As many of you already know, I live in California now. Compared to New York, I am working twice as hard at my job to make half as much, which effectively means I’m making 1/4th as much. At first I was miserable, I’m not going to lie. Since I didn’t believe I could fatten up my bank account anytime soon, I chose to pursue my happiness without it. It took me a while to get here, but I can now say that I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. There are actually many reasons for this, but for now I’ll just discuss my top 4.
#1 Family. My family lives in California, so there you go.
#2 Exercise and Nutrition. Most people make a fast food run before going home to sit down in front of the TV, instead of going for an actual run before sitting down for a healthy meal. Is it any wonder that their brain chemistry is a little out of balance?
#3 Meaning. The quality of your experiences boils down to the quality of the meanings you assign to them. When someone beats you at a competition, if you tell yourself that it’s because you’re a loser, then that is quite unfortunate indeed. But when you lose and you tell yourself that you will crush them the following time, then you can thank them for giving you the motivation to do so.
#4 Relaxation and Celebration. Every night I meditate to clear my mind of the day’s stresses and every Sunday I give myself permission to just relax. Sometimes I will choose to spend it with someone, but most of the time I will spend it by myself in order to recharge my introvert batteries. And instead of just working my butt off as I did when I first moved here, I now set aside time to acknowledge and celebrate my victories.
Having said all that, I am still interested in making more money. The difference is of course that most people have it backwards, thinking that more money will lead to more happiness, when in fact you can learn how to be happy even before you get the money. I can think of at least 2 conversations I recently had with multimillionaires who thought that some years ago when they had a fraction of the wealth that they have now, they were actually happier because of factors like (#1) a better family life, or (#4) more time for themselves. What I would suggest is that you still pursue the money, but to just remember to pursue your happiness at the same time.
Choose to Take the Journey 
This is exactly why I made a DECISION to design my own life. Work Less and Live More. Blessings to you.
Rob, I just read a handful of posts from your blog. Your most recent one, “Along With Commitment Comes Sacrifice” was especially moving. Dear readers, if you are looking for more inspiration, check out Rob’s blog:
http://www.robswihart.com/
Also, don’t forget to check out my Bestie’s blog:
http://tracikay.wordpress.com/
She has already published a book recently, “The Pendant,” which you can search on Amazon. Of course this means that I will have to publish a book as well!
So glad I could inspire you on this day. Thank you for the positive feedback. Blessings to you on your journey.
Thanks Rob. Blessings to you as well. I appreciate people like you who are focused on giving back to others.
That’s a challenge that I am more than willing to read! ;)
So happy to hear that, Traci :)