Resist The Temptation To Continually Raise Your Standard Of Living

Philosophically, there are two very different ways to become rich: make more money, and have fewer wants.

Many people make more money than they ever dreamed possible, yet are more financially stressed than ever before. How can this be? Simple: What a vast majority of people do as they earn more money is to continue to spend as much if not more than they make. They buy a bigger home and a nicer car. They go on more expensive vacations, wear more expensive clothing, and eat at finer restaurants. They spend, spend, spend. Making money is often easier than keeping it. The more you make, the more things you see that you want. The problem with material desire is that, unless you are extremely cautious, it is insatiable. Remember, more isn't necessarily better.

If you raise your standard of living to match your current income, it forces you to keep producing at the same level, whether you want to or not. And you may not want to. Never feeling as if you have "enough" causes several obvious problems. First, if you run into difficult times (which most people do at some point in their lives), pulling yourself out of a rut can be very difficult if you're spending everything you earn.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't have nice things or that you don't deserve them. But keep in mind that you also deserve a peaceful and happy life, and that material things don't necessarily make you happy. Happiness comes from within, by the way, you relate to what you have, not from your actual possessions.
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If you can manage to keep your desires in check, to live at or beneath your means, you'll discover a different type of abundance—peace. You'll be able to stay calm and relaxed.

Cheering on you! Stay safe and healthy! God bless!
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To a better you!