7. I’ll have no problems–just expenses.
From the outside looking in, it seems that with enough money you can fix any problem life throws at you. To an extent this is true, but the relief, be assured, is ephemeral. A chronic reliance on buying (hiring) resources can breed a host of psychological hiccups–the worst being a loss of self-efficacy, which left unchecked can blossom into depression. Just as muscles weaken if not flexed on a regular basis, your ego will atrophy if you have a phalanx of assistants catering to your every need. Forfeiting control over the little things can leave you feeling–faster than you can imagine–incapable of wrestling with life’s simplest challenges. And that ain’t a good feeling.
8. I’ll never sweat the small stuff.
Because sycophants do their bidding at warp speed, folks with money never develop what psychologists call “frustration tolerance”–that is, the ability to calm oneself during the interval between sensing a desire and becoming enraged by the thought that it might not be fulfilled. The most common symptom of this–a tantrum that only rich people can pull-off without being arrested–is called the DYKWIA? (“Do You Know Who I Am?”) meltdown. In a word: ugly.
9. I’ll be a good provider for my family.
Sure you will–as measured by your credit card bill. But if face time is part of being a good provider (and any good shrink will tell you that it is), then get ready to fall short. Eighty hour work weeks don’t leave much time for Little League games, PTA meetings or anniversary dinners.
10. I’ll be safe.
Having money means you’ll eat well, have a roof over your head and be able to put your children through college. All very comforting. But safety–in the sense of experiencing inner peace and general rightness with the world–can’t be bought with cash, especially given that the rich aren’t exactly allowed to gripe about their inner turmoil. It’s one thing if a laid-off teacher says, “Life sucks,” but how can someone earning eight figures say that? As my lawyer client would say: “It wouldn’t be fitting.”
Go ahead, earn a pile. Just have a sense of why you’re doing it–and take care of yourself along the way.