I Do Love Anyone Who Tries

 A co-worker just told me about a high school friend of his who made a ton of money developing tax writing software in the 1980's.

He was telling me about him because he was at this memorial. Didn't even make 60 years old. Died. With a lot of money.

He told me at his memorial his sister brazenly declared "...let's not mince words, my brother was an alcoholic and he died because of it."

Reflexively I laughed. Jesus. The balls on this girl.

Then occurred to me...and also to my friend...MONEY DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE HAPPY.

I keep telling this to my poor friends and all they can say is "well, it's easy if you have it."

Nope. Wrong. Nuh-uh.

Money isn't what makes you happy. Knowing how much you can be happy with is.

For some, having $10 and a place to get a hot meal and they are happy means they are living a better life than a millionaire software engineer. For others, having a yacht, fifteen cars and a mansion means happy (which is most often isn't the case).

To me, I've never chased wealth. I grew up watching people with wealth lead a very sour life. Their kids are miserable. Wife is bored. They party until they die.

Because, here's the thing...

...once you become wealthy beyond your imagination, what other things are there to conquer?

And also, who do you surround yourself with that gives you worth if it isn't people who use you for your wealth (not that they give you money, could also mean they give you financial advice). In short...who likes you for you.

Not many people.

Wealthy people are lonely people for a reason...paranoia.

They can lose everything overnight because all of their money is so tied to other things. Liquidity in money is the thought that money moves on the daily basis (which it does). Money isn't a thing. It's a promise of a thing. I give you dollars, you give me candy. The promise is on the currency itself. Legal tender.

If you have no purpose, none of this is worthwhile. "This" as in, life. You need to find what you want to do...to feel fulfilled. Chasing money isn't that much fun. All you want is more of it.

So if you at least try...I am in your corner.