Commercials are the worst. And so manipulative.
We’ve all seen those ones where the color scheme is grey and drab looking. The subject (the most uncool person in the world) is sitting by themselves looking with hangdog eyes at the group of WAY more interesting and successful people who are having the time of their lives, all because they have [insert BrandX product here].
Then, somehow the ‘loser’ gets AWESOME THING™, and like magic, they’re at the top of the social ladder. They find TRUE LOVE™ and together they ride off into the sunset in a Maserati filled with sacks of cash.
All because of AWESOME THING™.
The whole point of advertising is to train us that we need something outside of ourselves to find happiness.
As a result, we get stuck in the mindset of “I’ll be happy when…”
If you’ve ever said any of the following, you might be a victim of this mindset:
“I’ll be happy once I lose 50 pounds.”
“I’ll be happy when I can afford a bigger house.”
“I’ll be happy as soon as I find true love.”
Sound familiar?
We are really good at talking ourselves out of being happy with what we have. The fact is, you don’t have to have a specific thing to be happy. You get to choose to be happy.
Happiness comes from choosing to see beauty and joy in the now, and learning to change what we don’t like.
Being thankful for the small blessings we do have, even if the world’s in chaos right now.
Figuring out what we can control vs. what we can’t.
Another way to find happiness is to create opportunities and push your boundaries. It’s so easy to just stay stuck and safe, even if we’re not happy.
You could start learning that new skill that you’ve always put off in the back of your mind (maybe it’s learning how to cook, or play guitar). You can start simple, such as watching a YouTube video and practicing.
It’s all in your hands. How powerful is that?
One of the ways we find happiness at Money & Clarity is to look for opportunities to improve the financial future of all our clients. Give us a call at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or go online and book a 15-minute chat today, and let’s get started on yours.
Regards,
Nikki Earley, CFP®
