We often think being wealthy would reduce our stress, increase our sense of security, and allow us to buy convenience and anything we wanted. It probably would, at least to some extent. But wealth has a price.
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The Wealthier We Become, it Tends to…
# 1
CENTER OUR LIFE AROUND OUR WEALTH
It seems like there are more things we can do, more choices to make, more things to manage, and more opportunities to make more the wealthier we get. This keeps our focus mainly on money matters, and moves us away from experiencing heartfelt feelings and deep connections with ourselves and the world around us.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 2
DRIVE A WEDGE IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS
Whether it’s with ourselves, our loved ones, or both, wealth almost always brings an extra complication into any relationship we have with anyone. Someone’s behavior or expectations change. They may feel a little superior or inferior. Someone might feel less empathetic or judge themselves or others more.
Because wealth often causes different life experiences, it can put us out of touch with others, making it extremely difficult to really understand where they are coming from.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 3
MAKE US THINK MONEY CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS
The wealthier we are, the more we tend to use money as the first resort to solve our difficulties, such as hiring the best doctors, lawyers, or financial advisors.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 4
UNLEASH OUR EGO
The wealthier we are, the more we believe rules don’t apply to us and that we can get away with just about anything. That means breaking all kinds of laws, lying, being a jerk, sexual harassment, and attacking others. Take this for an example: people with expensive cars run stop signs more often than people with average cars.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 5
ELEVATE OUR IMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS
The wealthier we are, the more reckless and daring we become. There is more disregard for the consequences. Examples are gambling excessively, driving under the influence, substance abuse, shoplifting, and sexual impropriety.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 6
DISTORT OUR SELF-WORTH
The wealthier we are, the more it can throw our self-image out of whack. We start thinking we are privileged and more valuable—more worthy of respect—than those who are less wealthy.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 7
LEAVE US EMOTIONALLY UNFULFILLED
The wealthier we are, the more likely we are to rely on what we have or what it allows us to do to fulfill us emotionally. But that stuff can’t really satisfy us, because emotional fulfillment comes from our mindset. Genuine appreciation and giving without wanting something in return is way more gratifying.
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Another Thing Wealth tends to do is…
# 8
MAKE US IGNORE UNRESOLVED EMOTIONAL ISSUES
The wealthier we are, the more we let trauma, guilt, anxiety, and anger stay tucked away in our mindset. It’s easy to bury our distress and get distracted from doing our inner (mental and spiritual) work with what wealth can provide. What makes it worse is that the wealthy often feel emotional issues are failures and try to double down to hide them.
Postponing our mental and spiritual work can delay it, but it doesn’t make them disappear.
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Summary
As you can see, wealth reduces some of our stress, increases our sense of financial security, and allows us to buy convenience and anything we want, but it brings up different kinds of stress that are often more difficult to deal with.
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I have two QUIZZES that may help you…
Is the Changing World Stressing You Out?
How Often Do You Listen to Your Intuition?
Also, check out the Inner Work and Intuition sections on my website.
And, if you need an advisor to help you on your quest, contact Vickie Champion for a coaching and consulting session at a discounted price.