Does financial freedom bring happiness? Undoubtedly, people pursuing financial freedom are ultimately pursuing happiness. But even the wise King Solomon, struggled with finding happiness, despite his immense wealth. Fortunately, there is much we can learn from him as we explore the subject of financial freedom vs happiness.
in this article:
The foolishness of pursuing material wealth
The utmost authority on wealth
The foolishness of the Financial Independence and Retire Early (FIRE) movement
The joy within the journey to financial freedom
Not financial freedom Vs happiness, but freedom and happiness
The Foolishness of Pursuing Material Wealth
Much of the content in this websites references things like money, wealth, becoming rich, etc. And as I write, sometimes, I question the wisdom of focusing so much effort on money in this manner, because life is about a lot more than material wealth. Thus it is important to stop to reflect what is it that we are really looking for. Thus, I believe it is prudent to touch on the subject of financial freedom vs happiness.
But, to be clear, I do believe that material wealth and happiness don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I also believe that financial freedom and happiness can be complementary to each other.
In any case, some people are bless with an ability to enjoy their material wealth. On the other hand, other people are driven by the pursuit of material wealth to the point that this same drive precludes them from enjoying their wealth. Ultimately, as we will explore below, pursuing material wealth alone in an attempt to pursue happiness is foolish.
The Utmost Authority on Wealth and Happiness
When I think about an authority on wisdom of any kind, the first person that comes to mind is King Solomon. But he wasn’t just wise, he was also very rich. And for sure, he was financially free! In fact, much has been written about King Solomon’s unmatched wisdom and riches. Thus, if anyone can weigh in on the subject of wealth or financial freedom vs happiness, it must have been him.
And as it turns out, Solomon wrote extensively about these things, but first, let’s gain some background on this wise and rich king.
God Promises to Give King Solomon Wisdom and Wealth
In 1 Kings 3, God tells Solomon that He will give the future king wisdom, wealth, and honor. And, as if that wasn’t enough, Gold also tells Solomon that in terms of wisdom there will never be anyone like Solomon.
God himself is about to pour out wisdom on a man in a way that is and will always be unmatched.
As for riches, God also tells Solomon that he will give him both wealth and honor, so that in his lifetime he will have no equal among kings.
Solomon’s Wealth
But those were promises. Did Solomon actually become wise and rich? Absolutely!
First, in 2 Chronicles the bible states that the gold that Solomon received yearly was 25 tons. That alone is over $1,200,000,000 in today’s dollars, using today’s gold prices. Talk about cash flow! And financial freedom!
And this amount does not include the revenue brought to him by merchants and traders. Furthermore, these figures do not include the gold all the kings and rulers of other countries brought to him.
Moreover, Solomon’s net worth would have been absolutely immense considering all the articles in his palace were made of pure gold. In fact, the bible also states that nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days.
Solomon’s Wisdom
The bible also states all the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. In particular, a visit by the queen of Sheba stands out.
When the queen of Shebaheard about the fameof Solomon and his relationship to theLord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.
1 Kings 10:1
And apparently she was very impressed.
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.7But I did not believethese things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealthyou have far exceeded the report I heard.
1 Kings 10:6
Much has been written about Solomon’s wisdom. If you are interested in learning more about Solomon’s wisdom pertaining money, I’d like to recommend this other article titled ‘9 Lessons on Finances and Success from King Solomon‘ from the Celebrating Financial Freedom blog.
Solomon’s Pursuit of Happiness
At least for a period of time, Solomon fully dedicated himself to pursuing happiness. In fact, in the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon states that in his search for happiness he tried everything. He tried pursuing wisdom, he undertook great projects, he amassed treasures, he denied himself nothing his eyes desired, and he refused his heart no pleasure.
Nevertheless, this wise and rich King struggled very much with the same things we all regular people struggle with. And that is finding joy and the true meaning of life. In chapter after chapter, this wise king, laments over his struggle to find happiness.
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
Ecclesiastes 12:18
And what does he say about money?
Whoever loves money never has enough;whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.This too is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
That definitely rings absolutely true to me. But in all honesty, this is also starting to get depressing. So, let’s skip to the end of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Solomon’s Conclusion About Happiness
In all his writings about wisdom, the meaning of life, andthe search for happiness, Solomon finally reaches a conclusion. But, let me first qualify that it is animpossible task to attempt to summarize all of the wisdom contained inEcclesiastes into a few words.
And please be prepared for a very anticlimactic end.
This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drinkand to find satisfaction in their toilsome laborunder the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,and the ability to enjoy them,to accept their lotand be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
Ecclesiastes Chapter 5:18-19
So, after pursuing treasures and extensively indulging in every possible desire Solomon did not find happiness there. Rather, joy comes from a relationship with God and from being able to delight in the simple things in life. And those that can find joy in the simple things and accept their lot may also have the ability to enjoy their wealth and possessions, as well as their job.
The Foolishness of the Financial Independence and Retire Early(FIRE) Movement
And somewhat related, this conclusion is part of the reason why I don’t fully subscribe to the Financial Independence and Retire Early (FIRE) movement. I do subscribe to the financial independence part, but retiring early seems unwise to me. Certainly, retiring early can mean different things to different people, but it sure sounds unappealing to me.
Instead, I like the idea of finding joy in my work and in the process be a blessing to others, while also experiencing financial freedom. That, to me seems to be a better way to live and find happiness.
The Joy Within the Journey to Financial Freedom
Are you burned out from pursuing financial freedom? Perhaps the key is to find a way to delight in your labor to truly enjoy the journey.
Motivational speakers talk about how struggles and failures are a good thing. I don’t disagree, but the truth is that at some point even the best of the best get discouraged during their journey.
The good news is that if we can find a way to enjoy the journey we will be more likely to persevere and reach our goals. And what better way to illustrate this with a couple of stories.
Rush to Get There or Enjoy the Journey
When I was in my mid-20s, I was moving from California to Washington State. My belongings were in route, in a moving truck. And I had a few things with me in a Ford Ranger pickup.
I was driving slightly above the speed limit, when a bigblack SUV went past me at maybe 20 miles per hour faster than I wastraveling. I was in a hurry, or so I thought,so I decided I would tag along with this SUV.My thought was that if cops saw us speeding they would stop the SUV notme.
We were driving much faster than I am used to. We were, passing everybody else that weencountered on the highway. My handswere tightly gripping the steering wheel and my right foot was heavy on thethrottle, but ready tap the brake pedal, if anything went wrong.
After about 30 minutes of driving fast and trying to keep upwith the speeding SUV I realized I was completely stressed out. Then, I began to question the wisdom of mydecision to drive at insane speeds. Yes,if everything went well, I would get to my final destination two hoursearlier. But even if I got there in onepiece, was this level of stress worth the two hours?
Finally, wisdom prevailed. I stopped following the SUV and instead decided to travel exactly at the speed limit.
In fact, I became deliberate about enjoying the actualexperience of driving across states, singing along some great music, and overalladmiring the beautiful landscapes. And Ibegan to admire and delight in things I wasn’t able to notice before. This was a valuable lesson that stayed withme for the rest of my life.
Push Through with Determination or Enjoy the Journey
Years later I was training to runthe Honolulu marathon. If you’ve evertrained for something like this you know it takes months of training, and youknow the long distance workouts can be grueling.
In my mind, any run over 10 mileswas a tough run, and there were many of those runs in my schedule. Whenever I doubted myself, due to exhaustionor injury, I would focus my attention on the goal of completing my firstmarathon. This was helpful, but my runswere still a drag.
The thing about running long distances is that you have a lot of time to think. At some point I recognized that I had been focusing only on finishing the marathon and had neglected to enjoy the journey.
I began focusing on enjoying running, which is the reason why I started running in the first place. It was at that point that my long runs became significantly more enjoyable and as a result, the destination became much more achievable.
And I do believe this mindset was key on completing my training an finishing the marathon I trained for.
Not Financial Freedom Vs Happiness, but Freedom and Happiness
So it is with life. What good is it to work hard and to rush to attain financial freedom if during the journey we have labored only focused on the end goal and when we arrive at our destination we are lonely, empty and tired?
On the other hand, what if we actually treasured every step of the journey? What if through the journey we recognized our growth as we confronted and overcame adversity? And what if along the way we were a blessing to others?
Imagine reaching the destination, but also being surrounded by friends and loved ones with whom we can celebrate our freedom and successes.
All of which sounds truly liberating! In fact, it sounds like freedom and happiness!
The Bottom Line
In my opinion, being free and finding happiness does come down to being able to find joy in the simple things in life. And one of those simple things in life is enjoying our toil, and the journey. And what’s even more encouraging is that reaching the final destination will be a lot more achievable when we are able to enjoy the journey.
In conclusion, I do believe it is possible to be wealthy, financially free, and happy. As I continue diving on the subject of money and wealth I will do my best to also be aware of true true wealth and happiness. Perhaps most importantly I’ll endeavor to enjoy all of these things with friends, family, and even with strangers, for life is about relationships and about love.
As always, please drop me a note and let me know what other areas of business and finance you’d like to explore. Then I’ll write more about your suggested topics as we pursue knowledge, financial success, and financial independence together. In addition, you can also follow me on Twitter at @Cash_Keen
