Financial Mentor

  • New Visitor? Start Here
  • Member Login
Member Login
×Close
  • Home
  • Calculators +
  • Resources +
  • Topics +
  • Products +
  • Coaching +
  • Podcast +
  • About +

Invest smart. Build wealth. Retire early. Live free.

FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn

A Simple Idea For Greater Happiness

By Todd Tresidder
Advertising Disclosure
Financial Mentor has commercial relationships with certain companies we reference on this website. Opinions are ours alone, and we take a good faith approach to maintaining objectivity. If we wouldn’t use a product ourselves, we won’t recommend it. We strive to keep information accurate and up-to-date, however, all products are presented without warranty.

Financial Mentor has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Mentor and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Choosing Happiness Is More Powerful Than Financial Freedom

Key Ideas

  1. Learn how to experience greater happiness in your life – immediately.
  2. Discover how happiness and financial freedom are tied together.
  3. How I put this idea into action after my car got smashed.

Today I'm deviating from the usual finance and investment expert stuff.

I've been experimenting in my own life with a simple, little idea that’s producing tremendous results, and I wanted to share it with you.

Let me illustrate the idea by sharing what happened the other night…

I was out for a “date night” with my 9 year old daughter having a great time. It was her classroom open house night where the kids show the parents all the work they’re doing and the cool stuff they’re learning.

We like to turn it into something more special by going out for dinner beforehand, making it a whole evening out on the town together.

So just imagine this. We’re enjoying a special evening together when this guy backs his SUV right into the front of my parked car while talking on his cell phone.

Ugghh!

Because his bumper was higher than mine, he smashed right through the grill and crumpled the hood – serious damage.

My car went from looking perfectly fine to looking like a wreck in the blink of an eye while I sat there helplessly watching the whole thing unfold. It was a bizarre experience.

The offending driver hung up his phone, climbed out of his car, and immediately owned responsibility for the whole thing.

As it turned out, I even knew him.

He provided his insurance information, and because it occurred on private property, there was no need or practical reason for a police report so we were pretty much done as soon as it started.

The cars were both smashed and fortunately, nobody was hurt.

Get This Article Sent to Your Inbox as a PDF…


Did you know that happiness and financial freedom are tied together? It's true! You can't find joy in freedom if you can't choose happiness. Find out how to do it here.

At this point I faced a choice: what am I going to do with the rest of my evening?

I could justifiably get angry and go victim to the other driver's carelessness. After all, it was a classic, stupid mistake to talk on the cell phone and not pay attention to driving.

My car was smashed. Now I have the hassle of auto-body estimates and shuttling the car to and from the shop. Not to mention, a repaired vehicle is never as good as the original. I had every reason to justify letting my anger run wild.

But fortunately, I took a different path…

You Can Choose Happiness In Any Situation

I’ve been playing with some ideas about happiness lately – more specifically, one very powerful idea I want to share with you today.

Here it is: you can choose happiness in any situation.

I'm not kidding – read on. This little sentence sounds deceptively simple on the surface, but if you actually live the idea it can produce amazing results. Even in the middle of an auto accident.

Stated another way, your happiness, or lack thereof, is a choice you make every minute of every day in every situation – even the sucky ones.

Related: The inconvenient truth about buy & hold

You can choose happiness in any situation. Try putting it into practice and you might just be amazed.

Getting back to the accident story, I stood there looking at the crumpled nose of my car and thought, “Wow, this should put that happiness #^#@! to the test tonight.”

So the first thing I did was play with some gratitude ideas. I decided I was thankful nobody got hurt. I was thankful the guy had insurance and owned responsibility for the problem, meaning there was nothing to argue about and no blame game to play.

I was thankful the car was still drivable (surprisingly, a frame section had bent but it still protected the radiator) so we could continue our evening.

All these thoughts of gratitude were completely true for me. I wasn't contriving anything.

My happy thoughts were every bit as valid as the automatic-response victim thoughts that played through my head: “Why me?” and, “Why didn't that jerk just look where he was going and pay attention to his driving rather than talk on the cell phone?”

I could have judged him negatively, and I would have been 100% correct.

But here’s the important point: my grateful thoughts made me feel better. My victim thoughts raised my anxiety and anger level.

Which would you prefer?

Each set of thoughts causes different stress levels and hormones to be released. Choosing to be happy lowers my stress and introduces healthy hormones into my blood; choosing auto-pilot anger with victim thoughts increases my stress and unhealthy hormones.

See My Related Book…

How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks

I am literally choosing whether to harm myself or help myself when I choose between being angry or happy. Amazing!

So anyway, back to the crash scene. I'm standing there with my daughter in the middle of our special evening out looking at the crumpled front of my car, and I have a choice to make.

I can either get angry and choose to let this accident destroy our evening, which serves absolutely nobody (least of all my daughter), or I can choose happiness. Again, this is very simple stuff, but it’s remarkably powerful.

I thought about it some more and decided “what's done is done.” There was nothing more I could do with the car that night, so I may as well choose happiness.

I can't fix the car with anger or complaining so I may as well choose to focus my attention on having fun with my daughter – and that’s exactly what we did!

We had a great evening out that was hardly affected by the accident. In fact, the next morning when I loaded the kids into the car to take them to school, she was surprised by the damage and said she had forgotten the whole thing.

I share this not to be holier than thou or to put myself up on a pedestal. Believe me, a year or two ago I probably would have ripped the other driver a new one and destroyed the entire evening over this stupid event.

I would probably have turned the evening into something my daughter never would forget – unfortunately.

Believe me, I am not an inherently advanced soul. I've had to work hard at this stuff.

Instead, I wanted to share with you how this incredibly simple, yet powerful thought process can make a real difference in your life by using my experience as an example.

It’s a surprisingly effective tool for creating greater happiness in your daily life. I can't believe I never learned it before because it’s so obvious once you get it.

You can choose happiness in any situation in life. It doesn't get any simpler than that. Why would you choose anything different?

Your happiness (or lack thereof) is a choice. If you want to be happy (and who wouldn't want that!) then make the happy choice.

I know it sounds cheesy, but really, just try it. It actually works.

In fact, I’ve published a cheat-sheet of ideas I've compiled from the books shown to the left (plus others not listed) that have helped me produce these results so you can do the same.

The Irony Of This Story Is…

Now here’s the really funny part. I had to laugh at myself for just learning this lesson at this point in life after spending two decades dedicated to learning the lessons of financial freedom.

Related: 5 Financial Planning Mistakes That Cost You Big-Time (and what to do instead!) Explained in 5 Free Video Lessons

Think about the irony of this situation… the real goal of financial freedom is greater happiness.

Sure, you can use it to buy conveniences, nice things, interesting experiences, make contributions, etc., etc. I'm not arguing with all that. However, at the end of the day, all these things are really about what makes you happy.

The irony is after two decades of mastering the financial freedom game, I get introduced to this simple little idea that costs nothing, takes no time to learn, and yet probably makes a greater contribution to my personal happiness than all the money combined.

Oh well, better late than never.

Let me be clear – I am in no way knocking financial independence because it’s important and well worth the effort.

The lesson for those on this path, however, is that it makes no sense to focus on money and ignore your happiness along the way.

Instead, you should work on both at the same time because your real goal is happiness, and both are just different tools to reach the same destination.

You can't enjoy financial freedom without personal freedom.
Click To Tweet

So anyway, please share below where you could apply these principles in your life. What difference would it make? Why bother? Let me know in the comments section below…

The One Decision That Can Make Or Break Your Financial Future

There are only four paths you can choose from.

Click below to find out which path is best for you, and why.

Yes! Tell Me About Expectancy Wealth Planning strategy

Want a PDF of this article? We'll email it to you!

+ =

Related...

5 Rules For Getting The Best Financial Advice For Your Money
7 Key Reasons Why Financial Education Is Your Best Investment
FM 006: The Habit of Wealth With Scott H. Young
FM 007: The Wall Street Journal & Citi Guide To Money And Happiness With Jonathan Clements
How To Be Successful
How To Determine Your Legacy In Life... Before Your Death
Ten Percent Rule To Build Wealth
The Little-Known Factor That Determines Your Wealth
The Secret To Happiness... And Why It Has Nothing To Do With Money
The Zen of Wealthy - When Is Enough... Enough!
What Endurance Athletes Can Teach Us About Building Wealth
What Big Wall Rock Climbing Can Teach Us About Wealth Building
Share:FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn

Comments

  1. AvatarJohn DeFlumeri Jr

    Thanks for that great suggestion, that we could choose happiness in any situation. It does make it easier to think rationally!

    Have a great Thanksgiving!

    John DeFlumeri Jr

  2. AvatarMike Korner

    Thanks for the great reminder Todd, and for the link to “Happiness Is a Choice”. It definitely looks like a book worth reading.

This article’s comments are closed.

Financial Freedom For Smart People
Book Series

the leverage equation
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks
how much money do I need to retire
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks
4 Rule Safe Withdrawal Rates In Retirement
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks
Variable Annuity Pros and Cons
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks
Investment Fraud
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks
Don’t Hire a Financial Coach!
Amazon Kobo B&N iBooks
  • How Anyone Can Retire Early In 10 Years (Or Less!)
  • How To Build Wealth (It’s Ridiculously Simple)
  • The Ten Commandments Of Wealth Building
  • The Secret To Happiness… And Why It Has Nothing To Do With Money
  • 12 Tips To Build Wealth For Early Retirement
  • How To Get Out Of Debt – The Complete Guide
  • The Great Bond Bubble Is Now! What’s Next…
  • Pay Off Mortgage Early Or Invest: The Complete Guide
  • What Endurance Athletes Can Teach Us About Building Wealth
  • The Parable Of The Mexican Fisherman And Investment Banker
  • FM 026: Understanding What Todd Means By “Epochal Change”
  • When is the Right Time to Buy Life Insurance?
  • How To Consolidate Debt, The Smart Way
  • How Much Does Life Insurance Cost?
  • How Anyone Can Retire Early In 10 Years (Or Less!)
  • How To Build Wealth (It’s Ridiculously Simple)
  • How Does Life Insurance Work?
  • Do I Need Life Insurance? Why Is Life Insurance Important?
  • How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
  • Optimize Your 401(k) Today [Includes Free 401(k) Analysis Tools]
  • Are Safe Withdrawal Rates Really Safe?
  • 7 Key Reasons Why Financial Education Is Your Best Investment
  • 10 Commandments of Investment Strategy
  • Andrew Carnegie “The Gospel Of Wealth”
  • Multiple Streams Of Income – Truth Revealed
  • Retirement Planning Checklist
  • The Smart Alternative To Retirement Planning
  • What Is A Good Investment?
  • Pay Off Debt Or Build Wealth? What To Do First…
  • The Minimalist Guide To Financial Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Investment Advice
  • Financial Advice
  • Wealth Building
  • True Wealth
  • How Much Do I Need to Retire?

Testimonials

If you are like me, you started investing by reading plenty of the mainstream books. Well, I had a hard time sorting all the conflicting information. After a few months with Todd Tresidder’s financial mentoring, I learned a new way of investing by separating what is mostly true from half-truths to create a cohesive picture. Along the way, I learned what makes a strategy feasible, and the tenets of a valid investment strategy. Todd provided me with investment tools that will be invaluable for m… Read more
V. To – (Full name and location withheld due to military security clearance.)
See All Testimonials Legal Disclaimer

More from Financial Mentor

New Visitors Start Here
Financial Freedom Course
A Smarter Way To Invest
Todd’s Books

Click Below To Learn How To...

Invest smart. Build wealth. Retire early. Live free.

Financial Mentor

Get Your FREE Wealth Building Tooklit:

  • FREE COURSE: 52 Weeks To Financial Freedom
  • FREE BOOK: 18 Essential Lessons From A Millionaire
  • Tools and Tips Not Found On This Site
Free instant access

Calculators

Retirement
Mortgage
Credit Card
Debt Payoff
Auto Loan
Savings
Investment
Loan
Personal Finance
Compound Interest Calculator
Debt Snowball Calculator

Learn More

About Financial Mentor
About Financial Coaching
Our Books
7 Steps To 7 Figures
Podcast
Todd R. Tresidder
Press Room
Contact

Resources

How To Invest Your Money
Recommended Reading
Recommended Tools
New Visitors Start Here
Ask Todd
Courses
Books
Audio

Facebook Twitter Google Plus LinkedIn YouTube RSS Pinterest iTunes

Home   Privacy Statement   Terms of Use   Contact Us

Copyright © 2000–2023• Financial Mentor • All Rights Reserved Worldwide
The information contained on this web site is the opinion of the individual authors based on their personal observation, research, and years of experience. The publisher and its authors are not registered investment advisers, attorneys, CPA’s or other financial service professionals and do not render legal, tax, accounting, investment advice or other professional services. The information offered by this web site is general education only. Because each individual’s factual situation is different the reader should seek his or her own personal adviser. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions and shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained on this site. Use at your own risk. Additionally, this website may receive financial compensation from the companies mentioned through advertising, affiliate programs or otherwise. Rates and offers from advertisers shown on this website change frequently, sometimes without notice. While we strive to maintain timely and accurate information, offer details may be out of date. Visitors should thus verify the terms of any such offers prior to participating in them. The author and its publisher disclaim responsibility for updating information and disclaim responsibility for third-party content, products, and services including when accessed through hyperlinks and/or advertisements on this site.
×

Yes, Send My FREE Wealth Building Blueprint!

  • E-Course: “52 Weeks to Financial Freedom”
  • Audio: Get my top tips
  • E-Book: "18 Essential Lessons From A Self-Made Millionaire"


×

Yes, Send My FREE Wealth Building Blueprint!

  • E-Course: “52 Weeks to Financial Freedom”
  • Audio: Get my top tips
  • E-Book: "18 Essential Lessons From A Self-Made Millionaire"


×

Yes, email me a screenshot of my calculator results!

We’ll email you a screen print of the calculator you just completed, exactly as it appears on your screen. We don’t save any of your data: it’s just an image. You can unsubscribe whenever you want.


Calculator screenshot sample
Sample Screenshot
×



choose happiness image
×

Enter Your Email And We’ll Send You A Convenient PDF Of This Article!



choose happiness image
×

Tell us where to send your 2 video guide showing UNCOMMON strategies for ACCURATELY calculating how much you need to retire…



Free video tutorial
×

Tell Me When The Course Is Ready!

You’ll learn how to make more by risking less.


×

Tell Me When The Course Is Ready!

You’ll learn how to calculate your retirement number with confidence.


×

Hey, I understand that buying this course is an important decision. That’s why I let you…

Test Drive The Course – FREE!
Get 5 Sample Lessons Immediately

  • No cost or obligation.
  • No hooks or gimmicks.
  • The goal is to let you experience the quality for yourself.
  • I just need your email address to send them to you.
  • You can unsubscribe anytime.
Yes! Send me 5 sample lessons
No cost or obligation. Quit any time.
The only way you lose is by not trying.
×

Take your financial strategy to the next level…

Get 5 FREE Video Lessons With Uncommon Insights To Accelerate Your Financial Growth

  • No cost or obligation.
  • No hooks or gimmicks.
  • The goal is to let you experience the quality for yourself.
  • I just need your email address to send them to you.
  • You can unsubscribe anytime.
Yes! Send me 5 sample lessons
No cost or obligation. Quit any time.
The only way you lose is by not trying.