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Never Count Another’s Money

“One thing my pops always told me is you never count another man’s money… And if I’m complaining about $44 million over four years, then I’ve got other issues in my life.”

-Steph Curry

Roman and Leo in their Steph Curry jerseys. If I could have photoshopped myself out, I would have.
Roman and Leo in their Steph Curry jerseys. If I could have photoshopped myself out, I would have.

Both of my boys are Steph Curry fans, so this week was an exciting one for them with the Warriors winning the NBA Championship Monday evening. While I’m finding myself becoming the old guy who talks about how the game was better back in the 90’s, I’m happy they are drawn to Steph Curry. By all accounts, Steph appears to be a great role model, and I especially appreciate the quote above–his dad was is a wise man.

Yes, I know, if we could all be so lucky to make $11 million a year, but do me a favor…ignore the dollar amount in the quote (and the article below); I could plug any amount in and still come to the same conclusion.

In a world driven by social media, we are constantly benchmarking ourselves by what others have and are doing. Each day we get a snapshot into everyone’s life, or at least the life they want to portray, and it is hard not be become distracted by comparing our lives with our “friends”. Keeping up with the Joneses, or as Steph puts it, counting another man’s money, has never been easier to do– it’s hard to escape it in today’s world. Unfortunately, the continuous comparison of our life to what we see on our social media feeds leads to dissatisfaction with the life we’ve created. We’re distracted by the things and experiences we don’t have, and we miss out on what we do have…and often what we have is exactly what we need.

No matter how much “success” we achieve, there will always be someone with a bigger house, better car, or taking better trips. We’ll always be chasing someone, unless we learn to become happy with what we have, or develop a plan to improve our situation. And, even then, the temptation will still be there.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve, or wanting more–it’s the motivation behind it that is important. The motivation should not be to have a better Instagram feed than the Smiths. The motivation should be to provide a better life and experiences for yourself and your family–damn what others are doing.

I’m not suggesting we shun social media and become hermits; there are plenty of positive benefits of social media. Instead, I’m suggesting we focus on what we have and are doing instead of what others are doing. If you find yourself wanting to improve your situation, rather than complaining about the breaks someone else received, business they were handed, or inheritance they received, focus on what you can be doing to improve your situation. Curry could have complained about being underpaid, and he could have become disgruntled, allowing his unhappiness to impact his play, but he didn’t. Instead, he was grateful for his situation (I know we all would be making $11 million a year), remained grounded and continued to improve his game. Because of that, Steph is going to get PAID.

Don’t spend your time counting another person’s money; spend your time enjoying your family and friends, creating memorable experiences, and working to improve your situation by focusing on what you can control.

Read: CNBC.com: How Steph Curry Handles Making Millions Less Than Other Top Players

 

Disclaimer: Nothing on this blog should be considered advice, or recommendations. If you have questions pertaining your individual situation you should consult your financial advisor. For all of the disclaimers, please see my disclaimers page.

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