35 Momentous lessons from the book 'Happy Money' by Ken Honda

For many of us, the subject of money is unavoidably stressful. Managing our personal finances may seem complicated or time-consuming. The good news is that in Japan - where a Zen approach to life is more widely practiced - a pathway to a better relationship with money is being carved, by Ken Honda, through his book - Happy Money.

In Happy Money, the author Ken Honda reinvents the way we see our personal finances. We will come to understand that money flows like water and arrives like a guest. We will rethink our own attitudes and examine the way they were shaped by beliefs about the money we were taught as a child. When we heal the fear and anxiety we have about money, we successfully achieve prosperity and peace. That is the zen path to financial security and happiness.

After having read the book page by page, I, hereby, list down 35 momentous lessons from this awesome book. 
These are the examples that stuck with me. 
I know that I need to keep practicing this learning day in and day out. 
These learning are worded and appended in a way that makes it easier for most of us to understand and absorb.

If you are interested in reading about such learning from other all-time best-selling books, you may click here.

For now, if you wish to know about Happy Money, and what I learned from it, here you go...

1/ We have a notion that if some people will get a lot of money, we will be devoid of opportunities to earn money. We think that the money is limited. This false belief about the scarcity of money drives negative behavior like greed, jealousy, and fear. Imagine if you could truly believe that there was unlimited money and that there was no hurry.

2/ Money that is used to create love and happiness is happy money. It has an extremely fast compounding rate.

3/ If you could count on money being there for you today, and also would be there for you in the future, then it is quite likely that you are living a happy and satisfying life. You may not be wealthy but you are likely to be feeling blessed.

4/ Money cannot buy happiness. Nothing can. However, it is a lot easier to be free from the anger of the past, and worries of the future, with the money by your side. 
[Recommended Read: Yes, Money can buy happiness]

5/ Many studies reveal that person's happiness grows in direct proportion to money but only to about a million USD which roughly translates to your financial freedom. Beyond that, the correlation stops and it has to be something else that drives your happiness.

6/ Love is letting go of fear.

7/ Your happy relationship with money starts with gratitude, by being thankful for how money has served you until now, and then not being worried about the future. You will get through the way you have gotten along so far.

8/ Focus not on accumulating things but experiencing things. 

9/ If you are rushing from one moment to another, one goal to another, you are missing out on the beauty of life.
[Recommended Read: Life is a journey towards a destination]

10/ Sharing should be a part of every moment of life - whether you are sharing joy, grief, money, talents, or whatever. What you share doesn't matter. All that matters is that you do it - just share - with everyone you meet. The more you share, the more abundance you have in your life.

11/ What you appreciate, appreciates.

12/ Running away from fear doesn't do anything good. The only way to get over fear is to face it head-on.

13/ Kindness, generosity, and gratitude are the three fundamental traits to lead a happy as well as prosperous life.

14/ We don't have to wait until we have all the cash in the world to start living our lives.

15/ The children of happy and prosperous parents tend to do well later in life because their parents choose to spend more time with them rather than overworking for money.
[Recommended Read: The evening hugs and the morning byes]
[Recommended Read: A Father's Diary]

16/ Our expenses have a habit of catching up with our increased incomes unless we are driven by a goal. And imagine what can happen if you do not get that income for some time.

17/ Fear, Confusion, and Anxiety are all good - indicating that you are about to try something different or now.

18/ Getting a verbal thank you for something feels great, but when we receive money or gifts from people around us, we feel even more appreciated, and we feel that they have been truly impacted positively by our actions. We feel valued.

19/ Most people have a difficult relationship with money because the way they earn and spend it is unhealthy. e.g. a lot of people work at a job they hate, and stress adds up quickly. Suffering gets embedded in the act of earning money. Every time, such money is used, feelings of stress, pain or irritation come up even without we realizing it. Even though the feelings were because of the work and not the money, but the boundaries between work and money get blurred. Money becomes equivalent to work. Spending money feels like doing more work to earn it back. Happy people earn money by doing things that bring them joy. When they spend, they feel joy and happiness, because they will have to now do what they love to earn more.
[Recommended Read: Your passion vs your profession]

20/ Passionate and enthusiastic people attract money.

21/ Typically, when more money is coming in, then going out, we feel very good about life. This is absolutely the time in life when we should be enjoying life. All the hard work and perseverance of the past are flowing back to us as a reward. It's a sign that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing - serving people and making them happy. Some people start to feel that this will go on forever, and raise their standard of living - and then, they struggle to survive.

22/ No amount of money is going to make you happy. Happiness comes from experiences, some of which money can buy for you. So, you ought to earn more and spend more - get the money flow going. Participate in the flow.

23/ If you do not have a purposeful plan for the day, you are going to have a depressed life, even if you have achieved financial freedom.
[Recommended Read: Manage your day to manage your life]

24/ If you create enough stock (networth) and flow (income and expenses), you are quite likely to experience the joy of happy money.

25/ How people get their money - fast and easy, or slow and steady - is also how they tend to lose it.

26/ People who earn money quickly tend to lose it quickly as well because they are not prepared for it, their intellectual wealth is not able to match with their financial wealth.

27/ It's not what you do, it's how you do it. Fiding an area that you enjoy and where your skills can shine can take decades, but may still be worth it.
[Recommended Read: Finding your passion]

28/ Constantly feeling that you deserve more is a dangerous way to live your life. It's simply impossible to keep getting more forever. We need to find an equilibrium position somewhere. 

29/ Thank the money when it comes in, and thank it when it flows out. Trust the flow. Trust your life.

30/ Donating money to a charity of your choice leads to a happy money flow. It gives you the confidence that you have enough.
[Recommended Read: Make Giving as your lifestyle]

31/ Always get some small gifts for your loved ones whenever you meet them. 

32/ Whenever you are giving, give a little more than the expectations of the recipient.

33/ The families that I have seen are the happiest are the ones that are transparent with their children - on money and all other matters.
[Recommended Read: Teach kids how to manage money]

34/ Unless you believe in yourself and your gifts, no one else will. 

35/ On your death bed, it is quite unlikely that you would remember money or check your bank account. All you will remember is your loved ones and the memories you created.

Hope these 35 momentous lessons will help shape up your thought process to some extent and help you manage your money and life better. Hope you can change your money to Happy Money.

Don't have time to read the entire book? 
Then, you can read the crux of some of the best-selling books ever written.
If you are interested in reading about such learning from other all-time best-selling books, you may click here.

Regards

Manoj Arora
Official Website