I am repeating an email I received today because it is so good and well worth keeping in mind as we work on our businesses.

Money can't buy happiness.

Wisdom is a gift that's passed from generation to generation. Whether we accept it or not is an individual choice.

I love the ancient philosophers. These guys had the luxury of time. Time to think. Time to debate ideas. Time to write.

Aristotle. Plato. Socrates.

Wisdom that's lasted for centuries.

A few years ago, I read a section of a consoling letter Roman philosopher Seneca wrote to his mother, titled Of Consolation to Helvia:

'Consider in the first place how many more poor people there are than rich, and yet you will not find that they are sadder or more anxious than the rich: nay, I am not sure that they are not happier because they have fewer things to distract their minds. From these poor men, who often are not unhappy at their poverty, let us pass to the rich. How many occasions there are on which they are just like poor men!'
 

Before reading this, I had never looked at life from this angle before.

The number of poor far exceed those of the rich, yet the poor are not sadder or more anxious than the rich.

Money most definitely does not buy happiness.

As confirmed by this AFR (Australian Financial Review) article about James Packer's battle with depression (emphasis is mine):
 

'…the very rich have financial worries of their own, says [psychologist Joel] Curtis: while poorer people worry about paying the bills, and middle-class people are trying to get ahead of the bills to pay off the mortgage, the seriously affluent are preoccupied not with what they have done, but how to keep it that way. 

'Their entire self-esteem is tied up with money, so any downturn or the "business going south" can cause stress and depression.

'Nothing is ever enough, and there's always another goal. Everyone is striving for self-actualisation, and unfortunately for high flyers, it is based on results, so they have to keep chasing the high, the feel-good factor.'

When you're constantly striving for more and more, contentment can be as elusive as a competent central banker. 

Happiness must come from within.

Creating a truly happy life requires a conscious effort and commitment.

To do this, we need to work out our priorities and achieve some balance in our life.

If your priority is only money, to the exclusion of all else, then you're destined to have a miserable life, and so is your family.

In an ideal world, we would have perfect balance in all facets of our lives.

Perfection is rarely, if ever, attainable.

The best we can do is try to be better versions of ourselves by constantly assessing and fine-tuning any imbalances in our lives.

Fighting natural tendencies takes conscious effort and discipline.

Neglecting family and health for the sake of money alone could have serious longer-term consequences.

If you then suffer ill health in your later years, I suspect (and this is a suspicion borne from experience) your family might secretly hope you make a quick exit so they can get their hands on what you spent your life lusting after.

What a sad way to spend your final years. And believe me, it happens.

In Seneca's dialogue to his mother, he suggests that non-wealthy people may be happier because they have fewer concerns in life.

The rich have to deal with issues that predominantly inhabit the world of the wealthy.

Suspicion. Jealousy. Greed. Feuding. Scheming. Theft. Markets. Legislative changes. Complex estate planning.

Money cannot buy happiness. Happiness has to come from inner peace. Running your race at your pace and on your terms.

Control your destiny with reasoned thinking and a balanced approach to life. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. How you live your life is an example to your family. The apple tends not to fall far from the tree.

From little things, big things grow.

Seneca's view on wealth is one I've embraced 'useful and brings great comfort to life'.  

So true.

Wealth is a facilitator to enable our loved ones and us to make a valuable and positive contribution to life.

Wealth is not an idol to be worshipped. But a tool to be used to improve the quality of life for yourself, your loved ones, and your community.

Some final words of wisdom.

'No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity.'

You need to experience misfortune to appreciate good fortune. Adversity builds resolve. You become resilient and learn how to cope with life's setbacks.

When you enjoy good fortune (prosperity) before you experience misfortune (tough times), you are at greater risk of being crushed by the setback.

Wealthy parents who shield their children from life's trials and tribulations or who pay for problems to go away are setting them up for failure.

They don't develop coping mechanisms.

There's the genuine risk, in later life, they'll blame you for failing to equip them with the emotional stability to deal with life's setbacks.

Please teach your children that the best luck you can have initially is bad luck. See failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Embrace it, don't avoid it. It's life's way of building strength, to avoid being crushed.

And then there's this brilliant piece of advice from Seneca:

'A great mind becomes a great fortune.'

This quote from motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, is a modern-day twist on Seneca's ancient wisdom:

'Rich people have small T.V.s and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big T.V.s.'

Invest the time in your self-development. An enquiring mind is a valuable asset.

The more you know, the better your thought processes.

One of the lessons I've learned in life is quality questions create a quality life.

In your quest for a balanced life, laugh a lot and have fun, and don't bore your friends with stories on how much money you're making.

Regards,
Brent.

P.S.  No apologies for the long email.

I agree with pretty much everything that is written above, and I would very much like your thoughts on that.

Would you please reply to this email and let me know?

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