Recently I moved back to America and I had two goals in mind…
- Enjoy the clean and green life
- Kick some major butt
But even after moving back to America I still had a real bad case of wanderlust.
I would travel all the time and I would stay in new houses every month.
But this constant travel was not all in vain, I learned many things during my travels.
Specifically, I learned 3 things during my travels:
1. I learned the importance of money.
Like I said a billion, trillion times, you don't know the true importance of money until a) you see people without it and b) you earn a lot of it.
That's when the importance of money becomes clear.
2. I learned that you have to have experience so you have something to write about.
3. I learned that when you have enough of the experience, it's time to do the work and you have to settle down in one place and do the work.
So that's where I am right now, settled down in my dojo, focused and doing the work. Much magic is coming soon to B&D and that's a guarantee.
In the meantime, I want to share to share some of the lessons I learned during my time as a Ronin with wanderlust.
This video and article was written during the time of my wanderlust and it takes place in one of my favorite places I have ever stayed…
I now recall this beautiful home fondly as Heaven House.
I had many artistic breakthroughs during my 3 weeks at Heaven House.
Instead of giving you all 3 pieces of gold right away, now we concentrate on the most important.
The #1 Lesson That Every Determined Man, Woman and Child Needs To Know…
As told by Victor Pride from the roof of Heaven House…
(Below the video is the complete text.)
Hey, guys. Money doesn't buy happiness.
And I'm feeling quite miserable in the mansion that I'm staying at.
So I'm going to go ahead and give all my money away to more deserving people, because it's just making me miserable.
Said nobody ever.
Anybody Who Says Money Doesn't Buy Happiness Never Had Nothing.
Anybody who ever says money doesn't buy happiness never had nothing.
I didn't understand how important money was when I had only lived in America and never left.
It didn't hit me how important money was until I saw people in Asia who lived in shacks that they built out of trash.
And I'm not joking when I say they live in shacks built out of trash. They do.
I took this picture of a shack in Vietnam. People actually live here.
On the side of the highway … in the middle of nowhere. I mean poor! Poor, poor, poor, poor.
So poor that they just don't eat food so their kids can go to school. Or even poorer than that, their kids just don't go to school.
So you ask those people if money buys happiness and they'll laugh at you for even asking the question.
Money Doesn't Buy Happiness…
If You Already Have It And Have Always Had It.
But anybody who says money doesn't buy happiness never had nothing.
Go ahead and have nothing and then see how happy money makes you.
I posted a survey on my Twitter. A little trolling….
I said, “Would you feel happy if you could live anywhere in the world that you wanted to?”
Guess what everybody said? They said, “Yeah.”
Would it make you happier to be able to live anywhere you want?
— VICTOR PRIDE (@VICTOR_PRIDE) March 23, 2016
Well, how can you live anywhere in the world that you want to?
Just have the money. That's it.
I can go anywhere in the world to make myself feel happy because I put in the time and the effort, and I made the money to be able to do it.
Now I can stay in a beautiful place in southern California like this.
I can hit the road. Go live anywhere I want. And I'll tell you…
Where You Live Makes A Huge Difference.
Vietnam vs California
It makes a huge difference.
I just spent a month in Vegas and I hated it. Wasn't happy at all.
One day back in SoCal and I'm glowing. Already feel fantastic.
That's because it's a better spot. It's a more money spot. It's a nicer spot, and I feel so nice being here.
And I can pretty much guarantee that anybody who lived in the house that I'm living in would feel great. It feels like heaven.
I'm referring to the house as Cloud 9 because it feels like heaven. When I leave the house I just want to be back.
The house is like a pretty girl. You just want to be in its presence.
You just want to be there. You just want to feel its warmth and its glow.
And when you leave you want to come back. And shacks don't do that.
When you leave shacks you feel good. You don't want to go back to the shack.
But you do want to go back to heaven. So…
If You Can Afford Heaven You Can Live In Heaven.
Heaven House.
And If You Want Heaven Just Buy It
Because Money, Of Course, Buys Happiness.
Have a nice day.
Until next time.
Your man,
-Victor Pride
Awesome article. Highly motivating and so damn true. I just got back from Vietnam not long ago and its obvious that we have great advantages here. Its strange. Its like American culture with its excess resources, readily available fast food 24/7, and technological advances has made people so ineffective that they can’t even make the effort to get success when its right there in their faces waiting to be taken. All the more reason sites like this one are highly valuable to fight against the acceptance of mediocrity.
Thanks Cody.
Oh man that is the truth if i ever heard it. Amen to that.
Seems a bit hard to believe that you bought a house on the Santa Monica beach.
Put the joint down Hani and read the words I wrote.
A person who says money doesn’t buy happiness is basically convincing himself that because of his inability to earn it and have a good lifestyle.
We do hear similar things like too much money is bad, money corrupts us money is not in my destiny and other stupid stuff like that by people all around us. All these have been said BY the losers FOR the losers unable to earn properly. Long story short, if you want to earn money, surround yourself with people who are doing it and leave behind the cribbing ones once for all.
The new style of videos along with the textual matter is amazing Victor! Looking forward to more kickass and inspiring stuff!
Thank you Sid.
Those who said money doesn’t buy happiness, it’s probably because they have never paid to go into the “Happiest Place on Earth”, aka, Disneyland.
Yes it does.
Actually it’s more than happiness, it buys you satisfaction.
And satisfaction is more important than happiness.
A happy man may or may not be satisfied but a satisfied man is always happy
Correct.
The way you make money is through ideas. Cultivate what you want as an idea in your mind. Focus on what you want and not what you don’t want. Show up and do the work. Each failure is one step closer to success. Refine your idea. Rinse and repeat. Do this for 4-5 years and you will have money.
Correct.
Beautiful place with great things coming from it. Such an amazing view. Money really does buy happiness.
Before I left my job 4/9/2016, I was always close to broke. Every time my money got low I would have to hustle. Then when I stepped into the Unknown I finally tasted freedom. But since I hadn’t earned it yet, I was kicked in the face when I realized I had nothing but me.
Over the past 4 months I have been in a dark space. Had to give up on “love”. Putting in 20 hours days. Four hours of sleep per night.
I am now at a place where I have cash in my pocket and can be happy. Does that mean that I am taking it easy? Heck no, I will never go back to being lazy. Money does buy happiness. I can enjoy myself and do as I please for the most part because I have money. Before I had to think about every little thing.
So money can give you Hell or Heaven. Your choice. Of course there is more than money that can create that, but money is the easiest to control.
Great article Victor.
Regards,
Dylan Madden
Thanks Dylan.
Damn… this is what I hustle for every day. Wish you even bigger success Vic.
Strength & Honor
Phil
Thanks Phil.
One does not even have to hit the rock bottom poverty to understand the importance of money. All it takes is a pair of eye balls and observe the homeless bums and that’s all it takes to understand why money is important. Yet, there are grown up men out there that will boldly tell you that “money does not buy happiness”.
One way to find out their typical BS is by asking them “if money does not buy happiness, then can I have your money instead?”
Or you can say… “yeah you are right, money does not buy happiness. I agree with you. Wow you are so wise beyond your years. Well I have to go now; good bye!” and walk away.
You can also laugh out loud and walk away.
Great points TS.
Meh! I was on the poor student wagon before then I slowly made money….now I do have money. Does money buy happiness? Nope. Unless things are what makes you happy. Money is like the cherry on top of the ice cream. Ever heard of big CEOs quitting their job for something more peaceful/meaningful? You can find tones of stories online about rich people saying F U to the rich lifestyle. Not to mention the rate of depression/pills user in the rich community Vs the poor. Why? From my experience being poor. You do with what you have. You dont create unnecessary needs, you dont HAVE to have the latest thing. Your priorities are different. When you become rich, at least most of them,they want to show off. They spend their money buying crap ( gasp even people/love) to then want more and more and more. It never ends. What being poor teaches you is how having can be nice but not having can also be livable. Sure I can travel now, do I travel all the time? Nope because I realized most places, after a while, are all the same. Different people but mostly all a bunch of sheep. Would I give all of my money to someone else? No. But I can give some to people in need. I can help. I can use my resources to get someone out of the gutter. However to equal money to happiness is just not the way to go. Lots of people have won the lotto to then have their mariage destroyed only wishing to be back to the old days Its not for nothing that they say ” Money is the root of all evil ” I could never base my life around money. Iv seen people gamble their health for money. The hell is a rich person to do with all the money in the world but a poor health/ Just ask Steve Jobs. He even has a few quote about this. Happiness is the journey. Money is not a journey. If you are a miserable person poor you will be a bigger one rich. Remember, money can only buy you things. Seriously how many shoes do we really need? I have way too many in my closet still in the box brand new.
Bingo, Jeff!
Why’d you hate Vegas Victor? There’s so many fun and exciting things to do there. Everybody’s on vacation and anything goes.
Have you read “The Millionaire Fastlane” by MJ DeMarco? He literally says to avoid what everyone else is doing because it 1) surrounds yourself with average people and 2) it violates the commandment of entry (which dictates whether the activity is fastlane or not).
Well done Victor! All these poor people just don’t believe that they actually can earn as much money as they want. They don’t realize that they have the power to do it. Our mental world mirrors our reality.
“Just buy it” … after you “have earned it”. So simple we often forget that’s a pretty effective way to approach life/money.
People who say money doesn’t buy happiness don’t know where to shop.
Wrong quotes or wrong teachings are most dangerous thing in the world. Because they go deep in your mind and bite you like a snake and leave poison at most important place.
Som examples:
Girls and boys are equal.
You should try everything(very popular in my country India now a days, it helps them to start smoking and drinking)
Money doesn’t buy happiness(people are happy in miserable conditions)
Growing up, the phrase “Money is the root of all evil” was hammered into my brain almost everyday. Looking back, it’s kind of funny because we had just enough money to survive, never more, and always struggling to pay the rent. But some people take that phrase literally and choose to forget about ambitions and focus solely on staying alive. Actually, we were told that Jesus will come back so we don’t need to worry about getting jobs or an education. Even now when I started making my own money sometimes I hear that phrase in my head and have to power through it. But yes, money does buy happiness.
Greed, not money, is the root of evil.
Interesting article Victor! I live in Socal too, I moved here from New Jersey a few years ago because I thought i could do better. I think money us important but what if the situation is a little more nuanced than that? IMHO people are happiest when they are living out their purpose and reaching their highest potential in life. Obvi living in a shack is not that. I think money might be the end result of living out your purpose and honing your craft and hustlin hard at it every day. But the most important thing is finding purpose and living that out every day to its fullest. and yeah, like that other guy said, FUCK MEDIOCRITY, and FUCK complacency. Those things are the enemy of living a life of purpose , meaning and satisfaction. Congrats to you and welcome back to the USA
“IMHO people are happiest when they are living out their purpose and reaching their highest potential in life.”
How do you do that without money?
Yea its true you cant do shit without money, but I think what I’m trying to say is , Don’t chase the money itself, chase your dreams and the money will come. Spend your time building an empire out of what drives you, and the money will come. If u just chase money for moneys sake ur life will be shit..
Example - I had a friend who was a stock broker on wall street, he made $$$ up the ass but he was really just a miserable fuck, & pretty much spent all of it on hookers and coke…he admitted to me one day that what he was doing wasn’t sustainable. he was just doing it long enough to GTFO of there.
Like yea get some money and invest in yourself, but don’t chase money just for the sake of having money, or because someone you admire said so. Don’t buy into someone else’s dream- make your own.
Victor, are you still in Vietnam? And are you still taking apprentices? I was thinking of traveling out there.
Nope.
You can be happy no matter what, but money helps.
- Jordan
“Money doesn’t buy happiness” is just another narrative that society simply follows.
Think about this lets say you want to be the next Calvin Harris or David Guetta, you tell your dreams to your family and friends but what do they mostly tell you?
They will often fear monger you, making you belief that you are gonna be another failure and you gonna lost and waste your time on something that is a pure fantasy dream. Your family and society will always offer you the safe prepared road that everyone else is going too.
Going to college, get good grades, have a 9-5 job, and retire at 65. It’s almost like a highway that is clogged with cars stuck in traffic and if you follow what society does instead of your own, you’ll wind up in traffic. The same goes with following the narrative “money doesn’t buy happiness” is just another lie.
Rich and poor go through ups and downs. Happiness and sadness… That’s the truth.
Currently in going to college but I’m majoring in networking but I want to start in computer repair. However, I don’t plan to work that long. I am currently working on my action novel that I’m writing and want to develop a trilogy series (take a long on Harry Potter series). Eventually I will make a living on it. Getting into the path of entrepreneurialship.
Anyways great article. I discovered your site around 2013-2014 I don’t remember how. Anyway man, peace.
Christian.
Great comment Christian. Thanks.
Hey Vic.
Great read. I am on my way to Ethiopia for a bit and I imagine I am going to feel the exact same things that you felt in ‘Nam.
Keep up the good work man
Thanks Joel.
Some things you said are worth reflecting on. Money makes poor master but a good servant.
Loved this post as well as so many others of yours. I love how you are taking an idea that most of humanity needs to hear and voicing it online, I think that’s what writing its all about. Really lovely way of expressing your thoughts, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Karly.
Hi, Mr. Pride
I really think it’s a feel good statement to claim money doesn’t buy happiness. A lot of people that live in advanced countries are not aware of the sheer agony that exists outside of the western world. It’s such a cop out statement to claim money can’t make you happy. Money can afford you a higher quality of life. And with that, happiness. Thank you!
“A lot of people that live in advanced countries are not aware of the sheer agony that exists outside of the western world.”
100% true. That’s what I try so hard to get across. Great way to say it.
Maybe money made in the 9-5 life where you’re just getting by, working overtime, have barely any free time or free money or much freedom… doesn’t buy happiness.
It’s like a rat on a treadmill. It runs faster (Makes more 9-5 money) but still doesn’t get anywhere.
Extra 9-5 money usually just gets wasted on a slightly better car, somewhat bigger house, clothes, etc.
Entrepreneurial freedom money buys happiness.