Money is the key to happiness, isn’t it?

I used to think that working hard was the ultimate path to success—it's the athlete in me. The more reps you put in, the better the results. Day in and day out, I'd grind away, convinced that with each sweaty, back-breaking hour, I was inching closer to the NHL. Spoiler alert: I was wrong and unhappy. I see the similarities with chasing "wealth." We often glorify "working hard" as a virtue. But here's a truth bomb: working hard just for the sake of it is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Early in my career, I worked my ass off 24/7, believing that the next promotion, raise, or startup was my ticket to happiness. Little did I know, I was just stepping onto the hedonic treadmill, sprinting toward a happiness that was always just out of reach.

Economists talk about the "diminishing marginal utility of money," a fancy way of saying that the more money you have, the less each additional dollar matters. It's like eating your favorite pizza; the first slice is heavenly, the fourth slice is satisfying, but by the sixth, you might as well be eating cardboard. Research shows that while higher incomes are associated with greater happiness, the boost in joy starts to lag behind income gains. There's even data suggesting that after a certain point, commonly around $75,000 a year (may be a tad higher now because of inflation), more money doesn’t equate to more happiness.

There's an old saying that "money is the root of all evil." I'd argue it’s more of a revealer than a root. Money amplifies who you are. If you're generous without money, you'll be Mother Teresa with a lottery win. If you're a jerk without it, you'll just be a richer jerk with it.

So, what should we chase? For me, it's simple: family, relationships, and the joy of making someone else's life better through entrepreneurship. I've set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) in my life, not for the next big house or flashy car, but for meaningful, soul-filling achievements.

We need to dig deep and realize that making loads of money won't plaster over the cracks in our happiness. If you haven’t figured this out yet, maybe you haven’t made enough money to see the truth. Or perhaps you're still on that hedonic treadmill, chasing after the next big thing. So, you can continue running, or you can take my word for it because I’ve seen the extremes of both sides. My honest suggestion: step off the treadmill, take a breath, and find out what truly brings joy to your life. Ironically, this is the energy that will make you work smart and bring in the money.

Before I end this, I want to share a quick story about wealth, achievement, and what matters. One of my mentors used to be the CEO of one of the biggest restaurant brands in the world. I went to his house for breakfast, and he asked me if I wanted to go to his garage to see a few things. I said, of course. In my mind, I thought he was going to show me some fancy rides or expensive art collections. This guy could buy whatever car or art he wanted, but instead, plastered wall to wall, floor to ceiling, he had all his achievements, awards, and arts and crafts made by his grandchildren on display. This is what happiness looked like to him. It wasn’t a Ferrari or a Picasso; it was achievements, family, and a sense that he had made the company better than when he entered it. I was inspired and instantly realized, that’s what I want, that’s what happiness is.

So, here’s to finding happiness, not in the next paycheck or unbalanced work ethic, but in the everyday moments that really matter. After all, isn’t that what life is truly about?

?Let's Continue.

Nunzio