They say that money can’t buy you happiness, yet daily people stress and struggle to obtain it. Yes, having money is necessary to buy things you need and want, but life isn’t to be defined by how much money you have or the possessions you own. All too often, people are so focused on paying the bills, getting out of debt, and getting rich that they tire themselves out physically and emotionally.
This, in turn, changes the quality of life they experience. A prolonged period of high stress can also lead to a plethora of physical and mental health problems. Not to mention, money matters can ruin a marriage, a business relationship, and so much more. The only way to overcome it, therefore, is to release yourself from the hold money has over your life. Here’s some advice on getting started.
Understand What Happiness Is
You can release the hold money has on your life by first understanding what happiness is – and what it’s not. No matter how many possessions you have or how rich you are, it cannot afford you the things that mean most like close relationships, good health, passion, peace, and prosperity. If you learn to realize this, you’ll slowly begin to release your attachment to money as a means of finding happiness.
Get Your Finances in Order
Disorganized finances will always lead to stress which in turn impacts your life. If you don’t know who or what you owe, how can you begin to create a system to rectify the matter? If you’re missing due dates simply from being disorganized, how does this help you to improve your credit or get the creditors to stop hounding you?
It may seem overwhelming to take this step but it is vital to your wellbeing and overall quality of life to get your finances in order. Review your credit reports, gather your monthly bills, and start calculating what you owe. Knowing is the first step to regaining power.
Clean Up the Mess
The next step to releasing the hold money has over your life is to take accountability for your actions and clean up the mess. Take a look at your now, hopefully, organized finances and begin creating a plan to clean up the mess.
Contact your student loan companies and find out about loan forgiveness, forbearance, or deferments. Reach out to your credit card companies and find out how much it would cost to settle. Then apply for a small personal loan online and use the funds to pay off the balance (while remembering to pay back the loan in a timely fashion). Contact hospitals or doctor’s offices to find out if there are payment arrangements or other income-based programs you might be eligible for to pay off your medical bills.
The work may seem difficult and the journey to get your balances to zero nearly impossible, but it is doable with a plan. And as you start paying down these debts and seeing your credit improve, you’ll find that those triggers are no longer a problem for you.
Love Where You Are
As you’re working towards releasing the negative hold that money has over your life just enjoy the moment. Everyone is always so focused on, when I get enough money to do x then I’ll be happy. You’ll never be happy this way. It is imperative to learn to love your life exactly where it is today. Find ways every day to enjoy your life and bring happiness to yourself and others. Spend time with family and friends, volunteer, start a passion project, or travel. These things will bring you happiness and can all be done without money being so much of a distraction.
Money, when pursued and used effectively can be a positive thing. It becomes negative, however, when you become so consumed with obtaining it that it hinders your quality of life. Stress, debt, relationship troubles, professional setbacks, can all occur when money has a negative hold on you. The only way to turn things around is to understand what happiness really means, get organized, clean up the mess, and enjoy every day of your life along the way.
