The months following the holidays can be extremely difficult as we take in all the extravagant things people have done or purchased. Social media tends to highlight the best of the best and focus only on the good while ignoring the bad. However, what social media doesn’t show us is how happy people actually are in real life. Sure, it can look like someone has everything they ever wanted from afar, but that’s often not the whole story.
When we allow comparison to overtake our thoughts and our mindset, we give in to feelings of discontentment and jealousy. This not only strains our relationships but can also inhibit us from moving forward when we have the chance. You see, when we focus on someone else’s apparent successes, we may overlook opportunities that could eventually get us to where we want to go. We often want to skip steps and take the easy way out, when the truth is: It’s going to take commitment to build an income and create true wealth. But I did it, and so can you!
Living wealthy encompasses our finances and our personal security. It’s about living well today and creating a better tomorrow. We must have both pieces. Being content with where you are will allow you to purposefully seek out ways to create more wealth. Our self-worth impacts our financial status more than we realize, and if we are constantly negative about our current circumstances, we won’t believe we are good enough for opportunities when they do arise.
As a leading expert in the financial industry, I have seen comparison and envy drive people to make decisions that weren’t truly right for them and did not result in the joy they were seeking. And honestly, I’ve been there myself! Basing our financial decisions on what we want others to believe about us, instead of what we truly want, can get us into trouble. What we should be focused on is making intelligent and informed choices that help us live our best lives today, while creating security for the future.
No matter what profession we’re in, our finances are greatly impacted by our self-worth and our ability to overcome adversity. Truly building your income requires building on your current strengths, believing that you are capable of change, and being willing to make those changes. When we can work through difficulty without damaging our belief in ourselves, we show true resiliency, which is a powerful skill regardless of the industry we find ourselves in. Your income can increase by building on the strengths and skills you already possess. Your value comes from within, so let that shine in the workplace first and it will likely be noticed.
We must stop complicating our lives with the constant game of comparison. Be content with where you are, even if you are working towards something better. Living wealthy is about you and no one else!
Dawn is a Certified Financial Planner, the country’s first Behavioral Financial Advisor, the Founder and President of Relevé Financial Group, a multimillion-dollar advisory firm, and the creator of the Live WELLthy education and financial planning platform. As a fiduciary with over 20 years of experience providing financial advice, she teaches people to save for tomorrow without having to sacrifice living today. Dawn’s proprietary process helps people identify what they want out of life, and she provides proven tools so people can get the money to make it happen. Her unique approach seamlessly merges the most effective teachings of self-help and finance, alleviating financial anxiety by ensuring people have spending freedom today and tomorrow.
