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.