How Bob Marley made me Stop Chasing Money
Does the accumulation of wealth and ‘stuff’ make us more miserable?
If we get rich, we’ll be happy, right?
Like everybody else, I have been conditioned in life to pursue money. We are taught that if we study hard we will have illustrious careers so that we can earn well and be happy.
The belief that money equals happiness is reinforced by advertising, along with all forms of media. We are constantly bombarded with the message that if we have a bigger house, a better car, and simply more ‘stuff’, we will be happier.
For most of my 49 years, I’ve been on that treadmill; working hard, seeking promotion to earn more money to buy nicer things. And guess what, I’ve done it. I’ve bought the Porsches, the bachelor pad, 75” TV’s, the fancy bikes, and all the latest gadgets I can get my hands on.
Am I happier than I felt in my 20’s, delivering pizzas for a living? No way, I’m more miserable. How can that be when all this amazing stuff surrounds me? My social life is still good, if not better. So why am I more downbeat?
Enter Bob
A big clue came when I saw Bob Marley being interviewed on TV, and the reporter asked him, “Are you a rich man?”
“When you say rich, what do you mean?” replied Marley.
“Do you have a lot of possessions? Money in the bank?” asked the reporter.
“Possessions make you rich?” said Marley. “I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life, forever.” Wow. That statement resonated with me big time.
In my 20’s I managed to buy a flat and a Lotus Elise sports car. But that wasn’t enough, I wanted a bigger place and a Porsche. Got them. Then a few years later I wanted a faster Porsche. Got it. Then a slick penthouse flat. Done. Always the latest iPhone, best tablet, fancy laptops, bigger TV after bigger TV. Buying things with the naïve belief that this would bring me happiness. For a short time it did, but eventually, the same thing always happened; I wanted a more expensive car, a bigger house and so on.
Bob Marley has another famous quote — Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.
Bring on Joshua and Ryan; The Minimalists
There was no defining moment which made me realise that the pursuit of money and the accumulation of ‘stuff’ was probably making me more miserable than happy, but an amazing documentary which I saw on Netflix, called The Minimalists struck a chord with me.
One of the makers of this documentary, Joshua Millburn, then an Operations Director of a telecommunications company said, “I was spending so much time working to buy shit I didn’t need….But it took getting everything I ever wanted to realise I wasn’t happy.”
He and his friend, Ryan Nicodemus, decided to pursue a minimalist lifestyle. They left their jobs, gave away nearly everything they owned, and moved into smaller homes. They decided to pursue their passions rather than stay in a job, which they only did for money, and they only kept possessions which brought them true joy.
Their idea was to search for happiness not through things, but through life itself; taking pleasure in friendship, love, experiences, travel, working for passion, and making others happy. They realised that the best things in life really are free.
Being a minimalist isn’t just about throwing out your physical possessions — it’s about minimising your to-do list, becoming clear about your priorities and really understanding who you are and what you want out of life. It’s the process of decluttering your mind.
Be gone, foul things
With all the evidence staring me in the face, I too have begun my own decluttering journey. I think it subconsciously started a while back. I used to queue up for the latest iPhone every year. My phone is now 3 years old, it works just fine. I would buy a new car every 2 years. My current car is 6 years old.
But now I’m on a mission. Recently I’ve given away my whole CD collection, some 400 CD’s. It hurt to see them go, but I never used to play them. Same with my 300 DVD’s, now all gone. Clothes I haven’t worn in years have all gone to charity or recycling. Old gadgets sitting in drawers are gone. And do you know what? It feels amazing to purge. Not only that, but as my flat became emptier, my mind without doubt became more peaceful.
I haven’t done it yet, but my next step is to leave my job, to pursue my own passions instead of working for money. And I will do it.
Lesson Learned; Let’s Live
We only live once. When you die, you will leave the world with nothing. Why are we all so obsessed with accumulating wealth? For what purpose? I’m not at my happiest making money to buy another car I definitely don’t need. I’m at my happiest when I’m laughing with family or friends, doing something creative, sharing quality time with a loved one, laying in the sunshine, riding my bike, or reading a book. None of these things need an accumulation of wealth.
It’s taken me almost half a century to understand what Bob Marley worked out much earlier in life. True happiness comes from friendship and love, experiences and passions. Stuff the stuff.
