Money is not the most important thing in life. But, there are some things in life that are more valuable than money.
There are many aspects of life that are more important and valuable than money. The ancient proverb that “health (and time) is more important than wealth” is absolutely true.
There are things and experiences that are more valuable than financial capital (or money), things that can lead straight to your success and happiness:
Physical Health
Health is something in life that is more valuable than money. The fact is that money can’t improve your health if you eat unhealthy refined sugar and saturated fat laden foods, smoke, get inadequate sleep, and live a sedentary lifestyle.
The money you earn can equip you to sustain your health with a sound healthcare system. But what is the use of all the money if you have no time to take care of your health.
Perhaps money will buy you the best of healthcare intervention. But you have already spent the entire life running after money; it might be just too late to enjoy the wealth you have made.
If you are unhealthy to travel, to see new places, to eat all kinds of food, you can’t enjoy just being with the money you’ve earned. Hence being healthy and taking care of yourself is more important than money.
Thus, it’s more important to get adequate sleep. Sleep is your body’s method of resetting and replenishing itself—including (and especially) the brain. And, get healthy and exercise.
Mental Health
Depression, anxiety, and stress cannot be cured just by having a lot of money around you. Why are even the most successful and wealthiest people committing suicide or even sometimes giving up everything for a simple life. It is because they want mental peace and wellbeing more than anything.
So before its too late, focus on your mental health and wellbeing, as it is more important than having money.
Integrity And Respect
The most important thing that you would want in your life is earning the respect of your family and friends. You must have the integrity to carry on with your work. Being wealthy implies that you are well respected, but the respect displayed for being wealthy is for the money you have and not for the person making it.
Your good deeds and giving back to others will earn you respect. How well behaved and respectful you are, how honestly you carry out your work, that will earn you respect.
Relationships: Loving Family and True Friends
Many people believe that it is quite lonely at the top. In the rat race to earn the most money and to achieve the highest status, we forget to make room for the ones we love – our family, friends, and people who genuinely care for you.
If you are running behind money, you are going far from your near and dear ones. At your difficult times, it will not be money that would give you relief but the presence of your family and friends near you will. These relationships will take you further than money. Family and friends are the foundation that holds the structure up. From our mother’s unconditional love to our spouse’s constant emotional support, many of us usually take it for granted.
We need to constantly tell our loved ones how much we appreciate them and let them know that we care about them. We should also go out of our way to help them, because doing so will allow the family bond to stay strong.
To have real friends who will stand for you, no matter what is actual bliss. On top of that, there a few types of toxic people who can even pull you dow. So money can only buy people who would be fake around you.
Making genuine friends and having them for a lifetime is more important than money.
Happiness and Joy
Some of us feel that money equates to happiness but many Americans take it to the extreme and miss the point. What ends up happening is that without really thinking about it, many people sacrifice their health and family for potential wealth building opportunities.
When you work too hard, you are giving up precious family time and also your health as you spend less hours relaxing and resting trying to get ahead.
The real fun is not to own a lot of things that make you happy momentarily but to be content inside out and through experiences.
You can be rooted in visiting your hometown; you do not need a lot of money for that, but merely a will to go back and enjoy. Are all the poor unhappy? Well, not! Some find their happiness in spending time with their loved ones and doing simple things in life.
In the end, it’s all the small things and experiences in life that make a person feel content and happy within.
Gratitude
Gratitude is a feeling that money cannot buy at any cost. Certain things make a person. They are core values, experiences, your attitude, and above all, the feeling of gratitude for all that you have in life.
If you do not have gratitude, you would not even evolve as a better person. So showing appreciation is much more important than money in your life.
Time
Time is a treasure—the time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. The time you set aside to be invested in something that brings value to your life and to others.
Time is the biggest asset in this world. You can never buy time with money or any other valuable things.
Those who have time want money, and those who have money want time
You know the funny thing is that most people want what they can’t have and this is usually true across both ends of the time/money spectrum.
Those who are unemployed or have low incomes will strive for more hours or a better paid job while those who are on six figure salaries often moan that they have no time to spend with their friends and family.
Neither of these is desirable and both will ultimately cause unhappiness in your life so the trick is to find a happy medium which leads me to my next point.
A healthier balance leads to a healthier life. You can have all this free time but no actual money to do anything worthwhile or you can have all this money but no free time to do the things you want. The challenge is to find a balance and earn enough money without sacrificing all of your free time.
Greed
Greed can be good and useful when you are greedy for and focused on the right thing.
- Being greedy to spend time with loved ones: The greed and strong desire to spend more time with friends and family.
- The greed for a hobby: Have the desire to do things that you like the most.
- Being greedy to learn and grow in life and succeed: To be able to learn new skills and upgrade yourself and invest in yourself, rather than your belongings.
Purpose
Having a purpose in your life is the most important thing than anything else. You might have all that you want including, loved ones, money, and fame. But if your life is purposeless, if you don’t hold a cause, eventually you might even question your own existence. So ask what is your ‘why’ and keep reminding it to you. Remember your ‘why’, no matter where you reach or what you achieve in your life. It will always guide you on the right path.
Faith
Faith is an investment that cannot be matched. Money can’t touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You’d be poor. You wouldn’t be wealthy.
Faith is a mindset and is self-motivation and is understanding imperfection. Faith is free and is what unites people for a better tomorrow.
When life gets tough, it is faith that reassures you that things will get better. When life is going well, it is upholding your faith in positivity that creates happiness.
“Believe in yourself; have faith in your ability.”
Concluding Thoughts
If you put your time and energy into the things and experiences more important than money, the money will follow anyway. All you need is to prioritize and reorganize your time and goals. Rethink what is more important and ask what is your ‘why’.
Money is one side, and all the above are on another. Earning money can help you in a long way, but drawing a line is the solution.
Life is for living and experiencing all things and not just chasing money. Live and love life, be grateful for what you have, and strive to be better every single day, anyway money will follow you.
References:
- https://alignthoughts.com/life-is-for-living-and-not-just-earning-money-heres-what-is-more-important-than-money/
- https://www.psycholocrazy.com/5-reasons-why-time
- https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2016/02/23/why-having-faith-is-more-important-than-religion/