By Richard Reis

Hello dear,

Wow, we made it!

This marks letter numero 10. Also, it marks the finale to our “Setting The Stage” phase. *sniff*

Ehem… Next week, we’ll begin our “Saving Money” phase. Which means 14 awesome letters to help you save even more money (you can get notified by clicking “Get Updates” at the end of this new series created by Medium).

But, check this out! In only 3 months, you learned How To Neck Rein Your Money, Top 5 Personal Finance Resources, Why Your Net Worth Matters More Than Income, Early Retirement 101, When Can You Buy Anything You Want?, How To Realistically Become A Millionaire, The Art Of Not Falling For Sneaky Marketing, You’ll Never Get Rich With That Attitude, and Now At Last: Dealing With Debt.

Amazing! Those letters alone can help anyone improve their financial lives.

… But what is the purpose of all this?

To answer, here’s my favorite quote on the subject.

It comes from Zappos’ founder, Tony Hsieh (in his amazing book for anyone building a business, “Delivering Happiness”). I know this quote is kinda long, but trust me, it’s worth it.

“‘What is your goal in life?’ When I ask different people this question, I get a lot of different answers. Some people say they want to start a company. Other people say they want to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. Others say they want to get healthy. Whatever your response is, I’d like you to think about your answer to the follow-up question: ‘Why?’ Depending on what they said before, people might say they want to retire early, or find a soulmate, or run faster. Again, whatever your response to the previous question was, I’d like you to ask yourself: ‘Why?’ The next set of answers people give might be so they can spend more time with their family, or get married, or run a marathon. What’s interesting is that if you keep asking yourself ‘Why?’ enough times, you’ll find yourself arriving at the same answer that most people do when they repeatedly ask themselves why they are doing what they are doing: They believe that whatever they are pursuing in life will ultimately make them happier. In the end, it turns out that we’re all taking different paths in pursuit of the same goal: happiness.” — Tony Hsieh

That’s what this is all about. Happiness!

Hence today’s letter.

Purpose

“So, if happiness is the end-all and be-all, why talk about money? Why not talk about happiness instead?”

Well yes, happiness is a skill and you can learn it. But I don’t teach it here.

Firstly, because smarter people than I have done so in several books (my favorite is Daniel Gilbert’s hilarious book, “Stumbling on Happiness”).

Secondly, because without money you can’t be happy (unless you’re a monk, that is).

I don’t mean enough money to buy 10 cars and own a yacht. I mean enough money to not worry about money.

Being rich doesn’t make you happy (quick, any celebrity who committed suicide comes to mind?). But having debts and worrying about bills doesn’t help you enjoy life either.

My goal is to put you somewhere in the middle.

Consider Maslow’s Hierarchy:

In my opinion, for you to be happy all your needs must be met (and the top needs change completely depending on the individual, which is why there isn’t one great answer to what makes us happy).

There are countless resources out there that’ll help you reach the top 3 needs. But very few help you reach the bottom two (maybe that’s why people are more stressed than ever, no matter how many cool innovations).

Of course, some interlap, the examples aren’t 100% perfect, my app choices are questionable — but the point remains the same.

You know what helps you with the bottom two? Money.

That’s where I come in.

Think about it, so far that’s what this series has taught you. And we’re just getting started.

Financial security can vastly improve someone’s life. Therefore it is logical to work on it.

In turn, this will help you achieve your purpose.

Your Purpose — Be Happy

Ok, we can all agree the main goal is to be happy. But how?

Picture yourself a few years from now. What if you read my entire series, apply all the principles, master money, get rid of financial stress, don’t have to work for money anymore, and yet you’re still unhappy. What do you do?!

Well, I cannot tell you exactly. Remember, it depends on who you are.

What I can do is point you in five different directions that generally work. From this buffet, pick what works best for you:

1. Science

Know that happiness is just a combination of 4 chemicals:

Dopamine

Oxytocin

Serotonin

Endorphins

These chemicals can be produced externally by changing whatever it is you’re doing. Which is why you feel happier after working out, eating a good meal, cuddling a cute puppy, or taking a snortful of cocaine.

Therefore, if you’re feeling down consider doing something positive and external that will improve your mood (minus the cocaine, that was a joke… savage).

2. Gratitude

The simple act of thinking about 3 things you’re grateful for every morning will instantly make people happier.

Why? Because our old brain is built to look for what’s wrong constantly (it was useful when avoiding tigers hiding in the jungle).

But nowadays we have to consciously (every day!) think about what we are grateful for. Many people have found The Five Minute Journal useful.

“The effects of consciously practicing gratitude have been studied: When compared to merely thinking about significant life events, contemplating daily hassles, or comparing oneself favorably to others, thinking about what one is grateful for increases one’s feelings of well-being, motivation, and positive outlook toward the future.” — Sam Harris

3. Perspective

Feeling down about life while laying on a comfy couch with a belly full of food? Try gaining some perspective.

Start light by watching Louis C.K.’s video “Everything is amazing, and nobody is happy”.

Not enough? You might find it helpful to read accounts of pre-anesthesia surgery.

Still not enough? Try reading Alistair Urquhart’s book “The Forgotten Highlander”. He was a soldier captured by the Japanese during World War II, where they forced him to work in a mine near Nagasaki. Here’s a sample:

“By this time mental health had become a major issue on the railway. We all suffered from depression. Men were taking their own lives. All along the railway men cut their own throats, put their heads on the railway line and simply walked into the jungle to die.”

*gulp* By the way, the book gets much, much worse.

Whenever you feel down about anything, try putting things a liiiiittle in perspective.

“It can be very helpful to manufacture a feeling of gratitude by simply contemplating all the terrible things that have not happened to you, or to think of how many people would consider their prayers answered if they could only live as you are now. The mere fact that you have the leisure to read this [blog] puts you in very rarefied company. Many people on earth at this moment can’t even imagine the freedom that you currently take for granted.” — Sam Harris (yes, I do love his quotes)

4. Challenges

I’ve talked about this before, so I’ll keep it short. But the notion that being comfortable will make you happy is insane.

“My best days are the ones where I accomplish something truly difficult, preferably in both mental and physical realms. And my worst days are those that I just spend sitting around.” — Mr. Money Mustache

I’m sure you get the idea by now.

5. Connection

Knowing that I’m not alone is probably what helps me the most in the hardest times.

I don’t just mean it in a sense of community (although your friends and family are your anchor).

But, no matter what I’m going through, it’s empowering to know someone else already went through the exact same thing and overcame it.

Even in mourning!

For example, if you (or anyone you know) is mourning the death of a loved one; I find “Abraham Lincoln’s letter of consolation to a grief-stricken woman” an amazing help (after all, Lincoln was no stranger to grief).

You are never alone. Seek out those who’ve overcome the challenges you currently face.

Well dear, that’s it for this letter.

Today, you learned that even if we talk about money the main goal of eeeeveryone is happiness. You also learned 5 different techniques that’ll help you be happier every day.

I also hope you enjoyed the ending to our “Setting the Stage” phase.*sniff* Now you have a great overview of everything you need for financial independence and freedom!

Next week, we start getting practical. By now, you’re more than ready.

See you next week (follow the series here to be notified).

Be well.

R