children could possibly desire, thus never teaching children the importance and value of working for something.
Read also – 7 Money Lessons Your Kids Should Learn from an Early Age
The children will most likely grow up being entitled and believing that there are no boundaries in life. Your children will become strangers and it will be extremely hard to go back to a place where you will be able to guide them into the right direction. We have to remember that this is the generation we are raising to carry the world forward. It is extremely important to ensure we are raising selfless, compassionate and wise leaders. Otherwise, more money, more problems.
4 Feel good friends
The friends you forgot about when you cut the ties once they handed you the scissors with their betrayal. The bunch of friends who deserted you when the going was tough, but came running towards you – full speed ahead – when you suddenly became so much more interesting with a few extra zeros at the end of your pay cheque.
What you have to understand is: These friends do not care about you, if they did they would have never stabbed you in the back or allowed something to come between your friendship. These friends only care about what you can now give them – how you are suddenly in the position to help them with their needs.
Benjamin Franklin compared this false friendship to shadows that only appear when the sun is shining – the best thing for you is to avoid them at all costs. Always remind yourself that true friendship is about people who fight for you, encourage you, support you, respect you and include you.
Read also – 10 Warning Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship
This article is by no means intended to dissuade you in your pursuit of success or money, but it is meant to open your eyes to some of the more personal problems you can expect to encounter on this journey. Nevertheless, even if you do end up being a part of the Fortune 500 clique, your personal life does not have to spiral out of control and end up this way; the choice is up to you.
Instead of making Mammon your god, recognize what you already have in your life and be grateful for it – know that you do not necessarily have to elevate your lifestyle to meet up to the lavish standards you see in magazines. As an alternative you can use it as a security blanket for you and your family, ensuring that everyone is looked after.
We live in a century where there is a constant tug of war game going on between being materialistic and minimalistic – yet, if we look closely within ourselves, we will see that by being minimalistic we will live more presently and thankfully in the moment.
It is then that we will be able to experience the happiness many talk about, for minimalism does not mean we have to have less – it merely means we make space for what truly matters. It is time to identify the essential things in life and eliminate the garbage that only drags us down, cause more problems and ruin our relationships, will you join me?
