Making Money but Feeling Poor?

If we’re not working from our effortless energy, we can feel poor even if we are raking in the money. If we work without passion, motivated only by money, we ultimately hurt our self-esteem. External wealth is a poor substitute for the joy that comes from living your purpose and exercising your true talent. By doing what you’re designed to do, you’ll have more energy and you’ll feel better about yourself, which is truly enriching.

I’ve had some interesting comments on my post Men and Women and Our Two Different Realities. One reader said that if there was no such thing as money, we could all do what we feel we are meant to do – free to fulfill our purpose. Money can really complicate things. How many of us ignore what gives us energy and choose a job or career because we think we’ll make more money? Unfortunately, the result is that we have to put in such a great effort to succeed that we wind up exhausted, which hurts our sense of self. That’s what happened to me whenever I had to work with numbers in investor relations, and as numbers became an increasingly larger part of my job, I found the job less and less rewarding.

True abundance is not what we have in the bank, but what brings us joy – and joy comes from sailing effortlessly ahead with the wind at our back. It’s about truly being who we are, rather than purchasing consumer items. Money is symbolic of the pull of the outside world, and choosing a career just because there is money there can bankrupt you internally. It leads to compulsive spending, which is a craving like any other addiction. Giving in to those cravings always hurts our self-esteem.

If we follow our passions, we’ll believe in ourselves and the universe will provide authentic abundance – not the facade of riches achieved through consumption. Here are a couple of things you can do:

1. Pursue things that give you energy and eliminate those things that drain you. You’ll feel less need to turn to spending for fulfillment.
2. Check your energy levels before, during and after you make a purchase. Most times you’ll find that you increase your energy levels by being more careful with your spending.

We all want to feel wealthy, but true wealth comes from doing what we were meant to do rather than making money just for the sake of spending. What do you do that makes you feel rich from the inside?