Happy Money by Ken Honda - My Ten Takeaways
I first came across Ken Honda (otherwise known as the ‘Zen Millionaire’ from Japan) while listening to The School of Greatness podcast by Lewis Howes. You know I’m intrigued by all things Japanese, so listening to Ken Honda’s teachings on money and embracing gratitude really sparked my interest.
“If your money was a person, who would it be? Kind and gentle? Or cold and mean?”
I bought Ken’s book ‘Happy Money’ because I wanted to learn more. From the podcast, I learnt that Ken THANKS his money frequently. He thanks it when it appears in his bank account (according to his teaching, if you’re not kind and appreciative of money, then why would it want to stay around and/or come back to you?) and he also thanks his money when he has to pay for something. Yes, you read that right. When Ken pays a bill, he thanks the money as he spends it. Why? Gratitude. He expresses thanks and gratitude for being able to have the income in the first place. Furthermore, through paying a bill, his money then goes on to support the people on the other side of the bill. Ken believes money is energy, and through fostering deep appreciation towards money, even when it’s leaving him, the money will want to come back to him again.
Consider this example: you’re in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress presents you with the final bill. You pay and say thank you to the money as it leaves your wallet or bank account (either out loud or internally - I think internally would work better in the U.K. because let’s face it, we don’t want people to think we’re losing the plot!). So why are you saying thank you? Because your money is going on to serve others - it will pay for the wages for the waiter/waitress, or contribute to the next stock of fresh produce to serve other customers. Essentially, this mindset is one of openness, positivity, faith and belief. If money is given in anger or frustration, why would it ever want to come back to us? On the other hand, if money is given openly and joyfully, with deep gratitude and respect for its very existence, it will want to reunite itself with us again in the future.
Full disclosure: I now say ‘thank you’ to my money as it enters my account, and leaves it. And interestingly, it makes me feel more content and in control of my finances. When I’m alone, I say thank you out loud. When I’m in the presence of others, I say it internally. I think you can understand why!
Happy Money offers a COMPLETELY different view on money as we understand it. Effectively, it’s about our relationship with money. What I love about the book is that, like a lot of aspects of Japanese culture, our sense of gratitude and appreciation towards our actions and behaviour greatly enhances our wellbeing.
If you’re interested in learning more about Ken Honda and his book Happy Money, please read my ten takeaways below:
MINDSET (something we can control) - Your money - and hence your life - is a reflection of your beliefs about money. If you believe it is something that can be used for good, that it is abundant, and that it can be given and received freely, your outer life will begin to reflect that inner change. But if you hold on to negative mindsets and false beliefs about money - that it is evil, that it creates drama, that it is the root cause of all that is bad in your life - you can bet that your outer reality will soon reflect that inner monologue.
DELVE INTO WHY YOU WANT MONEY - Once you can put into perspective the emotional reasons for wanting money, you will start to feel more connected to your own needs and through time and practice, less stressed about money. If you’ve ever read Start with Why by Simon Sinek, you will know the importance of connecting with your why to feel more in control. Happy Money also encourages this behaviour shift.
THE ZEN APPROACH TO HAPPINESS - be present. Our past and future selves rob our present selves of happiness when we allow ourselves to get derailed by these negative thoughts. It’s the same with your relationship with money, don’t let your past relationship with and attitudes towards money influence your future. Reflect on the past, grow in your awareness, reset your patterns of behaviour and embrace positive change.
BEYOND $75,000 - (This was such an interesting point!) Ken shares several studies about how much one earns and its relationships to happiness, which state peoples’ happiness level goes up as their income goes up, but only up to about $75,000. What happens beyond this threshold? According to the studies, one’s level of happiness doesn’t go any higher with any more income, because there will be more money-related stress compared to the joy that more money brings into one’s life.
GRATITUDE - It begins with gratitude. Instead of believing there is never enough, you begin thinking: I have all that I need, and I am so grateful for it all. I am grateful for the work I do, the food I eat, the car I drive, and all the money I make. When money comes in you say ‘thank you’ or ‘arigato’. Even when money leaves you, you can say it again: grateful for how the money served you and what it is bringing to you now.
ALWAYS SAY ‘ARIGATO’ TO THE MONEY - Thank the money when it comes in, and thank it again when it leaves you. FYI, ‘arigato’ means ‘thank you’ in Japanese. It may feel unusual to do this at first, but please try it - it’s satisfying.
THE MONEY WHISPER - Ken shares: ‘Whenever I spend my money, I whisper in my mind, may this money bless you and your loved ones.’ Beautiful.
HAPPY MONEY WILL CHANGE YOUR FAMILY - When it comes to discussions about money, if you treat your children like adults, they will respond to that accordingly. If you tell them more about money - what it takes for you to make it, what kind of bills you have, how you are planning to spend and save - they will gradually start to relate to you and understand the world of money. This point really made me reflect on how I speak to Romeo and Hermione about money, and whether the dialogue is positive or negative.
FORGET THE COMPETITION - Ken advises us to forget about the ‘opponents’ and start playing the earning and spending game with yourself. Instead of comparing yourself with others, compare who you are today with who you were yesterday. The only one really judging you is you. In a world where it’s so tempting to fall into comparison mode, we need to remember that comparison is the thief of joy.
DEFINE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS - The country of Bhutan is called one of the happiest nations in the world. Ken discovered a general trend among the Bhutanese is to express ‘I have a great family. I have a job and a house. Is there anything else I need?’ A simple, minimal life is enough for them. Why are our attitudes towards money so different in Western culture? Happiness is something we define for ourselves. If we get caught up in the money game of comparisons, then we feel pushed to think that happiness means MORE. I fully believe that when it comes to possessions, less is so much more. I’ve never been a fan of the content we often see on social media encouraging us to buy, buy, buy. I think there needs to be a cut off when we have enough money coming in, and after that, anything extra we have should be used to help others. First, we have to define our understanding of ENOUGH. Take a moment to reflect on this now - how much money is enough for you, before you willingly embrace the opportunity to help others? Through defining your ENOUGH in a money context, you can define your happiness.
Have you read Happy Money yet? What did you think? Please comment on this post and let me know.