Do you find at times that you tend to compare yourself to friends, family members, colleagues, and the media?
Are you seeking the approval of others when you are getting ready to take on a new opportunity or do something different in life, that is not considered the “norm?”
Do you buy material things based due to peer pressure of others because of what they think you should have given the amount of money you make? Basically, letting them spend your money for you.
Or because you’ve feel you have quote on quote “arrived” financially and educationally, that you can just make it rain whenever on whatever you desire?
Now take a moment, sit back, and reflect on these questions. Which one are you?
We all have our struggles in life. We’ve all compared ourselves to others, have done (or currently) doing things to please others, or just because “society” (i.e. friends, media, etc.) said we should do this or that, look a certain away, drive a certain brand or style of car, live in a certain type of house, basically pushing their opinions on us daily.
When this happens, you find yourself complaining and feeling less than about what you have or don’t have, and questioning why things are working out better for others than yourself. So you try to keep up with society and splurge on the latest and greatest luxuries to fit in, with money you don’t really have in the first place all for the sake of keeping up with or pleasing others.
Making decisions and living life based on the opinions of what others consider to be good or bad will cause you stress, anxiety, unhappiness and leave you in a financial bind. Thus that’s why it’s very important to understand that you should be living for “self” and in alignment with what is most important to you and your goals, both short term and long term.
With that said, here are 3 tips to help stop living for “society” and start living for “self “to have lasting happiness, peace and financial freedom in your life.
- Stop comparing yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy. You were designed to be you, do you, and love you just the way you are. You are unique and creative. What’s for you will be for you in your finances, business, home and family. Honestly others you may be comparing yourself to, believe it or not, may well be on the sideline wanting to be like you so don’t try to please them.
- Stop keeping up with the Joneses. This will keep you broke. Remember, the Joneses are broke too, so please remember that. They will make it seem like they got it going on but they are struggling and robbing Peter to pay Paul trying to keep everything from unfolding. They are stressed out house and/or car about to get repossessed, they don’t have life insurance, no savings, no 401K, or retirement, business is failing but they want to show off their luxury shoes, handbags, car, etc. But behind closed doors, they are wanting your peace, your financial mindfulness, and your happiness.
- Stop thinking everyone is being truthful. Be careful! You only get a snippet of other’s lives. Everyone won’t tell you everything. You only see the show onstage not the behind the scenes, just like a movie where you only see the final cut, not the production in action. And the final cut is what you tend to drool over. You don’t know what it took for someone to get to where they are at today in their life, in their business, in their financial matters, their family, etc. You don’t see the sacrifices that are made, the late nights, the blood, sweat and tears the setbacks, the failures, the number of jobs that person had to take on to get out of debt, to flourish in their business, to get to where he or she is at today.
So when you are faced with the pressures of living for society or self, just ask yourself this: is it in line with what I want long term from a personal and financial perspective?