Why do we work? For money? For security? Or for a sense of fulfillment? Your reason to work might be different than mine. Most people work for money—to make a living. Their goal is to make a lot of money to have the security to live their lives in a fulfilled way.
“The rich don’t work for money.” I’m sure you have heard this saying before. What does it mean? If they don’t work for money, how come they are rich? Here’s something I have learned about the rich: the rich have different psychology towards money than others.
How the Rich Make Money
Firstly, they have an abundance mindset. It means that the rich believe they can make a lot of money. They have the right psychology of making money. Most people believe that they cannot make a lot of money. It is because they have been brought up with the wrong psychology of money. So, they believe that to make a lot of money, they must work hard and make many sacrifices.
Secondly, the rich know how to make money work for them. They know that living paycheck to paycheck will never make them rich. So they make money from investing or starting a business. They understand that they need a consistent cash flow to make money.
Lastly, the rich have multiple streams of income. It is said that, on average, a millionaire has at least seven streams of income. Having many income sources is crucial in creating wealth.
Money is Not the Goal
We feel that money is the answer to all our questions. If only I had a million dollars, I would do this, I would buy that, and I would travel the world. So, thinking that, we go after money. It becomes the main purpose of our life.
“Money can’t buy happiness.” I’m sure you have heard this statement too. I won’t say whether this statement is true or not because it is rather controversial. However, I will say that money only gives you temporary fulfillment. How do I know that? I don’t. But I have read stories of many rich and successful personalities.
For instance, Jim Carrey once said,
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Mike Tyson made around $300 million during his boxing career. But later, he was $30 million in debt. Likewise, the famous rapper 50 Cent lost all his wealth to fight a lawsuit.
Now, you might say that these people just don’t know how to manage their wealth. Sure, that is true in some sense. But having so much accumulated, they still had problems in their lives. So, it shows that money won’t solve all your problems. Maybe it will help you a lot. But you still won’t be fulfilled. As Barack Obama said, “Money is not the answer. But it does make a difference.”
Freedom is the Goal
So what’s the goal? It’s freedom. It’s the ability to do whatever you want with your time. You want to make money not because you want to buy expensive stuff, but because you want to spend your time doing what you want.
It can be spending time with your family, doing the work you love, traveling, or just chilling at your home. You want that feeling of not having to worry about your finances. You want to be happy. And what is happiness? It’s freedom. Freedom is happiness.
You want financial freedom—not having to worry about money and do the things you love. You want physical freedom—to be fit and healthy. And, you also want mental freedom—to worry less and be in a good state of mind.
How to achieve freedom?
It’s simple. First, make a conscious decision to live with less. Then, start doing the things you love, even if you won’t make any money. You don’t need expensive stuff to live a happy life. As the famous saying goes, don’t buy things you don’t need, with money you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like.
So, don’t let money drive your life. Instead, you should be the driver. Learn to turn your passion into your job. Do things you like. Do them consistently. Then, you will be able to make money doing what you love.
Takeaway
As I said, we are all different individuals. Our purpose of work is different. Our goals are different. Yet, most of us work for the same purpose of making money. But, only a few of us understand that money is not the goal.
I am not going to tell you what to do. I will not tell you that you should not chase money or work very hard. But, you should know better about what is going on in your life. Are you sacrificing your health, relationships, and personal life just so that you can make more money?
Remember, money is not the goal. It certainly won’t make you happy. Although, maybe at first, it will. But to be happy every time, you need freedom.
