“The poor man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream.” -Harry Kemp
A while back, I found a research study that revealed a lot of trust fund babies end up struggling with depression. Since they don’t need to work to earn a living, many of them feel a sense of emptiness and purposelessness.
Even with all the money they could ever need, they often feel that their lives are lacking.
I’m sure most of us wouldn’t mind a little extra money to play with, but there is no wealth like the joy of having passion and intention.
When you have a dream, you have something put your heart into. You have something that you believe is larger than you. You have something to create, little by little every day.
A dream is an opportunity, not just because of where it could lead, but because of what it allows you to do and feel on the way there. When you throw yourself into something you love, the output is as rewarding as the outcome.
Today if you feel like your life is lacking, ask yourself: What is your dream, and what you can create today to support it? Fulfillment isn’t something you get. It’s what you feel when you put your heart into something you believe in.
Photo by thrillseekr
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.
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Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 
I have 2 friends, they are 30 years old now.
They were adopted when they were babies by a very rich couple.
They both have about 10 million dollars in the bank and not a care in the world.
There emotional age is about 17, they are really fun to be with but they have never grown up.
They don’t have to work for what they get, they don’t have goals, they have no real purpose.
Both of them have had depression problems and I believe this is the cause.
I’m at what I feel is a major turning point in my (still very small) life: I’m going to study Communication at a high school. But what I fear is that my dream, my passion, isn’t in that field. I don’t even know what field I actually am passionate about – the only thing I care about is to give care to my work and the people I work with.
This might be not so much about money, but it’s still about dreams. And I sometimes actually dream about having that dream, the dream that’d grant me some insight into what I really love to do. I doubt if that’s the best way to handle this change. I guess all I can do is to do my best, and wait to see what happens.
Im really confused with money think cause first if u don’t have money you have a problem if u have a lot then again?
I disagree with this, give me millions and time to spend it and I will be happy. I am so tired of chasing money just to pay the bills.
I think there’s something to be said for having enough. When you have too little, you struggle. When you have too much, it leads to more struggles. Of course, that’s just my take on it!
Hi Thomas,
I think it’s great that you are thinking about your dream at such a young age. I know a lot of people who get through college and beyond without ever really thinking about what would make them happy. We all need money to live, but time is the ultimate currency. Time slips away whether we enjoy it or not. I suspect in the end, we’ll be happier knowing we did the things we love with people we loved, and allowed ourselves to follow our passions.
You will discover so much during the upcoming years. Following your instincts is a fantastic start on that path of discovery!
Lori
Hi Wade,
I hear you. You might be happy with millions. I think ultimately we all want to live a life that doesn’t require us to trade all our time for dollars just to get by. That suffocates our hours and turns them into little more than a means to an end–an end that doesn’t feel anywhere near as fulfilling as living spontaneously and passionately.
I have ascertained that my happiness isn’t really connected to a certain amount of money. It’s tied to having time to spend as I see fit, an understanding of how I can enjoy that time (what I want to discover, explore, create, and give back) and the capacity to do that, and the ability to spend it with people I love. I suspect that won’t take me millions. (I already have some of those things, and make far less!) But let’s not kid ourselves–the money wouldn’t hurt!
Lori
I think this is a common theme for people born into money. They say goal-setting is integral to happiness. We need a sense of purpose. We need something to guide our days and glue them together. Mindfulness can only take us so far because in the end, we are all aware that our lives are more than a collection of present moments; they are also the sum of them. I think we all need something that connects the days and drives us to do something with them that feels important and meaningful to us.
Hi Lori,
It is not money per se that I seek, it is the freedom to do what I want to do. I am tired of working to pay bills and then spending the next 2 weeks celebrating that I made it for that month. I think most people spend far too much time earning money as compared to the time we spend spending the money.
I think you’re right on that one. It’s the way our society is built. I think it IS possible to live a different way if we can learn too live on a lot less. Not easy, but possible.
Living as a minamilist is great when it is by design, when it is forced, then it is not so funny. We have been living like minamilists for a while and see the value of not being attached to material goods, so we have learned that lesson and most certainly do not wish to get back into the rate race. We do however seek peace of mind each day.