“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things… I play with leaves.
I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
Leo Buscaglia
I was chatting with a friend last week about happiness and contentment.
Though she is financially comfortable, in that she can enjoy her life, pay her bills and go on holiday, things were feeling difficult and tricky. She told me, “if only we earned an extra £xxx per year, then we would be happy”.
And it got me thinking.
How many of us think that happiness can only really be reached if we had more money?
Perhaps we say …
➡️ If only my home were xxx then I could feel calm.
➡️ If I can just afford xxx then we will be happy.
➡️ If I earn xxx then life would be easy.
➡️ If I had more xxx then I would feel content.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that increasing your income and having more cash doesn’t bring happiness. Well not exactly. I think that financial stability brings security, contentment and clarity. That’s one of the reasons I am a Financial Coach after all, to help people find that financial and emotional security.
But does money actually bring true happiness?
➡️ Or do we just keep wanting more?
➡️ Each time we reach that next level, get that bonus, move up the property ladder, are we done?
➡️ Do we find peace?
➡️ Or do we keep lusting after more money in search of fulfilment?
The money and happiness argument goes way back. And we all interpret it differently depending on the experiences of our youth, our current situation, and how much keeping up with the Joneses influences our wants and needs. But …
➡️ What if we could find contentment and happiness in the now?
➡️ What if we knew how to enjoy the small stuff, rather than sweat it?
➡️ What if we could learn to find contentment at each stage of our lives, each week, each day, each moment, despite what our external situation is?
➡️ What if happiness comes from more than just money?
Earlier this week I took 24 hours ‘off’
... and went to meet my best friend of 20 something years. She lives in Somerset, I live in London, and we met at a pub in Wiltshire for some focused time together, some beautiful hikes, some delightful food, and some utterly delicious wine.
Together we filled our cups, and not just with the wine.
But with noticing. Appreciating. Stopping. Seeing.
We watched the lambs run behind their mother as she ‘baa’ed her warnings to us.
We looked at the thatch of the roofs, the character of the buildings, and imagined the lives inside.
We watched the Kite circle overhead, hovering, swooping, hunting, soaring.
We chatted to the gorgeous staff at the pub, hearing about their lives and what brought them to where they were.
We spotted hares darting through the grasses then sit perfectly still, thinking we couldn’t see them.
We listened to each other, nattering throughout the day and well into the night.
We found nuggets of happiness. So many of them in fact. We had taken a break from our busy lives, come together for a brief day, and chosen to clock and appreciate the moments of happiness that filled our cup.
Because we want to find happiness in the little things.
In the small moments with ignite something within us. To reach in and access those precious memories when things feel less easy. To keep noticing the good and the joy. To keep filling our cups.
Having money, and increasing your money, is a wonderful thing. Financial security, stability and the fulfilling of dreams are incredible goals and naturally money is a tool to help facilitate these things.
But experiencing regular moments of daily joy, finding those beautiful nuggets, filling our cup, focusing on the little moments of contentment … those are the things that will support our happiness as we continue along the twists and turns of our life’s journey.
So tell me … what fills your cup?
Do you remember to refill it regularly?
Do you notice when you feel depleted?
Do you stop, look and absorb those precious moments of contentment?
Look out for those little nuggets of joy. They are always out there, you just have to choose to see them.