When we think about wealth, we invariably think about money. That’s how we’ve been conditioned. Society tends to view financial success as the pinnacle of human achievement. But we all need reminding that financial security is just one aspect of wealth, and a new book by the best-selling author Robin Sharma does just that.
In is new book The Wealth Money Can’t Buy, Robin Sharma urges readers to put financial wealth in its proper place. There’s nothing wrong with wanting financial security, he explains; indeed, it’s a necessity. But focusing too heavily on money is likely to make us less happy, not more.
The key, Sharma says, is to understand the true role of money in our lives. Financial wealth, he says, is not an end in itself, but simply a means to make life richer. Essentially, it provides freedom and choice for you and your loved ones.
The problem is that, however much money we have, we often want more. We don’t need to give up on our financial goals, the author argues; we just need to use money wisely and have a healthier relationship with it. That means using money to support our values and enhance our personal wellbeing, and recognising when we have enough of it. So take some time, ideally with the help of a financial planner, to define what “enough” looks like. Once you’re content with what you already have, there’s no point in risking your happiness by constantly striving for more.
That’s why we should all learn to appreciate what we have. This includes being grateful, not just for the essentials — food and shelter, for example — but also for the friendship, love and support of those around us.
Crucially, Sharma says, we should spend our money in an intentional way, to increase our joy and sense of purpose. It’s far better to spend it on time and experiences with loved ones (holidays, for example) and supporting charitable causes that are important to us, than on material items we don’t really need.
So, once we’ve identified our “enough” and stopped accumulating financial wealth for the sake of it, what should we focus our time and energy on instead? Well, in his book, Robin Sharma suggests seven ways we can build wealth that have nothing to do with money.
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HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?
Robin Powell and Jonathan Hollow have been friends since childhood and share a passion for helping people understand the world of money, savings, pensions and investments.
Now they’ve authored a book called How to Fund the Life You Want, which explains in plain English what you need to know to pay for the life you want to lead.
The book is published by Bloomsbury and is primarily written for a UK audience.
It’s available to buy on Amazon, on Bookshop.org, and in all good bookshops. There’s an eBook and an audio book version as well.
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