I watch a lot of YouTube money videos. There are so many different ideas coming from these content creators. I truly enjoy listening to their stories about growth financially and spiritually. However, I do not see much talk about building relationships. Relationships are just like investments. They require research, time, and energy. You make deposits and hope your investments grow over time.
Investing in relationships, whether that be your spouse, kids, parents, etc., is MORE important than investing in finance. If you travel overseas to a less developed nation, you will see poor people who are extremely happy. They band together in some of the worst conditions imaginable. Yet, they are more content than most Americans. Why? Because they live by the core values of family, love, and trust. I saw this first hand during my 15-month tour in Niamey, Niger, West Africa.
Money will not solve all your problems. Having a family and being poor is not acceptable either. So how do we earn happiness and money in order to build wealth? Balance.
Start by finding someone who shares the same values of family and future as you. In order to build relationships, we need to be firmly planted in the present. We need to be aware of how we allocate our time. If we have a spouse, we need to ensure we are giving them time, love, and energy. Kids need the same. We also need to keep up relationships with parents and friends. These are mandatory things to do in order to live a balanced life. True friends will help you formulate new ideas and give you positive feedback. As we start investing, we will have certain financial goals that we would like to achieve. However, life happens. You may want to invest $2000 in the APPLE stock in June but Mom says she wants to come to visit. So instead you invest $1500 into taking Mom and the family to different restaurants and attractions around the area. You then invest the $500 in APPLE stock. The $1500 invested in the family is every bit as important as the $500 invested in the stock market.
On the flip side, having a family is not an excuse to not better one’s self. Having a spouse and kids doesn’t give you an excuse to stop your journey of growth. The more we grow the more others around us also grow. This is vital because our children grow at a faster rate than us. If you start your financial journey as a 38-year-old (like me), and you start to pass this information down to your 13 year old (my oldest), their growth path already has a higher trajectory than yours. That’s amazing.
Achieving your financial investment goals is a lot easier if your relationship investments are just as strong. Your spouse is more likely to follow along on your journey if they are receiving your time and affection. The overall goal is to have a big, loving family and a large amount of wealth. This allows the family to spend even more time together, which in turn, reinforces family values.
Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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