$MONEY$ AND HAPPINESS...

In this crazy crypto culture, we see reports of millions of dollars and the gains of others pouring in from the 1000x's - and this is why we're all here. At least initially. 'Number go up' gets you in the door, but hopefully you stay for the philosophy, innovation, and community. Now with all the insanity that may come in the next few months - and definitely over the next few years - I think it's important to think about why we want, not just what we want. No, money is not going to 'make' you happy. Only you can do that. There is nothing external that will have a lasting effect on your level of happiness or wellbeing. It's totally and completely internal and is based on your thoughts and perceptions of the world. So of course money is not going to fix all your problems surrounding meaning, relationships, health and whatever else inevitably arises. But money can definitely solve your money problems. You need to know what level you're at.

ENTER Punk6529 (the following is abreviated from Punk6529)

Level 1 - Crushed by circumstance Refugees in Syria. Drought in Eritrea. Civil War in Congo. Unfortunately billions of our co-travelers in life don't even have the faintest opportunity to make it, due to circumstances outside their control, namely where they were born. Basically nobody at Level 1 is reading these tweets.

Level 2 - The Struggle is Real This is the level where day-to-day, financial problems are a hassle. You work 2 jobs. You don't have any savings. You worry about a medical emergency. Your car breaks down, it could cause a cascading crisis of problems bc no $ to fix it. When money issues are front and center in your daily life, they are a huge tax on your happiness and on your effectiveness. Unlike L1, I know many people in L2 and many of us have been there early in life. If you can escape, do everything possible to do so

Level 3 - "Middle Class" In the United States, everyone likes to think they are middle class (both "poor" and "rich" are vaguely embarrassing terms). So families with $50K income in Ohio and $500K in San Fran both say "we are middle class" +/- Despite the fact that the range is broad (and even broader if you look globally), the "middle class" experience is definable. You have a house. You have a car. You have some savings. You worry about getting the kids to college (but you will get them in and through) It is a GREAT HAPPY PLACE to be. If you are at Level 3, enjoy it! You have already Made It by historical and global standards to the top 1% of anyone who ever lived.

Level 4: We Like Nice Things This starts at the upper end of the middle class and goes all the way to the uber-rich because it is a state of mind, not a specific income level. Basic life issues are sorted. Now we "enjoy" things. Depending on your income level, the thing you might enjoy is "a nice trip to paris" or "a house on the lake" or "a house in Aspen" or "a private jet" This is the vast and endless consumerist playground. You have definitely Made It But... But..... My experience suggest that the relationship between happiness in Level 3 and more happiness in Level 4 is tenuous at best, may not exist and may be negatively correlated. Consumer delights are great, 6529 enjoys, but they do not fill the soul with joy over time 6529 has met many many many rich people who have a lot of money and their life is much closer to "mo money, mo problems" than some type of super-paradise. L3 is much better than L2 which is inconceivably better than L1. L4 is tricky. Carries many traps.

Level 5: Post Consumption / Self-Actualization Very few people make it to Level 5. Many people tap out at Level 4, even multi-billionaires. You no longer long for things, or, more precisely, you long only for the things and experiences that you can easily afford to buy. What now? Do you quit? Retire? Play golf all day? Maybe, if golf is what self-actualizes you, if the dedication and challenge of mastering golf lifts you to your highest version of yourself, then by all means your Level 5 is "play golf" But often, Level 5 means something else Level 5 usually means competing for some abstract goal, usually but not always, a goal that is bigger than you. You are in it not to make money per se (though you might money) but "for the love of the game" Some of the happiest, or most satisfied, people in the world are in Level 5. It does not mean it is easy. You may be working harder in Level 5 than at any prior level. But you are working for intrinsic goods, not extrinsic goods Intrinsic goods are the best goods in the world. They never go out of style, they never break, they never disappoint you. They are what make most people the happiest if they can Make It to this stage Very few people Make It to Level 5 and it is not hugely correlated with income. Doesn't matter whether you're on lvl 2, 3 or 4 - It's about where your heart is.

There you have it, the 5-levels of 'Making it'!

Now to me, making more money is about freeing up the time to spend doing the things we love, and the things that help others. To spend your life doing intrinsically motivating activities, and to provide value and contribute to things bigger than yourself. So yeah... After all that, I still find myself wanting more money. But not outrageous amounts - just enough to get to lvl 3 or 4. I trust the writing of those wiser than myself to know that pursueing this further is a fruitless treadmill and will not lead to lasting satisfaction or contentment.

I am so incredibly fortunate to live the life I do. And in many ways am already experiencing a 'rich life' that many in the world can only dream of. Having an education offers many opportunities, combined with living in a first world western country - with healthcare and government assistance. We've already won the lottery and we are so damn blessed to have been born on this patch of dirt.

However, many of us still look higher on the ladder of 'success' and feel inadequate with our current lives. There is always someone we deem has it better.

This is especially true in crypto land, and it's easy to get fomo as you see what seems like everyone making more money than you. It's easy to compare and to feel inadequate as you look at your life or your gainz and to long for the golden ticket to riches.

An excellent exercise to combat this comes from Stoicism - 'Negative Visualisation'. The practice involves vividly imagining losing the things in your life that you hold dear - and really feeling the loss. Your house. Your spouse. Your friend. Your mouse. (sorry it just had to rhyme) All gone.

This practice can be more effective than a simple gratitude exercise, as it makes you really feel appreciative when you open your eyes and realise how lucky you are that all these things are still here!

I'm sorry if you have experienced loss, but there are always things in our lives to be grateful for - sometimes you just have to imagine losing them to realise. It's far too easy to be distracted and take the people in your life for granted. Far too easy to get accustomed to a certain level of living.

Thank you for reading, and if you get anything from this, I hope we can all learn to appreciate our lives a bit more. Still striving to improve our circumstances and to help others along the way, but always stopping to be grateful for the life we've been given.