I’ve often said that any problem money can solve isn’t a problem – it’s just a question of how motivated you are to find the funds and get it sorted.
But there are lots of things that money can’t buy, and when we’re so focused on those dollar signs we can find ourselves missing out on what is truly special in life.
Here are four priceless things that no amount of wealth can give you…
1. Health and wellbeing
Sure, if you have loads of cash you can afford great doctors or a gym membership.
But it’s becoming clear that the stress, anxiety, and exhaustion that come with modern life are contributing to our ill health.
If you’re constantly on the go, with a smartphone glued to your ear, mainlining caffeine just to stay sane, it can’t be good for your wellbeing.
Money might help you maintain a façade of wellness, in your top-dollar activewear, munching on your organic apple – but at what price?
What toll is the rat race taking on your physical and mental health, causing issues that might not even become apparent for years?
Likewise, constantly worrying about a shortage of money probably isn’t great for you either, but if you can be happy and content with just having enough, your body and mind will thank you for it.
2. Peace in your heart
Money might buy you peace of mind – you know you have an emergency fund in the bank to cover you if the car breaks down, or enough super stashed away to support you in retirement.
But it can’t give you peace in your heart and soul.
I know so many people who have financial peace of mind but are never at peace with themselves.
Perhaps it’s because of the job they have to do to gain that financial security, such as twisting the truth as an ad exec or spinning dubious sales pitches to unsuspecting customers.
Or it could be due to the other things they’ve been forced to give up to achieve it, like time with their kids or their hobbies.
No amount of money can buy you inner peace, and it’s hard to get a refund if you sell your soul.
3. True love
I once heard a very wealthy man say that finding true love was almost impossible for him because he never knew if women were really into him, or just blinded by the dollar signs.
He preferred to hang out with ladies who had no idea who he was or what he was worth, so he could be sure that they were genuine.
Most of us think that having more money or success will help us attract a mate, but money can’t buy true love – in fact, it could actually have the opposite effect, attracting vultures with ulterior motives instead.
And any relationship based on a flashy lifestyle is bound to crumble when that pot of gold dries up. If it’s real, lasting love you’re after, it shouldn’t come with a price tag attached.
4. Time
It might be a cliché, but it’s so true.
All the money in the world can’t buy you the time you so desperately wish for.
It could be time with your kids before they grow up and become too cool to hang out with you, or more time with your dear Mum before she passed away, to tell her how special she was.
Nobody ever looks back on their life and wishes they’d spent more time at work and less time doing life.
Show me one parent who regrets all the sports carnivals or school concerts they attended – you can’t, right?
But plenty of us look back on our lives and realise we wasted so much time chasing success and keeping up with the Joneses, that we forgot to stop and appreciate our family and friends.
There will always be another opportunity to make money, but time is a precious commodity, so savour it.
