Do you believe that our attitude affects our financial situation? The way we think and feel affect our relationship with money. I think it's a practical and relevant topic that affects most of us so I'd like to explore the concept a little bit.
There is a concept called 'happy money'. It's coined by Japanese writer Ken Honda who also wrote a book with the same title. It's an interesting perspective on money and our relationship with it. I won't really go into the details as Ken wrote quite extensively on the concept, but I will share what I think are the key takeaways.
What is 'happy money'? Essentially it's about joy. First and foremost, it's about how happy we are when it comes to the subject of money, regardless of how much you have in your bank account. It's our state of mind. The happier we are, the happier our money is. This ultimately leads to more wealth. That's basically the summary of happy money.
Why is happy money important? Money is basically energy, the more positive it is, the more likely it will last when it comes our way. It's also about creating a positive flow - what you give out, you will receive later.
Let me provide you 3 ways you can look at happy money and apply the concept to our lives.
Money Flow - Be Happy Either Way
When money flows in, be happy. So when we receive money, no matter if it's your salary or a tip, be grateful that this great thing is coming towards you. When money flows out, be happy. So when we pay our bills or buy stuff, be excited about whatever goods and services we have enjoyed or are about to receive. There is always something to be grateful about. No matter whether it's inflow or outflow, it's always better to feel happy about it (or at lease find an excuse to be happy about it).
Do What You Love, Or Do It With Love
When you enjoy something, you naturally feel joy and contentment. If we apply this to our jobs or whatever it is that we do, we also create a positive atmosphere around us. This positive vibe will generate happy money. Imagine walking into a restaurant or shop where the owner is cheerful and passionate about what he or she does. I am sure you'd be happy to make a purchase there, right? From the owner's perspective, he is attracting happy money.
Find Reasons To Be Grateful
A healthy mindset is a grateful mindset. When we are grateful, we attract money. This is true even when we are not actually seeing much money coming in. Maybe it's a little counter-intuitive, but if we could still find reasons to be grateful even if we are paying our bills or if we had made some losses in our investments, we could still generate happy money. It's about looking at the bright side. When money flows out, someone else is benefiting from it so we could see it as us making others happy, which is a good thing.
Hopefully this simple summary of 'happy money' is helpful. There are many other examples and concepts in the book, so for those who are interested feel free to check out the book.
It's probably easier to be happy when we have a lot of money coming our way. But it's very important to not forget that it's the mindset that really matters when it comes to attracting happy money. The good news is that it doesn't cost anything to cultivate a happy money mindset
