Does Money Bring You Joy?
November 27, 2019 By Machinist
Pure Joy
You trade you time and energy for money, but what do you trade your money for? After you provide the necessities of life, you probably spend most of the rest of your money in the pursuit of joy. But, do the things that you spend your money on actually bring you joy?
At a time when almost everyone already has the necessities of life and so much more, you might think that there would be plenty of joy to go around. As it turns out, joy is probably more of an individual choice than a matter of money.
Sparks of Joy
Now that she has her own show on Netflix, nearly everyone has heard of Marie Kondo and her philosophies about tidying up. I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about Kondo, nor have I succeeded in tidying my house up, but I have noticed a phrase that she seems to use a lot – sparks of joy.
The idea is that as you are going through your belongings, you ask yourself, does this item bring me sparks of joy? If the item is merely useful or valuable but doesn’t actually bring you sparks of joy, then it may not be something worth keeping in your life.
In Pursuit of Money and Joy
If you are like most people, you are right in the middle of the best years of your life. And, if you are like most people, you are probably spending most of your waking hours engaged in the pursuit of money. That money certainly makes joy possible. It is difficult to enjoy anything when you are hungry or homeless. But having and spending money does not necessarily bring joy. In other words, the things that money can buy may or may not actually make us happy.
How often have you purchased something with great anticipation for the joy that thing will bring, only to find that the anticipation was more joyful than actual ownership. How many items have you purchased that made you happy for a while, but now sit idle? Maybe some of those things have even become a constant reminder of waste or regret and a source of sorrow or disappointment?
How can we avoid buyer’s remorse and find joy in our purchases more often?
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Fidelity Viewpoints
Key takeaways
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Key Takeaways
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U.S. consumers can request a free annual credit report from major agencies.
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