Beyond Money and Power

Lately I have been experiencing a ground swell of desire for a new way to be and live. I expect to see this from my clients, however I am seeing it in places and people I would not expect.

Arianna Huffington shares her thoughts about redefining success in her new book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder. Instead of focusing solely on money and power, she calls us to look to a third metric centered on the quality of our lives.

A relaxing weekend at a friend’s summer house becomes a discussion about values and goals. The quest for a successful business is being overtaken by the desire to focus on family and a slower way of living.

Interviewing potential financial advisors shifts into a discussion of how the stress of making six figures hurts health, relationships, and quality of life.

We are not yet at the tipping point of embracing new values, but there is growing discontentment with how things are and a longing for something different. The challenge is money and power are so ingrained in our society. Deep in our psyche we still believe: Work hard. Keep up with the Jones. Make something of yourself. He with the most toys wins. Earnings = worth. Beat the other guy to win.

Yet all of these ideas are beginning to feel hollow. Big “wins” leave us dissatisfied. We earn and we buy and we don’t enjoy our lives. We strive and compete and we damage our health.

What does it take to embrace new values?

The first step is to define what you TRULY value. Not what society tells you is important, not what your family has always valued, not what your friends are striving for, but what you truly value. Deep down inside we all know what is important to us. The reason we do not focus on it is because it is clouded by convention.

• Spend some time thinking and feeling about what truly makes you happy, brings you joy, and makes you feel fulfilled.
• Next, list the things which are currently taking priority like your to-do list and current goals. Sit with each of these obstacles and uncover if they are truly important to you.
• Begin to replace your current priorities with your true values and see how your health, joy, and relationships improve.

Share with us what you truly value and how you are going to start bringing it back into your life.