Maybe money can make you happy.

A few months ago, I read a very good book about neuroscience, money, and happiness. In the opening chapter, the author made reference to a series of research studies showing that “not only do measurements of happiness rise as your income rises, so does your sense of well-being and life satisfaction.”

Wait, what? We’ve been taught since birth that money won’t make us happy. But somehow the science says otherwise. What’s going on here?

Then again, it kinda makes sense. Because in order to be financially prosperous (in the true, greed-free sense of the word) one must develop a prosperity consciousness. A consciousness that has everything to do with giving, right thinking, tithing, and having a spiritual cause. All of which bring more joy into our lives as well as the lives of others.

Hmmm.

So, a couple days ago I was listening to the News with Robin segment on The Howard Stern Show. One of the featured news stories was yet another study showing that money actually can buy happiness. But it’s not what you think.

Quite honestly, the timing could not have been more perfect. If you’ve been tuning in this week, our first two QOD episodes were about time management. How we spend 80% of our time doing stuff we’d rather not be doing. Stuff that we’d be much better off hiring someone else to do so we can free up our time for the things we truly love.

How much happier would you be if you did that?

How much less stressful would life be if you could turn your schedule upside down and spend 80% of your time doing things you actually want to do?

And that was the point of the study, which showed a significant increase in satisfaction and reduction in stress when money was used to pay others to do things like shopping, cooking, chores, and household repairs.

Problem is, the study also found that only two percent of adults actually consider spending their money on time-saving services, preferring to buy “stuff” instead.

My point is, money is what we make it. It means what we make it mean. The truth is that money is neutral. It’s paper. It’s a highly effective means of value-for-value exchange. It’s not inherently good or bad. It’s what we make it out to be.

We can make it the source of depression and greed, or satisfaction and generosity. We can use it to buy more stuff that we think will make us happier, or more time to do what we love and spend more time with those we love. It’s up to us.

On today’s Finance Friday episode of The Quote of The Day Show, Dr. John Demartini is back to discuss the meaning we give to money and how financial wealth is often rooted in a spiritual drive. Click the PLAY button above to listen in.

Happy Friday!

Enjoy today’s quote. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Sean