I’m passionate about helping people afford a life that lights them up. Even though people can be spending on all the ‘right’ things, something can get in the way of feeling lit up.
Every day we have thousands of thoughts and feelings but I feel that we humans are still learning how best to harness those thoughts and feelings for our happiness.
In recent years I’ve learned two important lessons from teachers including Brene Brown:
- We cannot selectively numb our emotions – both good and bad get numbed.
- The extent to which we can feel our pain is the extent to which we can feel our joy.
Process the tough stuff
What I’ve learned is that one of the basics of living a life that lights us up is having a toolkit of healthy methods for dealing with the tough stuff in life.
This also helps me with money because I make my worst financial decisions when I’m feeling sad, lonely, scared, frustrated or angry.
Of all the things I’ve spent my money on, probably some of the best value for money has come from investing in building my emotional toolkit.
Savour the good stuff
Building my emotional toolkit includes learning practices to help me feel and appreciate the joy of what I am spending money on.
If happiness and flourishing are what you’re seeking then you get a vote of support from me to include a ‘self-development’ category in your budget to build your happiness toolkit.
Let’s call it ‘happiness money’.
Where to spend your happiness money
In this podcast episode discover ideas from social science to get the most buzz for your buck from your happiness money.