PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_july2018 | Page 29

WELLNESS & HEALTH C o r n e r MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS BRIAN MOSKOWITZ Earn More, Work Less, Be Fulfilled. That is the core of my training program. And I always, ALWAYS, start with Be Fulfilled. Why? Because if you’re not happy it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Money can’t buy happiness. the formula: Happiness = Perceived Reality ≥ Expectations. When your perceived reality is better than or equal to how you expect life to be, you’re happy. But when your perceived reality is worse than how you expect life to be, you’re unhappy or worse. I know that money doesn’t buy happiness. You know that money doesn’t buy happiness. Everyone knows that money doesn’t buy happiness. Yet we lie to ourselves and keep buying stuff hoping it will make us happy. Don’t take my word for it, take a few minutes and apply the formula to different areas of your life. Does your perception of your health meet or exceed your expectations of the way it should be? If yes, are you happy with your health? If no, are you unhappy? Now that you know that happiness What about your relationships? Your is an inside job – and free – what are law practice? you going to do with all the money you save? And if you’re not happy what can you do? You can change your perception Brian M. Moskowitz is the Founder or change your expectations. I don’t of Attorney Revolution, Inc., where believe in lowering expectations to he helps attorneys Earn More, Work make things easier so let’s focus on Less, and Be Fulfilled. He is also a changing perception. solo practitioner in Boca Raton and a member of our Solo and Small Firm An easy way to change your perception Committee. Brian can be reached at is to change your focus. As an attorney, [email protected]. you’re trained to focus on the negative and to find what’s wrong or could be 1 There are many different versions of this parable. version is from a lecture by Alan Watts that wrong. If you just change your focus This was eventually published. Watts, Alan. Modern to look for the positive and find what’s Life: Collected Talks 1960-1969. New World Library, right or could be right, your perception 2006. Print of the situation will change. This doesn’t mean to be Pollyanna in the face of adversity. It means to look for the silver lining and find what’s good in what actually is. When you can find the good in every situation your perception of reality changes to meet or exceed your expectations which leads to happiness. Then every so often we’re reminded of the truth. I’m writing this article the day after Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and Emmy-winning host of “Parts Unknown,” committed suicide. He had fame and fortune yet couldn’t buy happiness. A few days ago designer Kate Spade committed suicide. She had a net worth estimated at $200 million and she couldn’t buy happiness. But it’s not just celebrities. No one, not even attorneys, is immune from the universal law of money can’t buy happiness. I’m sure you know someone that has plenty of money and isn’t happy. Maybe you know that person intimately? So if money can’t buy happiness, where can you find it? You find happiness on the inside. It’s an inside job that no matter how big your house, fancy your car, or how many toys you have can never come from the outside. Happiness is a state of mind that you create on the inside. Imagine coming home to your spouse or significant other and while speaking The good news is you already know the with them focusing on everything formula for happiness. You may not they’ve done wrong. After a few have seen it in writing, but you know minutes, what will be your perception PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 29 of the conversation? Was it a good conversation or a bad one? Now imagine the same conversation but with you focusing on everything they’ve done right. After a few minutes, what will be your perception of that conversation? It’s the same conversation – it is what it is - you’re just changing your focus which will radically change your perception of the conversation. By changing your focus you can change your perception of any situation and create your own happiness.