Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Happiness - The Last Week of the BFS Way to Diagnose Your Financial Health Series

I've been using Wednesdays to go further in depth on each point of diagnosing your financial health since I truly believe that solid finances leads to less stress and happier lives.  Today is the last post of this series.

I have already covered the first seven points - Spend Less Than You Earn, start an Emergency Fund, review Retirement Savings, evaluate Debt, Diversify your investments, have enough Insurance, and creating an Estate Plan.  The last point is to ask yourself if you are happy.

Honestly, all the financial health in the world wouldn't be worth anything if you aren't happy.

If you aren't happy, I'd highly suggest actually figuring out why.  If there are actual reasons that can be worked on, hop on it.  It might be hard, but trust me, it will be worth it.  My husband is currently busting his hump to secure a happier career.  This means that he is teaching 8th grade science, taking 9 hours of grad school, and looking for a new job all at the same time.  Being happy sometimes takes that kind of work.

If you can't pinpoint the problems by yourself, open up your wallet enough to afford some professional help.  I have several friends and family members that were actually putting off therapy due to cost.  They feel different about it now since money is pretty useless if you can't be content.  Therapy does work.  All four of the people I know feel better now than they have in years.  Mostly, I think talking helps and some people need a stranger in order to open up.  It also helps when that stranger has the experience to help.

If you are interested in reviewing all the areas of your financial health, please check out the BFS Way to Diagnose Your Financial Health where you can find links to each point covered in detail.

Once again I ask, are you happy?

10 comments:

  1. I think todays post hits on a great topic. If you're not actually happy earning all this money, then why bother doing it? Sure, you have got to take care of food, shelter and some other creature comforts, but beyond that who cares if your shelter is trailer or a tent? As long as you enjoy it, it doesn't matter.

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  2. Jeff, that's spot on! If you're happy, everything else is gravy.

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  3. What a true post! So many people work themselves to death to get more and more things, and they don't have any time or energy to enjoy it.

    Happiness can be an elusive thing, even under the best of circumstances. Sometimes I want to kick myself in the head (if I could physically do it) because I am crabby when my life is going so well. It can be a physical problem, emotional, you name it. I am sure therapy would totally be worth it if you can find the right therapist. You only live once, so you should enjoy it as much as you can. Sure therapy can be expensive, but being miserable or sad costs in ways other than money. It can cost you relationships, which money cannot buy.

    Great post BFS!

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  4. Everyday Tips, I'm glad you saw where I was coming from. Money just doesn't mean much if you aren't content in basic ways...

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  5. Over time, I have found that happiness is a state of mind. I know a few people that have plenty of money, and yet they are still bitter. I also know a few people that are lower middle/working class, but very happy.

    For some people, it's deep religion, or constant learning, and for others, self expression, etc...

    Personally, I find that hearing my kids laugh or when I know they are having a great time make me happy... Even when I'm not there!

    Some people are luck in that they are happy all the time, they are prone to it. I use to think they were stupid and I wished I was dumber so I could be happy too. But now I realize that's not the case, and some people are just genetically luck to be that way. I think you can change your happiness level, by believing that you are happy (faking it leads to becoming it). I think if you try to find good and beauty in things it helps.

    Oh, one more thing... Try to surround yourself with positive people (if possible...).

    So yes, I'm frustrated at times, but happy :)

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  6. Money Reasons, you make a lot of good points!

    I'm an optimist by nature but a whiner at heart. I've been trying to be more positive out loud lately and its really happening by itself more and more.

    As I'm married to a pessimist, I simply try to ignore his "sky is falling" craziness that happens once in a while. I love him to death but a girl can only take so much, lol.

    I'm glad you're happy! I am too! Feels great, doesn't it?

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  7. Oh I love that question, especially put in there as part of the process of evaluating financial health.

    And yes, I'm happy :)

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  8. Money Reasons, I am so glad I'm not the only one!

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  9. Jackie, yeah, I liked this point the most too...it's just impossible to care about my finances if I'm unhappy. I'm glad you're happy too!

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