You’ll be surprised to know the answer to this question is not a dollar amount. It is spiritual. There are few things more crushing to the human spirit than money problems. And, funny thing, it doesn’t really matter whether you need fifty dollars or a million. The fundamental problem is exactly the same–it is living beyond your means.
When you feel empty and “not enough” you begin to reach beyond what you can really afford. You want to live in a neighborhood that’s a little too pricey. You want to drive the car that is just a little bit newer and better equipped than you can afford. You work extraordinarily hard and make all sorts of sacrifices for your work. You fall prey to every advertising message that promises to take away that empty feeling and you buy, buy, buy! You get things on time because you only want the “now” to be pleasant without realizing that you are mortgaging your future “nows”. Despite all your striving you never arrive. No matter how much you make–you NEVER have enough. Each new gain or acquisition only exposes you to more things you must have, in order to be filled.
A friend of mine said that she thought she knew what wealthy people looked like until she worked at a bank. She, like most of us, thought it was slick designer clothing, expensive handbags, jewelry, the latest sunglasses, and fancy cars. She was shocked to observe that people who appeared rich usually had little money in the bank, paid tons of overdraft charges, and had several open loans and home equity accounts.
When you don’t have enough you are competitive with other people. You perceive life as a game with only one winner. It takes away natural feelings of empathy for others and you feel stingy. You can’t enjoy the things you have. You can’t relax. You are constantly moving money around and wondering where you can get some more. You may find yourself lying about your money or bragging. You worry that the house of cards you have built will come crashing down at any minute.
Stop the madness! Get off the merry-go-round! Tremendous peace, happiness, and security will flow into your life once you get comfy in a life you can afford.
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