For Richer or For Poorer: Being Happy and Broke VS Rich and Miserable

This is a big question that comes up for those trying to balance happiness and financial or material success. It’s a big one for anyone starting a business or struggling to make it.

It’s also big for anyone who wants to be successful in their career too that may not be a business owner, but doesn’t know if they should work harder, and sacrifice their happiness.

So it begs this question:

Is it possible to be both happy and successful – and have these co-exist? Or is this balance not possible in the long run, and at best is a serious juggling acting of happiness vs. material success?

One group has a mindset that values material/financial success and has difficulty slowing down, thinking that if they do slow down and actually enjoy life, success will fall away – all will be lost. We can call this mindset the one of “success materialism.”

The other is a group that wants to be happy first and/or help the world, but think that money gets in the way, is fundamentally bad, is dirty or is the main source of problems in the world. Let’s call that mindset the “spiritual materialism” way of thinking.

It’s like a thermostat can be set in either case and in both directions for happiness and material/financial success. There’s a polarization that can happen and these two possibilities can seem like the only two available, like two sides of the same coin.

So is it possible to be both happy and successful – and have these co-exist?

In this podcast, we discuss our take and our personal experience on this success materialism vs. spiritual materialism issue and what to do about it in hopes of resolving this issue.

Downloadable Version (Right click and Save-As)

Listening Time: 13 minutes

I was really excited about this podcast, and I (Hamilton) spoke just a little bit faster than I would have liked (and faster than I normally do, I sweat) but you can’t win ‘em all. Secondo is cool as a coaching cucumber and smooth like a big daddy.

Enjoy the podcast and leave comments below.

Con Amor Grande!

-Coaches David (Hamilton and Secondo)