Other people don’t kill our dreams – We do! … a continuing discussion about Siimon Reynolds’ book “Why People Fail” with Kevin Lovewell
Chapter 15: Having a Money Obsession
The urge for wealth is an extreme and endless journey. The list of “Must-haves” becomes endless and accelerates away from us faster and faster. As Siimon observes in this chapter, this chase would be fine, except for the fact that seeking riches of itself does not lead to ultimate happiness, nor does it improve our happiness levels whilst we are on the journey. In fact (and not surprisingly) there is ample evidence over many studies that possession of money rarely gives “satisfaction” does not increase the quality of life of the possessor of wealth and nor does it reduce feelings of insecurity, anxiety and negativity. Another group of facts about materiality and health.
- These people suffer from less energy and vitality
- They are more prone to depression
- They face greater risk of heart disease and cholesterol issues
- They have greater use of tobacco, drugs and alcohol
So, the correlation between the wealth obsessed and personal neediness is very evident. Obsessed people are filling a void. Some examples of these voids are – Not loving themselves, dependency syndromes and different clinical forms of compulsiveness. The fix, according to Siimon are the following happiness boosters.(As a general observation – any obsession is dangerous, and these methods of counter-acting obsessive behaviours are not a replacement to clinical diagnosis and appropriate medical help. Just a small self-help guide)
Connect with people. (Men like me can learn this from the females in their lives) One of the quickest ways to build happiness is to spend time with people. How? Be interested in others and be upbeat.
Practice gratitude. Taking a moment to think about all the good things that are happening in your world creates elements of gratefulness. This helps build the barriers to dark moods.
Help other people. There is a particular bit of research where university students were asked to do one charitable act and one act that only benefitted themselves. Not surprisingly, the action that made them feel happier was the charitable act.
Increase Omega 3. Apart from being good for the blood, Omega 3 is a natural cure for depression. Enough said there.
Control your minds focus. You are in control of what you allow your mind to focus upon, and one of the most important times to focus on the good is when making plans and visioning the future.
Take action. Even if simple and hesitant steps. One foot in front of the other, again and again helps you feel in control. It is far better to step forward and risk a fall, than to not take that step.
Action Step
We are all human. Frankly I cannot see that pursuing wealth is wrong – Lusting after it and worshiping it is. Don’t let money be the master.
If you need more information, please talk to me:
Kevin Lovewell
1 – Taken from the book “Why People Fail – the sixteen obstacles to success and how to overcome them” – Siimon Reynolds
References:
Some interesting texts the author recommends are:
Gerber, M. (1998) The E-Myth manager: Whey Management Doesn’t work and what to do about it, Harper Business, New York
Gould, C. (2010) the seven stages of small business success, Keynote Publishing, Charleston
Greiner, Larry E., Evolution and revolution as organisations grow (1972) HBR
Reynolds, S. (2010) Why People Fail: The sixteen obstacles to success and how you can overcome them, Penguin Group, Sydney
Tan, J., Fischer, E., Mitchell, R., & Phan, P. (2009) “At the centre of the Action: Innovation and technology strategy and research in the small business setting” Journal of Small Business Management 47(3):233-262
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the Writer. The information is not meant to be exhaustive. Readers are responsible for making their own inquiries and assessments as to the truth and accuracy of all the information given and should seek advice from professionals. No liability (in contract, tort or otherwise) will be accepted for any loss or damage incurred as a result of reliance upon any material contained in this publication or any information or advice provided in this publication or incorporated in it.
