Espresso My Wealth – A series focused on financial and mental ways to improve as an individual.

What is Wealth

We all say we want to be wealthy, to most that means a lot of money, but as each day goes by I realize wealth is not money, because money doesn’t bring happiness, at least not long lasting happiness. Sure money can bring joy in the short term, but that purchased luxury item soon needs to be replaced with an even larger, more expensive item to satisfy the addiction of consuming for joy.

Wealth, in my view, is happiness and being the best version of you. Success is subjective, and I believe wealth can be too. I know people making 6-7 figures unhappy, questioning what they’re doing with their lives, not having the time to spend with their family or a schedule that allows them to regularly date. Great, they’ll have a ton of money in the bank when they die… alone.

What I've learned during my pursuit of wealth

Having lived in a few different states with different occupations, where the lifestyles are as drastically different as my income in those places, I’ve come to recognize a few things that weren’t always apparent to me:

• While it’s great to pursue a goal and experience new places and things, one’s personality and intrinsic makeup stay relatively consistent.
• You can’t force yourself to be someone you’re not. You’re still you. Your past still plays some part.
• You can try, and maybe even pull off lying to yourself for a while, but it’s clear when you’re just interested in something, when you’re trying to fit in, and when you truly have a passion for it.
• Making a lot of money is not nearly as satisfying as you imagine it will be; partly due to the fact that you’ll always want more, and someone else already does.
• “A lot” is relative to your surroundings. Your competitors change as you move up the ranks, but they’ll always be there. If not, you still have your largest competition – yourself.

Do what really makes you happy

I recently validated to myself, one of the things that I truly enjoy. I was talking to a colleague under the dimly lit fluorescent bulbs, in the self-inflicted seats that we’re chained to daily, about a few of the items I’ve built. While sharing a few pictures, I could feel myself light up. I had this pride of what I took from idea to fruition, something I built with my bare hands with the only the rules of physics to limit my creativity. A real mental exercise that allowed me to grow and feel accomplished afterward.

I couldn’t stop talking about the ideas I have planned for “someday”. “Someday” when I stop sitting at this desk, pretending to fit in with the crowd who didn’t have to save their lunch money to buy something they wanted, or have to work two jobs while going to high school or the three in college. How could I relate to their experiences? My slim chance of finding common interests has been challenging when I don’t drink, mainstream sports are, at best, a background noise in my life, poison ivy is the most I have in common with Ivy league, and having grown up on an opposite coast (the sun exists where I’m from), our normal day is “an experience” during their planned 2 weeker. I’m just someone looking to do better than I did as a child, currently a bit outside of my comfort zone. Financially, mission accomplished, and yet where is that feeling of success, wealth, or happiness?

If this is success, then why does it still feel like something's missing

Is it possible wealth, happiness, and success have little to nothing to do with the amount of money in your bank account? A good friend of mine sent me this book, “The Daily Stoic” because he and I relate to the symptoms I discussed above. After reading it (I read it all the way through once and continue to read each daily page the mornings of that date to reflect on its ideas), in addition to other books and mental exercises, my eyes have opened to building a wealthy life of fulfillment. Doing things that I want to do with the time I have on this planet and helping others achieve their goals.

The moment I stopped thinking only about attaining wealth via money, and started thinking about what actually makes me happy, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Why am I comparing my earnings to others, does that really make me happy? No. I started trying to show more kindness to other, and I couldn’t believe how it made me feel to just show a little compassion towards an unfortunate situation someone else was in. The focus can’t only be money. There needs to be balance in everything, and doing the goals you want to achieve in your lifetime have to be in the mix.

What the book is:

• Historic philosophic notes and quotes from Roman times designed to make you think about the deeper meaning of life.
• Modern day translations to relate the above to current everyday life.
• Meant to be read as one page daily to reflect and incorporate the thoughts it into your life.

What it’s not:

• A novel that’s intended to be read as a story from cover to cover.
• A how-to be happy or successful.
• Religious brainwashing (No offense if you’re into that kind of thing)

What I want to achieve

Now don’t get me wrong, money is always on my mind. It’s needed to live a mediocre life or a life of luxury. I just want to attain it on terms that aren’t soul crushing, that don’t consume every last second of my time, that doesn’t bore me to death or have a high probability of death. I want money with the freedom to live life as I want, while finding a deeper purpose for it all.

I hope this blog will be a record of my attempts of finding different ways to earn money that make sense to do, while hopefully entertaining you in the process. I’m not talking about things like writing reviews for $5. Our time is worth more than $5. I want to fail at trying things that make enough to live off of, so that you don’t waste your time trying, or succeed so you can see if it makes sense for you to try. I want to find the ideas that offer the right balance of money and freedom so we can spend time enjoying life’s impulses. I hope the stories and ideas I share, and learn along the way, help to motivate each of you to find wealth in all aspects of life.

Have any books on wealth, Stoicism, or personal growth that you recommend? Please let me know in the comments below.

Jerry