Money, Stuff, Tasks

Having lots of money while not having inner peace is like dying of thirst while bathing in the ocean. ~ Yogananda

Interesting thought! At a glance, it is easy to say: “no, that’s not true!” But after a second look, there is a lot of wisdom in that statement. Although many people equate money with happiness, there are those with money who don’t have peace and those with little money who are very content.

What about if we replace “money” with “stuff”? One prime motivator for buying is the idea that having stuff will make a person happy. Whether it is acquiring new and different stuff or having a plethora of select items, the belief is that the person with lots of stuff is happier than the person without stuff. Reality is that while the acquisition of stuff may increase immediate happiness, long-term there is usually anxiety and frustration associated with lots of stuff. For instance, people with lots of stuff tend to experience:

• Greater social isolation
• Escalated family tensions
• Loss of involvement in hobbies that require space
• Increased financial turbulence

Similarly, what are the repercussions of substituting “tasks” for “money”? People often take on lots of activities because they feel that they have to say “yes” to everyone (people-pleaser) or because no one can complete the job as well as they can (perfectionist). Other reasons include forestalling “down time” (avoiding unpleasant feelings) or lack of delegation skills. The truth is that people who “hoard” tasks often encounter:

• Physical burn-out
• Mental exhaustion
• Lack of sleep
• Unhealthy eating habits
• Decreased exercise

I’m thinking that having inner peace is preferable to having lots of money, stuff, or tasks. So the question I am going to ask myself is: What can I do to decrease my “task load”? What question do you need to ask yourself in order to start down the path to inner peace today?